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, assistance with activities of daily living, and specified technical tasks for a group of patients. The CNA may also serve as a sitter for patients who need full-time supervision in the hospital. This is a full-time position on the Oncology, GYN Surg unit at Parkwest Medical Center, scheduled for 72 hours per pay period on the day shift.

Requirements

Tennessee CNA licensure is required upon hire. Out-of-state hires must have a 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 willing and trained to function in a sitter capacity for patients needing full-time hospital supervision.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Measure and record temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, weight, height, 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 into and out of bed, wheelchairs, and transport as needed, including ambulating patients with oxygen.
Attend to patients’ nutritional needs, including distributing meal trays, feeding, and providing water pitchers.
Provide morning or evening care, including bathing, oral hygiene, grooming, back care, dressing, changing bed linen, and tidying the patient’s room and bedside area.
Empty drains, canisters, urine bags, bedpans, and emesis basins, and record intake and output.
Help maintain a safe environment, report malfunctioning equipment, handle linen appropriately, and store supplies.
Provide general care, including positioning, lifting, turning, assistance with bedpans, urinals, or commodes, preoperative supportive care, and application or removal of 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 as specified in the plan of care.
Perform phlebotomy after additional training, including correct labeling with two patient identifiers and maintaining, rotating, and restocking lab-draw supplies.
Perform EKGs after special training.
Answer patient call lights promptly and respond to patient requests.
Report significant changes in patients’ conditions to the RN.
Help maintain a clean and orderly patient and work environment.
Follow infection-control policies, 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 oxygen connections and placement.
Check that equipment at the patient bedside is functioning properly.
Set up suction equipment and check that it functions properly.
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.
Train and remain willing to function as a sitter for hospital patients who need full-time supervision.
Perform other duties as assigned.