Patient Support Assistant- Med-Surg

Job Description Summary

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

Responsibilities And Duties

• Performs and/or assists patients with activities of daily living such as bathing, grooming, eating, walking, etc.
• Maintains environmental cleanliness and safety of patient rooms, unit, and equipment.
• Provides assistance to patients, visitors, and nursing personnel in assigned unit and maintains flexibility to help other departments with patient care as needed.
• Develops respectful and compassionate relationships with patients and families.
• Serves as a patient safety champion, promoting adherence to safety guidelines among all care providers.
• Assists in telemetry cardiac monitoring, recognizing life-threatening arrhythmias, and communicating immediately to licensed clinicians.
• Acts as a transporter for the nursing unit assigned.
• Runs errands for patient care, picking up or delivering items as needed.

Additional Nursing Tasks

• Delegates nursing tasks to nursing assistants based on their capabilities and the RN's direction.
• Performs basic nursing care duties such as waived testing, specimen collection, EKGs, and dressing changes.
• Accurately collects and documents patient data such as height, weight, vital signs, intake and output.
• Uses portable technology for measurement and documentation of patient data.
• Reports patient observations and concerns to the Registered Nurse.

Supporting Roles

• Assists hospital visitors and staff with information needs.
• Serves 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 within the unit.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School or GED equivalent.
• Valid work permit for 16- and 17-year-olds.
• Enrollment in high school for 18-year-olds.