CNA

Covenant Health•Knoxville, TN

About The Position

The Certified Nursing Assistant provides direct patient care and performs tasks that assist registered nurses. Under the supervision of the Team Leader, the CNA provides hands-on care, assists with activities of daily living, and performs specified technical tasks for a group of patients. The role may also include serving as a sitter for patients requiring full-time supervision in the hospital. The position is full-time, 72 hours per pay period, on the night shift, at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. The facility is a 444-bed hospital and part of Covenant Health, a nonprofit health system with nine hospitals and nearly 150 service locations.

Requirements

Tennessee CNA licensure is required upon hire. Out-of-state hires must have their Tennessee CNA license in process, as reflected on the state website, upon hire.
CPR is required.
Must be able to operate a computer.
Must have excellent interpersonal skills.
Must be able to read with comprehension, write legibly, and perform basic arithmetic computations.
Must understand patient care tasks that may appropriately be delegated to nursing assistants.
Must be trained and willing to function as a sitter for patients who need full-time supervision in the hospital.

Nice To Haves

Hospital experience is preferred.
Knowledge of medical terminology is a plus.

Responsibilities

Measure and record vital signs, weights, heights, and intake and output.
Encourage patients to turn, cough, breathe deeply, and use incentive spirometry as specified in the plan of care.
Ambulate patients and assist them with transfers, mobility, and getting in and out of bed or wheelchairs.
Support patients’ nutritional needs, including distributing meal trays, feeding, and providing water pitchers.
Provide morning or evening personal care, including bathing, oral hygiene, grooming, dressing, bed linen changes, and other supportive care.
Empty drains, canisters, urine bags, bedpans, and emesis basins, and record intake and output.
Help maintain a safe environment, report malfunctioning equipment, and handle linen and supplies appropriately.
Provide general care, including positioning, lifting, and turning patients; assisting with toileting; preoperative supportive care; and applying or removing abdominal binders, anti-embolism stockings, and sequential compression devices.
Empty and clean ostomy bags according to procedure.
Collect urine, stool, and sputum specimens as ordered.
Perform range-of-motion tasks and assist with ambulatory devices according to the plan of care.
Perform phlebotomy after additional training, including labeling samples with two patient identifiers and maintaining, rotating, and restocking lab-draw supplies.
Perform EKGs after special training.
Answer call lights promptly and respond to patient requests.
Report significant changes in patients’ conditions to the RN.
Help maintain clean and orderly patient and work areas.
Follow infection-control policies, including standard and transmission-based precautions, OSHA standards, safety measures, and proper body mechanics.
Document and maintain patient records as appropriate.
Gather equipment for oxygen setup and check connections and placement; ambulate patients with oxygen.
Check that bedside equipment is functioning properly; set up suction equipment and check its function.
Demonstrate knowledge and competency in meeting the age-specific needs of the population served and perform skills on the Nursing Assistant checklist.
Follow policies, procedures, and safety standards; complete annual education assignments; work toward goals and objectives; and participate in quality-improvement initiatives as requested.
Be trained and willing to serve as a sitter for patients requiring full-time hospital supervision.
Perform other duties as assigned.