Patient Care Technician - Post Anesthesia Care Unit - FT Days (6am- 2:30pm)

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

• Functions as a caregiver for a specific patient population to achieve desired outcomes.
• Provides effective direct and indirect care as part of the interdisciplinary team to a variety of complex patients under the direction and supervision of the registered nurse.
• Promotes patient satisfaction, comfort, and safety.
• Assists with a variety of patient, unit, and environment-related tasks.
• Participates in patient safety initiatives.
• Provides patient care based on physical, psychosocial, education, safety, and related criteria, appropriate to the age of the patients served.
• Ensures effective and safe patient outcomes through practice, judgment, and critical actions.
• Maintains ongoing communication with patients, nursing colleagues, and other members of the healthcare team regarding patient status and care rendered.
• Takes self-directed initiative to exceed expectations, improve job performance, and create new opportunities.
• Participates in interdisciplinary collaboration for the patient’s plan of care from admission to discharge to ensure safe transitioning and continuum of care.
• Participates in Unit/Department Performance Improvement (PI) activities.
• Specific job functions may include but are 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 knowledge and skill necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of patients on the unit.
  • Obtains clinical data including 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 patients using proper aseptic collection techniques; ensures appropriate labeling and processing of specimens.
  • Performs venipuncture for laboratory tests.
  • Demonstrates reliable and dependable ability to follow through with collecting, labeling, and transporting specimens to the proper area at the appropriate time.
  • Performs EKG for patients as directed.
  • Ensures the presence, functionality, and cleanliness of 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 meal preparation and feeding 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 places patient belongings in the appropriate bag labeled with a completed property checklist; monitors the return of clothing to the patient’s family.
  • Performs and documents glucose finger sticks and collects other specimens as directed.
  • Provides postmortem care.
  • Obtains and documents patient weights; observes and documents patient’s intake and output.
  • Provides a safe patient environment by answering call lights promptly and communicating with the RN immediately for any change in the patient’s condition.
  • Identifies the needs of the patient population served and modifies care to meet those needs (e.g., age, culture, language, hearing, or visually impaired).
  • Communicates with the patient, parent, and/or primary caregiver at their level (developmental/age, educational, literacy).
  • Performs other duties and/or projects as assigned.
  • Adheres to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.

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 (e.g., EMT, Home Health Aide, CMA, MA, PCT, Nursing Assistant).

  Note: Candidates who 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 as a PCT Apprentice. Upon successful completion of the HMH PCT Apprenticeship Program, the candidate will be transferred to the Patient Care Technician role.

• AHA Basic Health Care Life Support HCP Certification within 60 days of entering position.
• The ability to learn quickly and adapt to changing patient needs, a strong sense of accountability for improving the lives of patients and their caregivers, an exceptional focus on teamwork, dedication to ongoing education, and the ability and passion to deliver high-quality care based on patient focus.

Qualifications (Preferred)

• Experience or certification in phlebotomy, EKG, vital signs, and blood sugar checks.
• At least one (1) year of PCT or CNA experience in a hospital setting (strongly preferred) or eligibility for the HMH PCT apprentice program.
• Certified Nursing Assistant, Certified Medical Assistant, or Patient Care Technician who has successfully completed a PCT program including Phlebotomy, EKG, and nursing assistant course (both theoretical and clinical).
• Medical Office Assistant Certification.

Pay

Minimum starting rate of $21.77 per hour. The posted rate of pay is a reasonable good faith estimate of the minimum base pay for this role and does not reflect the full value of our market-competitive total rewards package. The base compensation may vary based on factors including labor market data, experience, education, certifications, skills, geographic location, internal equity, budget, and grant funding.

Benefits

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

• Health, dental, and vision coverage.
• Paid leave.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Retirement benefits.
• Performance-based incentives, bonuses, or commissions (for eligible positions).
• Shift differentials for work performed on evening, night, or weekend shifts.