Nurse Attendant

Northwell Health

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Under direction and supervision of a Registered Nurse, the Nurse Attendant assists patients with activities of daily living, provides basic nursing care, and helps maintain a safe and clean environment. This role functions as a co-worker to the nurse and a key member of the nursing care team, organizing patient care assignments, setting priorities, and alerting the RN to changes in patient status. The attendant is also responsible for maintaining patient care units in a neat and orderly condition and assisting the Registered Nurse by performing selected procedures and simple treatments. Additionally, the role involves a variety of related duties such as assisting patients with mobility, serving meals, transporting patients, and maintaining equipment and non-patient rooms. The Nurse Attendant is expected to participate in continuing education and complete annual mandatory educational requirements.

Requirements

High School Diploma or equivalent, required
Completion of Nurse Assistant course or equivalent, required
Prior experience as a Nursing Attendant or equivalent, required
Ability to communicate effectively, and follow written and/or oral instructions
Ability to work in diversified settings
Ability to lift, turn, position, etc. Patients, as required

Nice To Haves

NYS Nurse Attendant certification, preferred

Responsibilities

Functions as a co-worker to the nurse and a key member of the nursing care team
Organizes patient care assignment and sets priorities
Alerts RN co-worker to changes in patient status i.e., alteration in comfort, skin integrity, alterations in breathing pattern, etc.
Documents patient care and patient status changes on the appropriate chart forms
Communicates routine information to RN periodically during shift i.e., intake and output
Assists RN in providing for ADL needs of patients
Prepares patients for meals, and feeds or assists with meals
Provides between meal nourishment and fresh water to patients
Bathes or assists patient to bathe, provides oral hygiene
Toilets patients as necessary
Maintains patient's mobility with range of motion exercises and ambulation
Grooms patient, including shaving, as needed
Participates with the RN in the development of a plan of care for assigned patient
Utilizes a plan of care in carrying out patient assignments
Maintains patient care units in a neat and orderly condition
Changes and makes beds
Cleans and straightens bedside table and overbed tables, as needed
Strips patient units upon discharge of patient, in preparation for cleaning by Housekeeping Department
Removes equipment from room
Cleans and place it in appropriate are
Prepares room for new admissions, transfers and post-operative patients
Assists Registered Nurse by performing selected procedures and simple treatments
Takes and records temperature, pulse, respiration rate and B.P on admission and as assigned
Measures and records fluid intake and output; totals at shift end
Obtains specimens, such as urine, stool and sputum
Administers enemas, as directed
Weighs and records patient weight on admission and as indicated
Shave patients as instructed in preparation for procedures
Performs simple procedures utilizing aseptic technique (i.e – applying and changing simple dressings)
Performs simple respiratory treatments, as required (i.e – suctioning)
Performs a variety of related duties
Assists patients in and out of bed, ambulates patients, lifts, turns and positions patients
Assists with serving of meals; positions patient, cleans overbed table, and helps distribute and collect trays
Transports and accompanies patients to various departments, as directed
Reports missing or damaged equipment to Unit Service Coordinator
Maintains non-patient rooms (i.e., utility rooms, linen rooms, kitchens, etc.) in a neat and orderly condition
Maintains cleanliness of patient care equipment
Performs constant observation on selected patients as assigned
Follows medical Center's policies and procedures to support QA/QI efforts in patient care and services
Performs post-mortem care and transports body to morgue
Takes part in Nursing's continuing education policy
Attending nursing attendant course during orientation program
Participating and completing annual mandatory educational requirements
Attending nursing attendant staff development programs offered throughout the year
Performs related duties, as required