Patient Support Assistant

About the Role

Assist Registered Nurse in providing direct patient care to multiple patients at a time on a designated nursing unit.

Responsibilities

• Performs and/or assists the patient with activities of daily living (e.g., bathing, grooming, eating, walking).
• Maintains environmental cleanliness and safety of patient rooms, unit, and equipment.
• Provides assistance to patients, visitors, and nursing personnel in the assigned unit and maintains flexibility to help other departments with patient care as needed.
• Assists in creating the ideal patient experience through respectful and compassionate relationships with each patient and family.
• May serve as a patient safety champion, empowering equal responsibility for all safety guidelines among all licensed and unlicensed caregivers.
• May assist in telemetry cardiac monitoring, recognizing life-threatening arrhythmias, and communicates immediately to available licensed clinicians.
• May act as a transporter for the nursing unit assigned and runs errands to pick up or deliver items for patient care.
• Performs delegable nursing tasks as directed by the Registered Nurse, including tasks with predictable results, safe execution, and minimal risk if performed improperly (e.g., waived testing like fingerstick glucose, urine dipstick, occult fecal testing, non-sterile specimen collection, nasogastric tube care, 12-lead EKG, and simple clean non-sterile dressing changes).
• Accurately collects and records data such as height, weight, vital signs, intake and output using appropriate documentation forms.
• Competent in using portable technology, including handheld wireless devices for measurement and documentation of intake/output, vital signs, and point-of-care testing (e.g., fingerstick glucose or urine dipstick).
• Reports patient observations and concerns to the Registered Nurse.
• Assists hospital visitors and staff with information needs.
• May utilize wireless devices and technology for coordination of healthcare (e.g., scheduling, flowchart documentation, nutrition service ordering).
• May serve as a superuser for nursing assistant information technology and/or preceptor for new nursing assistants.
• Maintains supplies and equipment necessary for patient care operations.
• Secures and handles appropriate supplies, medications, and lab specimens transported from, into, and within the unit.

Requirements

• High School diploma or GED.
• BLS (Basic Life Support) certification from the American Heart Association.
• 16- and 17-year-old individuals without a high school diploma or GED will be considered only if they have a valid work permit.
• 18-year-old individuals enrolled in high school do not need a high school diploma, GED, or work permit to be considered.

Schedule

• Work Shift: Variable
• Scheduled Weekly Hours: As Needed

Department: Med Surg Unit 1