Patient Care Technician - Med/Surg - Per Diem Days

About the role

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better. At Hackensack Meridian Health, we help our patients live better, healthier lives—and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It’s also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community.

Responsibilities

A day in the life of a Patient Care Technician at Hackensack Meridian Health includes:

• Provide patient care, based on physical, psychosocial, education, safety, and related criteria, appropriate to the age of the guests/patients served in assigned service.
• Provide for effective and safe guest/patients outcomes through practice, judgment, and critical actions.
• Ongoing communication with patients, nursing colleagues, and other members of the health care team regarding patient's status and rendered care.
• Take self-directed or self-motivated initiative to do more than is expected or required in the job, acting before being required by events, improving job performance, and/or creating new opportunities.
• Participate in interdisciplinary collaboration of our patient's plan of care from admission to discharge to ensure safe transitioning and continuum of care.
• Participate in Unit/Department Performance Improvement (PI) activities.

Specific Job Functions May Include But Not Limited To:

• Welcomes patients and checks for proper identification bracelets.
• Prepares the patient for assessment/admission, physical examination, and procedures.
• Recognizes and responds to opportunities to enhance patient satisfaction.
• Demonstrates the knowledge and skill necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of patients on the unit.
• Obtains clinical data, temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, O2 saturation, and documents findings in the patient record; notifies RN immediately of abnormal results.
• Draws intravenous or capillary blood from newborn through geriatric-aged patients using proper aseptic collection techniques; ensures appropriate labeling and processing of specimens to expedite throughput of patients.
• Performs venipuncture for laboratory tests.
• Demonstrates a reliable and dependable ability to follow through with designated responsibilities in the collecting, labeling, and transporting of specimens to the proper area at the appropriate time; always correctly labels type of specimen collected, including patient's name and room number.
• Performs EKG for patients as directed.
• Assures the presence, functionality, and cleanliness of all necessary equipment. Checks and maintains code cart, O2, and other emergency medical equipment as directed.
• Applies bandages, slings, compression boots, and hypothermia blankets according to standard as directed by RN.
• Assists in the transport of patients to departments or units upon request.
• Assists with preparation as necessary, ensuring the patient is assisted with meals or fed as needed.
• Checks inventory of assigned area and restocks as directed.
• Ensures room environment is prepared for admission.
• Provides direct hygiene and comfort care to patients including bathing, toileting, oral hygiene, incontinent care, and bed making.
• Assists patients with dressing/undressing and placing patient belongings in the appropriate bag labeled with a completed property checklist. Monitors the return of clothing to the family of the patient.
• Performs and documents glucose finger sticks and collects other specimens as directed.
• Provides post-mortem care.
• Obtains and documents patient weights and observes and documents patient's intake and output.
• Provides a safe patient environment by answering call lights promptly, communicating with the RN immediately for any change in the patient's condition.
• Identifies the needs of the patient population served and modifies and delivers care that is specific to those needs (e.g., age, culture, language, hearing and/or visually impaired, etc.). This process includes communicating with the patient, parent, and/or primary caregiver(s) at their level (developmental/age, educational, literacy, etc.).
• Other duties and/or projects as assigned.

Requirements

• High School diploma, general equivalency diploma (GED), and/or GED equivalent programs.
• Completion of one of the following:
  • Certified Nursing Assistant, Medical Assistant, or Patient Care Technician program, or
  • Fundamentals of Nursing program from an accredited school of nursing, or
  • HMH PCT Apprenticeship Program, or
  • Equivalent medical background experience, such as EMT, Home Health Aide, CMA, MA, PCT, Nursing Assistant.

  Note: Candidates that have not completed one of the programs but meet the other requirements will be considered for selection into the HMH PCT Apprentice Program. If selected, the candidate will be hired into the role of PCT Apprentice. Upon successful completion of the HMH PCT Apprenticeship Program, the candidate will be transferred to the Patient Care Technician role.

• The ability to learn quickly and adapt to changing patient needs, a strong sense of accountability for improving the lives of our patients and their caregivers, an exceptional focus on teamwork, dedication to ongoing education, and the ability and passion to deliver the highest quality of care and service based on a strong sense of patient focus are all required.

Qualifications

Preferred:

• Experienced or certified in phlebotomy and checking EKG, vital signs, and blood sugar.
• At least one (1) year of PCT or CNA experience in a hospital setting strongly preferred or eligible for the HMH PCT apprentice program.
• Certified Nursing Assistant, Certified Medical Assistant, or Patient Care Technician who has successfully completed a PCT program which includes Phlebotomy, EKG, and nursing assistant course both in the theoretical and clinical setting.

Licenses and Certifications

• AHA Basic Health Care Life Support HCP Certification within 60 days of entering position.

Pay

Minimum rate of $20.68 hourly. The posted rate of pay is a reasonable good faith estimate of the minimum base pay for this role at the time of posting. The starting rate of pay is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guarantee of a specific offer. Posted hourly rates may be stated as an annual salary in the offer, and posted annual salaries may be stated as an hourly rate in the offer, depending on the level and nature of the job duties and credentials of the candidate. The base compensation determined at the time of the offer may differ based on non-discriminatory factors such as labor market data, experience, education and certifications, skills, geographic location, internal equity, and budget or grant funding.

Benefits

In addition to our compensation for full-time and part-time (20+ hours/week) job positions, HMH offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Health, dental, and vision benefits.
• Paid leave.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Retirement benefits.
• Certain positions may also be eligible for performance-based incentives, bonuses, or commissions not reflected in the starting rate.
• Shift differentials for work performed on evening, night, or weekend shifts.