Patient Support Associate

Qualifications

• Required: Ability to work independently.
• Required: Ability to read, write and understand directions in English.
• Required: Ability to communicate clearly and effectively.
• PREFERRED: One year work experience with special needs population.
• PREFERRED: Basic computer knowledge.
• PREFERRED: CPI or Safety Care.

Job Summary

The Patient Support Associate provides safe and appropriate non-skilled therapeutic interventions as assigned. Tasks focus on patient supervision to ensure patient safety, transport of patients in preparation for treatment, obtaining/preparing equipment necessary for patient care and maintaining a clean environment. The Patient Support Associate may also perform other clerical duties within the staffing office as assigned.

Physical Demands

• Ability to tolerate up to four hours of consecutive work.
• Endurance for up to one and one-half hour periods of constant sitting and one-hour periods of independent mobility.
• Ability to safely transfer patients and provide contact guarding or hands-on assistance.
• Ability to lift or carry objects up to 10 pounds continuously, to 20 pounds frequently, and up to 40 pounds frequently for patient transfers and bed mobility.
• Ability to push/pull up to 50 pounds frequently throughout the day for patient transport and mobility activities.
• Frequent need to initiate body positional changes to access equipment from high and low areas and while providing treatment interventions.
• Functional fine and gross motor skills and upper extremity sensation needed. Intact vision needed for observation of patient's non-verbal responses and skin assessment.
• Must be able to initiate and interpret communication with patient and others.

Cognitive Demands

• Job requires the application of previously acquired knowledge.
• It also requires flexibility of thought, reasoning, organizational skills and the ability to act in some new or unfamiliar situations.
• Selective attention and concentration are necessary to complete tasks.
• Job requires basic formulation, content, syntax and spelling to complete tasks.
• Only simple sentence or very short paragraph expression is necessary.
• Selective attention and concentration are necessary to complete tasks.
• Task requires ability to add and subtract two digit numbers. Multiply and divide 10’s and 100’s by 2, 3, 4, and 5. Perform basic arithmetic operations.

Work Demands

• Job requires working primarily indoors, only occasionally needing to be outdoors.
• Job requires working around and with others on a continuous basis.
• Task fluctuation on schedule is frequent and often unpredictable due to census and patient specific needs.
• Work is frequently carried out in a noisy and somewhat crowded setting.
• There is exposure to body fluids, contagious disease and blood borne pathogens.
• There is occasional exposure to particles, chemicals, electrical, and/or thermal agents that could cause eye, nose or skin irritation - such as those utilized for casting, patient treatment, or cleaning.