Nursing Assistant - Med Surg Cardiothoracic Surgery/Progressive Care Unit, Part Time, 8-Hour Day Shift

Beth Israel Lahey Health•Boston, MA

7d•$20 - $27

About The Position

The Nursing Assistant provides administrative, clerical, and patient care support to an inpatient nursing unit, performing basic care activities to meet patients’ personal needs, comfort, and safety. The position reports to the nurse manager and performs patient-care duties under the supervision of a Registered Nurse. This role is assigned to the 6 East Progressive Care Unit and is listed as 24 hours per week on an 8-hour day shift. The Nursing Assistant supports unit operations by communicating with staff, physicians, patients, and families; coordinating admissions, discharges, and transfers; maintaining records and supplies; and helping ensure a safe, orderly care environment. Direct care tasks include obtaining and documenting measurements and readings, collecting specimens, assisting with hygiene, mobility, nutrition, and toileting, and performing designated clinical procedures. Some procedures require completion of competency training or direction from an RN. The role requires adherence to confidentiality, infection-control, patient-safety, organizational conduct, and customer-service standards. The Nursing Assistant also participates in quality-improvement activities and mandatory education, and may assist in orienting new Nurse Associates.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Excellent customer-service, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
Knowledge of medical terminology and basic personal computer skills.
Knowledge of competencies required to care for patients of all age populations and proper use of nursing supplies.
Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
Basic ability to read, write, and perform basic four-function math, demonstrated by passing a written examination.
No prior experience required.
No licensure, certification, or registration required.
Staff must be vaccinated against influenza as a condition of employment.

Responsibilities

Build professional working relationships and communicate effectively with colleagues across disciplines to support team functioning.
Respond to questions from physicians, nursing staff, and visitors while protecting confidential patient information.
File documents in patient charts, answer telephones, and take and transmit messages to unit staff.
Interact compassionately and respectfully with patients and families.
Coordinate admissions, discharges, and transfers; update patient accommodation codes in the electronic health record; and fax discharge paperwork to appropriate facilities.
Complete daily unit walkthroughs to help ensure regulatory and environmental safety requirements are met; organize work areas and maintain supplies.
Inventory and order unit supplies, store supplies neatly, and initiate and track work requests for repairs and improvements.
Collect, submit, and analyze audit data as requested; support computer and office-equipment use and understand downtime procedures.
Assign iPhones to staff at the beginning of each shift and update the census display board with assigned RNs and iPhone numbers as needed.
Obtain and document temperatures, EKGs, bladder scans, blood glucose readings, and patient weights as directed; apply bedside cardiac monitors and discontinue telemetry leads when directed by an RN.
Use mobile and ceiling lifts as directed and report unusual patient observations or reactions to the assigned or charge nurse.
Collect urine and stool specimens; perform point-of-care fecal occult or blood glucose testing after completing competency requirements; assist with toileting devices; and measure and record intake and output.
Provide personal care, including bathing, oral and denture care, hair care, permitted nail care, back rubs, perineal care, and delegated preventative skin care.
Assist with ambulation, patient-assistive devices, turning and positioning, range-of-motion activities, bed-making, and shaving eligible patients with a safety or electric razor.
Perform or assist with basic clinical procedures, including simple dressing changes, EKGs, oxygen equipment setup and application as directed, coughing and deep-breathing exercises, incentive spirometry, compresses, and compression stockings or boots.
Set up patient-room equipment, including suction canisters, cardiac-monitoring cables, and chest-tube tubing; set up hemodynamic monitoring in applicable units; and assist with postmortem care.
Meet patients’ nutritional needs by ordering meals, setting up trays, feeding patients as needed, assisting with special diets or swallowing and aspiration precautions, and documenting intake and output.
Carry out patient-safety interventions under RN direction, participate in safety rounds, and follow fall and restraint policies, including use of alarms, observational rounds, toileting, and restraints as applicable.
Function as a patient safety attendant after completing required competency.
Follow infection-control procedures, including hand hygiene, isolation protocols, and cleaning patient-care devices and equipment.
Follow departmental procedures for access to non-controlled medications when such access is granted as part of the job.
Assist with orientation of new Nurse Associates.
Maintain confidentiality and comply with organizational standards, policies, behavioral expectations, customer-service expectations, quality-improvement activities, and mandatory education.
Perform other duties as needed or directed to meet departmental needs.