Patient Support Assistant-Emergency Department

About the role

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

Responsibilities

• 40% – Direct patient care and unit support
  • Performs and/or assists patients 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; maintains flexibility to help other departments as needed.
  • Assists in creating the ideal patient experience through respectful, compassionate relationships with each patient and family.
  • May serve as a patient safety champion, empowering equal responsibility for safety guidelines among all caregivers.
  • May assist in telemetry cardiac monitoring, recognizing life‑threatening arrhythmias and communicating immediately to a licensed clinician.
  • May act as a transporter for the assigned nursing unit.
  • Runs errands to pick up or deliver items for patient care.
• 40% – Delegated nursing tasks
  • Performs delegable nursing tasks as directed by the RN: tasks not requiring nursing judgment, with predictable results, performed safely per exact directions, not requiring complex observations, critical decisions, or assessment, and where improper performance has minimal, non‑life‑threatening consequences.
  • Performs basic nursing care duties including waived testing (fingerstick glucose, urine dipstick, occult fecal), 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.
  • Competent in portable technology: handheld wireless devices for measurement and documentation of intake/output, vital signs, and point‑of‑care testing (fingerstick glucose, urine dipstick).
  • Reports patient observations and concerns to the Registered Nurse.
• 20% – Unit coordination and support
  • Assists hospital visitors and staff with information needs.
  • May utilize wireless devices and technology for coordination of healthcare (scheduling, flowchart documentation, nutrition service ordering).
  • May serve as a super‑user 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 to/from and within the unit.

As a High Reliability Organization (HRO), responsibilities require focus on safety, quality, and efficiency. The job profile provides an overview and is not exhaustive; duties are subject to change.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED
• BLS – Basic Life Support (American Heart Association)

Additional Requirements

• 16‑ and 17‑year‑old individuals without a high school diploma or GED considered only with a valid work permit.
• 18‑year‑old individuals enrolled in high school do not need a diploma/GED/work permit.

Work Schedule

• Shift: Night
• Scheduled Weekly Hours: 36
• Department: Emergency Department