Nursing Assistant - Sterling Heights

PACE Southeast Michigan•Sterling Heights, MI

About The Position

The Participant Care Associate (PCA) provides supportive services to participants in their homes, community settings, during transportation and appointments, and in the day health center and dementia unit. Services are specified in each participant’s PCA/CNA Care Plan, which is based on initial and ongoing assessments performed by a home care RNCM. The PCA helps maintain participants’ physical and emotional comfort and supports participants and their families in achieving maximum self-reliance and independence. The PCA performs the care and services outlined in each participant’s Care Plan and works only within the established scope of practice. Responsibilities include accurate, timely documentation of services and keeping the RNCM and/or clinic nurse informed of participant progress. The PCA reports customer service complaints and schedule or appointment deviations to a supervisor or manager and responds to emergencies according to established policies and procedures.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Valid Michigan driver’s license.
Current CPR card.
At least one year of experience with a frail or elderly population; experience must be in long-term care, a hospital, or a home care setting.
Certificate of completion from a formal training program, such as Direct Care, Nurse Assistant, Medical Assistant, or Patient Care Technician, completed outside of PACE SEMI.
Ability to establish and maintain interpersonal and interdepartmental relationships.
Respect for the physical and spiritual well-being of participants and co-workers.
Ability to solve problems and interpret instructions.
Ability to organize and maintain flexible scheduling to coordinate job responsibilities.
Ability to work sensitively with individuals from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
Ability to relate to participants with dementia and/or developmental disabilities.
Ability to perform duties amid frequent interruptions.
Must meet a standardized set of competencies approved by CMS before working independently.
Must be medically cleared for communicable diseases and have all immunizations up to date before direct participant contact.

Nice To Haves

Certification is optional but preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide supportive services to participants at home, in community settings, in the day health center and dementia unit, and during transportation and appointments.
Help maintain participants’ physical and emotional comfort and support their independence and self-reliance.
Perform care and services specified in each participant’s Care Plan and applicable Care Guidelines.
Provide personal care and assistance with activities, meal preparation and feeding, toileting and incontinence management, simple treatments, shopping, medication reminders, laundry, homemaking, transportation, appointment support, and extending-hours care.
Document care and services accurately and promptly for every visit or encounter, including transport and appointments, using the PCA/CNA progress note.
Keep the RNCM and/or clinic nurse informed of participant progress.
Immediately report customer service complaints and deviations from schedules or appointments to a supervisor or manager.
Respond to emergency situations in accordance with established policies and procedures.
Work within the established scope of practice.
Participate in mandatory annual in-service training and screening, including infection control, TB testing, safety training, and BLS training.
Meet and maintain required competencies through skills evaluations, in-service training, practicum demonstrations, written assessments, and department staff meetings.
Ensure medical clearance for communicable diseases and up-to-date immunizations before direct participant contact.