Float Pool Student PCA BWFH

Mass General Brigham•Boston, MA

18h•Onsite

About The Position

Mass General Brigham is a not-for-profit organization that relies on a diverse range of professionals to advance its mission of patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. They believe in high-performing teams that drive groundbreaking medical discoveries. The Patient Care Assistant II functions as a member of the patient care team, working under the direction of a Registered Nurse (RN). This role involves proficiently performing all aspects of the PCA role, supporting the RN with clinical tasks such as blood glucose monitoring, completing EKGs, applying simple dressings using aseptic technique, and responding to medical emergencies with Heartsaver CPR and AED skills. Additionally, the PCA II is responsible for addressing the needs of patients and family members, contributing to the efficient operation of the unit, and ensuring the practice of the Patient and Family Centered Care Model.

Requirements

High School Diploma or Equivalent required
CPR Certification - Generic - HR Only required
Successful completion of an approved nursing assistant training program.
Ability to effectively speak, read and write using the English language.
Ability to pass clinical competency, basic math and reading testing.
Ability to perform basic math calculations and measurements, in order to measure height and weight, intake and output and calorie counts.
Ability to accurately interpret and utilize basic medical terminology and abbreviations.
Ability to enter and retrieve computerized information.
Physical ability to push, transfer, and pull heavy loads throughout assigned shift.
Physical ability to meet core job requirements in accordance with practice setting demands, for the patient populations regularly served.
Effective interpersonal skills to interact appropriately with nursing staff, patients, families/visitors, physicians, and other hospital staff.
Organizational skills to set priorities and efficiently complete assigned work.
Ability to manage stress related to patient care issues, changing hospital climate, and personnel issues.

Responsibilities

Anticipate and identify patient safety risks, in cooperation with licensed nurse and take appropriate action to reduce and/or eliminate the risks.
Maintain proper bed height, use side rails and alarms appropriately, place call light within patient reach, provide frequent patient checks and assist patient with ambulation, as indicated.
Make routine patient room rounds to address patient needs.
Follow and maintain restraint policies, under the supervision of a licensed nurse.
Provide 1:1 monitoring as a patient observer, for patients at risk for injury.
Follow established hospital infection control and safety procedures.
Utilize proper body mechanics in moving and assisting patients, to prevent personal injury.
Maintain and promote an atmosphere which reflects the mission and values of the organization.
Respect and support a culturally diverse staff and patient population.
Deliver care in a non-judgmental, non-discriminatory manner that is sensitive to and demonstrates respect for patient diversity.
Respect and maintain the confidentiality and privacy of patient, employee and hospital information at all times.
Work cooperatively with all staff members and take appropriate steps to resolve interpersonal conflicts.
Dress appropriately and according to dress code requirements, including wearing visible hospital I.D. badge that identifies self, as a Patient Care Assistant.
Efficiently organize time and prioritize patient care needs.
Provide assistance to co-workers, as requested.
Adapt to changing patient and unit needs including but not limited to: offering assistance to other team members, floating, adjusting assignments, etc.
Communicate with Charge Nurse/Nursing Supervisor to coordinate break periods with unit activities.
Maintain visibility on the unit and not leave work area, without appropriate notification to the Charge Nurse/Staff Nurse.
Review and be knowledgeable of appropriate policies, procedures and work rules.
Demonstrate an understanding of hospital emergency codes and how to call a code.
Utilize hospital E-mail to access staff meeting minutes, notices and memos.
Read and review meeting minutes and clinical updates.
Participate in staff meetings and appropriate in-services.
Maintain timely ongoing verbal communication with RN throughout the shift, regarding patient condition including, the status of completing delegated tasks.
Recognize and notify RN immediately of any significant change in a patient’s condition and/or monitoring alarms (for example: change in vital signs, change in patient’s mental status, complaints of pain, abnormal blood sugar, patient fall or other injury, patient concerns with care).
Accurately collect and record patient data (vital signs, intake and output, blood sugar, weights, restraint care/monitoring, other) and comply with hospital documentation standards to ensure a complete and accurate patient record.
Maintain and foster a teamwork approach to patient care.
Address patient comfort and information needs by providing informative, nonclinical information to patients and families, orienting patients/visitors to the hospital, unit, patient room services, distributing patient mail/flowers, arranging room to ensure necessary personal care items are available & accessible (includes call lights), distributing nourishments, changing linens & clothing, refilling ice packs, running patient errands or other duties, as assigned by the RN.
In collaboration with the licensed nurse, reinforce the patient education provided by the nurse and provide patients/families with basic patient care instruction, such as instruction for using the call light, positioning, transferring, walking, toileting and feeding.
Comply with established practice standards, policies, procedures, protocols, guidelines, and regulations, (for example: DPH, JCAHO, Boston fire codes, OSHA).
Maintain and demonstrate compliance with hospital, nursing and unit specific competencies and care standards.
Maintain competence in relation to a variety of technical skills that may include, but are not limited to: application of external monitors, use of the CPM machine, performing EKGs and blood glucose monitoring, applying simple dressings and Heartsaver CPR and AED skills.
Assist in the orientation of new patient care assistants and serve as a resource to float staff.
Participate in hospital wide and unit based SEAQ programs and activities, as indicated.
Communicate any concerns related to quality patient care to the Nursing Director or Nurse Director, Clinical Leader and/or Nursing Supervisor.
Complete patient care, as assigned by the licensed nurse, according to hospital policy and procedure.
Assist with admission, discharge, and transfer of patients.
Prepare room for admission and ensure patients have appropriate identification bands upon admission and throughout their hospitalization.
Transport patients and their belongings and their equipment and supplies, as needed and as part of the transfer/discharge process.
Provide personal care to patients including, bathing and skin care, shaving, mouth care, grooming, perineal care and changing linens, as per hospital protocols.
Provide basic skin care including but not limited to: back rubs, routine diabetic foot care, application of non-medicated ointments, application of elastic stockings, ace wraps, and compression boots, turning and repositioning patients every two hours, and other associated tasks.
Assist the patient with elimination including, care of a urinary and condom catheter, use of bedpan, commode, toileting schedules, emptying colostomy bags, urinals and urinary drainage bags.
Carry out planned patient care measures that provide patient comfort and pain relief such as, coordinating care to provide rest periods, minimizing noise, assisting in bed positioning.
Provide 1:1 monitoring as a patient observer, for patients at risk for injury and also providing the duties of the PCA II for the assigned patient.
Perform simple dressing changes, using aseptic technique.
Assist nurse/health team members during simple and complex treatments or procedures.
Set up patients for meals and assist them with feeding and opening food containers, maintaining calorie counts and recording intake/output measures (I and Os).
Take patient vital signs, complete intake and output data and daily weights accurately and document results completely.
Perform EKGs as directed and according to Hospital and Nursing Department Policy and Procedure.
Perform blood glucose monitoring as directed and according to Hospital and Nursing Department Policy and Procedure.
Document patient information in a timely, accurate and complete manner, on patient flow sheets.
Provide end of life care, including comfort measures only and post mortem care.
Collect, label, and send/transport specimens to the lab with the appropriate lab slips/requisitions attached.
Initiate patient belongings tracking form and properly secure patient belongings in accordance with hospital policy and in conjunction with the RN.
Respond promptly and courteously to all patient call lights and patient requests and seek assistance from co-workers, as appropriate.
Maintain patient rooms in an orderly and clean manner and stock patient rooms, with needed supplies and equipment.
Make routine room rounds to un-clutter, clean and organize patient rooms/areas, when needed.
Check inventories and restock/replace/assemble patient equipment and supplies.
Dispose of trash, soiled linens, medical waste and disposable items, appropriately.
Initiate and perform spot and spill cleaning, as needed.
Perform regular checks per policy and procedure to ensure that equipment is operating properly and has current safety inspections/expiration dates, before patient use.
Identify broken/expired equipment/supplies, remove from service and notify Charge RN/Staff Nurse.
Perform initial cleaning/decontamination of equipment/materials, e.g., removing reusable equipment from isolation rooms, and arranging for terminal cleaning, as appropriate.
Identify emergency/crisis situations and initiate appropriate response actions, within the scope of her/his role.