Health Care Assistant

University of Utah Health•Salt Lake City, UT

About The Position

University of Utah Health seeks a patient-focused Health Care Assistant to provide direct and indirect patient care under the direction of a Registered Nurse. The role involves contact with patients and their families and may include accessing and administering medications within the assistant’s scope of practice and applicable state law. The position supports patient care and the safe, efficient operation of the care environment in a 24/7 health system.

Requirements

Ability to perform the essential functions of the job.
Demonstrated human-relations and effective communication skills.
Demonstrated customer-service skills and ability to work in a busy environment.
Ability to use a multi-line phone system and hospital paging system as needed.
Ability to initiate appropriate action in emergency or crisis situations by evaluating the situation and determining the applicable protocol.
Demonstrated availability to work variable and rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays, in a 24/7 patient-care environment.
One of the following: current Utah State Nursing Assistant certification, or completion of the first round of clinicals and current enrollment in an approved nursing education program.
Current University of Utah Health RQI Healthcare Provider eCredential, to be obtained within 30 days of hire.
For employees enrolled in a nursing program, an RN license must be obtained within three months of completing the RN program; if not obtained by then, a current CNA certification must be obtained immediately.
Employees in this job code who hold an RN license must also hold CNA certification if they remain in the role longer than three months.
Additional license requirements may be determined by the hiring department.
Must be able to meet the stated physical and working-condition requirements with or without accommodation, including moving patients or objects and working around possible infectious-disease exposure and prisoners or behavioral-health patients.

Responsibilities

Assist patients with feeding, drinking, ambulating, grooming, toileting, dressing, socializing, and unit-specific technical skills.
Reinforce or assist with patient and significant-other education as delegated by a professional care provider.
Collect, report, and document data related to direct patient care.
Support indirect patient care, including maintaining a clean, efficient, and safe environment; providing companion care; housekeeping; transporting patients; and chaperoning physicians during examinations and procedures as needed.
Perform unit-specific and additional clerical duties, including stocking and maintaining clerical and patient supplies.
Communicate with hospital staff, physicians, patients, families, and visitors.
Process paper orders during downtime when working in a clerical role, including entering downtime occurrence orders and associated start and stop times in patient records.
May process electronic requests for medical treatments and tests and retrieve patient test and laboratory results.
May schedule patient appointments.
May maintain patient records and unit activity boards.
May manage admissions, discharges, and transfers according to unit standards.
May observe cardiac monitors and notify nursing and medical staff of abnormal rhythm variances indicating heart ischemia or acute myocardial infarction.
Work assigned rotating schedules as required to meet staffing and patient-care needs, and maintain regular, reliable, and punctual attendance.