NURSE ASSISTANT NON-CERT

Covenant Health•Oak Ridge, TN

About The Position

The Nurse Assistant Non-Certified works as a direct patient caregiver, performing hands-on care, activities of daily living (ADLs), and specified technical tasks for a group of patients under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or Team Leader. The role supports patient care, comfort, safety, and the orderly operation of the patient and work environment. The position is full-time, 72 hours per pay period, on the day shift, in the Heart Lung Vascular department at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge.

Requirements

Certification is not required for the Nurse Assistant Non-Certified role.
CPR is required; applicants who are not currently certified must become certified or recertified during the orientation period.
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 demonstrate competency in unit-specific functions described in the performance continuum, skills lists, and/or standards.

Nice To Haves

Hospital experience is preferred.
Knowledge of medical terminology is a plus.
A high school diploma or equivalent certificate (GED) may be given preference.

Responsibilities

Measure and record patients’ temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, weight, height, and intake and output.
Encourage patients to turn, cough, breathe deeply, and use incentive spirometry as directed by the plan of care.
Ambulate patients and help them move in and out of bed, into wheelchairs, and during transport as needed.
Support patients’ nutritional needs, including distributing meal trays, feeding, and providing water pitchers.
Provide morning or evening care, including bathing, oral hygiene, hair care, back care, dressing, changing bed linen, and tidying the bedside area and room.
Empty drains, canisters, urine bags, bedpans, and emesis basins, and record intake and output.
Help maintain a safe environment by reporting equipment problems, handling linen appropriately, and storing supplies.
Provide general care, including positioning, lifting, turning, assisting with bedpans, urinals, or commodes, 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 as specified in patients’ plans of care.
May perform phlebotomy after additional training, including labeling specimens with two patient identifiers and maintaining, rotating, and restocking lab-draw supplies.
May perform EKGs after special training.
Respond promptly to call lights and 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, 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 oxygen connections and placement.
Check that equipment at the patient bedside is functioning properly.
Ambulate patients receiving oxygen.
Set up suction equipment and check that it functions properly.
Provide care that meets the age-specific needs of the population served and demonstrate competency in required position skills.
Follow policies, procedures, and safety standards; complete annual education assignments; work toward goals and objectives; and participate in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Provide safe, efficient, and competent care to the assigned customer or patient population and avoid posing a direct threat to the health or safety of self or others.