Certified Nurse Assistant

Guardian Hospice•Durant, OK

10d

About The Position

The hospice aide is a paraprofessional member of the interdisciplinary group who works under the supervision of a registered nurse. The aide provides services to meet patients’ personal needs and promote comfort, observes patients, reports and documents observations and care, and is assigned in a manner that supports quality, continuity, and safety of care. The aide provides personal care and assistance with daily living, meals, mobility, exercise, and light household tasks as assigned. The role also involves observing patients’ skin and condition, communicating significant changes to the Case Manager, following care and documentation standards, and participating in quality assessment and performance improvement activities. The hospice aide does not practice nursing, administer medications, take physician’s orders, or perform procedures requiring the training and skills of a licensed nurse.

Requirements

Successfully complete a state-established or other training program meeting the requirements of 42 CFR § 484.36(a) and a competency evaluation program, or meet the specified competency evaluation or state licensure program requirements under § 484.36(b), as applicable.
Meet the training requirements of the state.
Be at least 18 years of age.
Read and follow written instructions and document care provided.
Understand hospice philosophy and be comfortable providing specialized care to terminally ill patients.
Provide satisfactory references from previous employers.
Be self-directing and able to work with little direct supervision.
Be secure with issues of death and dying.
Provide a calm manner in a patient’s home.
Demonstrate empathy for the needs of ill, injured, frail, and impaired people.
Possess and maintain current CPR certification.
Demonstrate tact, patience, and good personal hygiene.
Be able to drive and/or have access to transportation for agency-related travel.
Have and maintain a valid driver’s license and automobile insurance coverage, and have access to an automobile.
Have good oral and written communication skills.
Have good organizational skills.

Responsibilities

Provide assigned personal care promptly and report to the Case Manager when unable to perform a task.
Meet patients’ safety needs and use equipment safely and properly, including foot stools, side rails, and oxygen equipment.
Provide baths, back rubs, oral hygiene, shampoos, and bed-linen changes as assigned.
Assist patients with dressing and undressing.
Plan and prepare nutritious meals, including shopping, as assigned; assist with feeding as assigned.
Take and record oral, rectal, and axillary temperatures, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure when ordered and when competency requirements are met.
Observe and care for patients’ skin to help prevent tissue breakdown over bony prominences.
Report patients’ conditions and significant changes to the Case Manager, and remain aware of caregivers, other household members, and interpersonal issues.
Assist with ambulation and exercise as instructed by the hospice nurse or therapist.
Offer and assist with bedpans and urinals.
Provide light laundry assistance as assigned.
Perform range-of-motion exercises and other simple procedures as an extended therapy service when ordered and competency requirements are met.
Provide respite for the patient, family, or caregiver when on-site, as appropriate.
Keep the patient’s living area clean and orderly as assigned.
Follow the organization’s documentation, care procedures, and standards of personal and professional conduct.
Participate in quality assessment and performance improvement teams and activities.
Respect the patient’s and family’s environment and the patient’s personal needs.
Do not administer medications, take physician’s orders, or perform procedures requiring the training, knowledge, and skill of a licensed nurse, such as sterile techniques.
Perform other job-related tasks as requested.