Certified Nursing Assistant

Dunes Hospice • Valparaiso, IN

1d • Onsite

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 by a Case Manager to support quality, continuity, and safety of care.

The role includes personal care, assistance with meals, mobility and daily activities, monitoring and reporting patient condition, and maintaining a clean and orderly patient living area as assigned. The hospice aide follows organizational documentation and care procedures, professional conduct standards, and state regulations. The aide does not practice nursing, administer medications, take physician’s orders, or perform procedures requiring the training and skill of a licensed nurse.

Requirements

• Complete at least 75 hours of classroom and supervised practical training; at least 16 classroom hours must be completed before the required 16 hours of practical training.
• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Maintain current CPR certification.
• Read and follow written instructions and document care provided.
• Have knowledge of corporate business management, governmental regulations, and ACHC standards.
• Hold a valid driver's license and have an insured, good-working-order automobile that meets state and/or organizational requirements; driving is required throughout working hours.
• Demonstrate observation, verbal and written communication, problem-solving, and basic math skills.
• Be able to walk or stand for prolonged or considerable periods and lift, position, or transfer patients and lift supplies and equipment.
• Be able to reach, stoop, bend, kneel, and crouch considerably, and have visual acuity and hearing sufficient to perform required certified nursing assistant skills.
• Comply with accepted professional standards and practice.
• Organize and prioritize independently, make judgments based on available assessments and data, and act accordingly.
• Be flexible and innovative, with good interpersonal skills.
• Cope with mental and emotional stress and demonstrate emotional stability.
• Tolerate exposure to odors, blood, body fluids, excrement, adverse environmental conditions, and hazardous materials.
• Work as a member of the interdisciplinary group.
• Accept different lifestyles, cultures, beliefs, and values.
• Have knowledge of and commitment to the hospice philosophy of care.
• Do not function in a manner that constitutes nursing practice under the Nurse Practice Act; do not administer medications, take physician’s orders, or perform procedures requiring licensed-nurse training, knowledge, and skill, such as sterile techniques.

Responsibilities

• Perform assigned personal care promptly and report to the Case Manager when unable to perform a task.
• Use positive, ethical, respectful, and confidential communication with patients and families.
• Meet patient safety needs and use equipment safely and properly.
• Provide personal care, including baths, back rubs, oral hygiene, shampoos, and changing bed linen as assigned.
• Assist patients with dressing and undressing.
• Assist with preparing nutritious meals and feeding patients as assigned.
• Take and record oral and auxiliary temperatures, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure when ordered and when competency requirements are met.
• Observe and provide proper skin care to help prevent tissue breakdown over bony prominences.
• Assess and report patient condition and significant changes to the Case Manager, while remaining aware of caregivers, household members, and interpersonal issues.
• Assist with ambulation and exercise as instructed by the hospice nurse or therapist.
• Provide range of motion, transfers, and positioning as directed.
• Assist with self-administered medications as allowed by state regulations, such as reminders.
• Offer and assist with bedpans and urinals.
• Provide light laundry assistance as assigned.
• Perform range-of-motion and other simple procedures as ordered when 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 organizational documentation and care procedures and standards of personal and professional conduct.
• Participate in quality assessment performance improvement teams and activities.
• Respect the patient’s and family’s environment and personal needs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed