Patient Sitter Flex

About the role

The Patient Sitter position at Houston Methodist Hospital functions as competent and demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to communicate appropriately and carry out delegated nursing assistant level tasks for assigned age-specific, diverse patient population, providing appropriate level of observation and assisting in the delivery of patient care and services under the supervision of a licensed nurse.

Responsibilities

• Collaborates with the healthcare team to maintain a safe environment, ensuring suicidal safety precautions are implemented
• Conducts 15-minute monitoring to ensure patient needs are met and records data established by policy and procedure, and reports observations and patient problems to the licensed nurse
• Performs basic patient care activities of daily living (ADL’s) within unit specific defined limits and job scope, such as assistance with patient elimination, hygiene, comfort, safety, nutrition, and progress activity
• Documents, where applicable, care administered, diagnostic measurements, treatments and procedures in accordance with established policies and procedures
• Responds to the call light system, contacting nursing personnel as appropriate, and follows through with meeting patient needs
• Provides routine or close level of observation needed to provide safety for a patient
• Assists with vital signs, ADLs, bed and transfer activities, meal set-up and feedings
• Organizes the work flow, problem-solves basic and routine matters, and manages multiple ongoing priorities, seeking guidance and assistance from licensed nurse, or management
• Contributes towards improving department scores for patient satisfaction/experience on unit-based scorecard through peer-to-peer accountability
• Reports observations, conditions and problems of patients to licensed personnel to achieve desired patient outcomes
• Collaborates with healthcare team to maintain a safe environment, ensuring suicidal safety precautions are implemented
• Provides appropriate hand-off at change of shift at patient bedside to communicate and collaborate, promoting patient-centered care
• Provides for the privacy of patients and families, keeping the safety of the patient in mind
• Conducts every 15-minute documentation to ensure patient needs are met (four P’s)
• Reports near misses and collaborates with the interprofessional health care team to improve patient safety
• Contributes towards improving quality and safety scores on the unit-based scorecard, through peer-to-peer accountability
• Supports initiatives to prevent conditions such as pressure injuries, patient falls, VTE, and hospital-acquired infections
• Maintains visual contact with the patient and remains at arms-length
• Assists with patient and staffing needs, floating across the hospital as competencies allow
• Utilizes time between heavy workloads efficiently and helps other team members
• Uses resources efficiently; does not waste supplies
• Self-motivated to independently manage time effectively and prioritize daily tasks, minimizing incidental overtime
• Seeks guidance and validation of knowledge base, skill level and decision making as necessary, especially in areas of question, from preceptor and assigned licensed personnel
• Completes and updates My Development plan (MDP) on an on-going basis
• Offers innovative solutions through participation in performance improvement projects and shared governance activities

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.)
• One year of direct patient care experience within the last three years or Nursing student currently enrolled in an accredited nursing program that has successfully completed at least one clinical rotation
• Required State license or certification: CMEDASST, NHA-CMA, NCCT-NCMA, NRCMA, CNA and BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association and NVCRISIS - Nonviolent Crisis Intervention or Instructor (CPI) - Crisis Prevention Institute within 4 months