Nursing Assistant

Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation•Port Washington, WA

About The Position

The Nursing Assistant supports registered nurses in providing daily patient care, including personal hygiene, feeding, mobility, positioning, skin care, and nutritional needs. The role measures and documents patient data, completes purposeful rounding, communicates observations and concerns to the RN, and assists with admissions, transfers, and discharges under RN supervision. Additional duties include collecting specimens, performing point-of-care testing, maintaining supplies and equipment, and completing errands. Depending on site and unit requirements, the Nursing Assistant may remove IVs, provide post-mortem care, and perform bladder scans under RN direction. The position requires care appropriate to the ages and developmental needs of patients served, adherence to infection-prevention practices, and maintaining required competencies and annual hospital education. Work involves patient handling and transport, use of assistive devices and other job-related equipment, and continuous exposure to potential hazards including blood and body fluids; protective clothing must be worn as necessary.

Requirements

High school diploma, GED, or HSED.
No experience required.
Nurse Aide in good standing on the State Registry in which the team member practices.
Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association, to be obtained within 45 days.
Basic computer skills.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Excellent organizational skills and ability to set priorities.
Ability to sit, stand, walk, lift, squat, bend, twist, and reach above the shoulders during the work shift.
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. from floor to waist and up to 20 lbs. over the head; carry up to 40 lbs. a reasonable distance; push or pull with 30 lbs. of force; and perform a sliding transfer of 150 lbs. with a second person present.
Functional vision and hearing.
Ability to use foot pedals on carts or machines and operate equipment necessary to perform the job.
Ability to work with exposure to mechanical, electrical, chemical, and radiation hazards and blood and body fluids, using protective clothing as necessary.

Responsibilities

Assist the RN with daily patient care, including bathing, oral hygiene, feeding, activity orders, ambulation, positioning, range of motion, and transfers.
Measure and document blood pressure, temperature, pulse, respiration, intake and output, daily weights, and other requested patient data in the EMR.
Perform purposeful rounding under RN direction and promptly communicate patient or family observations, concerns, and needs to the RN.
Assist with admissions, transfers, and discharges under RN supervision, including room setup, room orientation, linen removal, and management of patient belongings.
Keep the patient call light within reach and respond promptly to call lights.
Collect urine, stool, and sputum specimens and perform point-of-care testing as indicated, following approved specimen identification and labeling processes.
Maintain required competencies and complete assigned errands, including delivery of trays, charts, specimens, and reports.
Maintain and order nursing-area stock; clean equipment and work areas.
Perform patient positioning and transport duties, including lifting and pushing or pulling using proper techniques and assistive devices.
Support patient nutritional needs under RN direction, including diet review, tray setup and removal, positioning, and diet selection.
Support skin integrity through appropriate repositioning and skin care.
Provide and maintain special patient supplies and appliances, such as TED hose and sequential compression devices.
As required by site or unit, remove IVs, provide post-mortem care, and perform bladder scans under RN direction.
Follow infection-prevention policies and procedures, including hand hygiene, sterile and aseptic practices, safe disposal of contaminated materials, and appropriate attire for isolation care.
Provide age-appropriate care and apply knowledge of growth and development across the life span in accordance with departmental policies and procedures.
Maintain annual educational requirements for hospital-based certifications.