Patient Assistant / Companion
About The Position
Provides patient observation under the direction of a licensed nurse. This role involves continuous observation of patients to ensure safety, providing 1:1 or close observation as assigned. The Patient Assistant/Companion assists nursing staff with patient searches to remove potential hazards, adheres to visitation restrictions, and stays with psychiatric patients even when family is present. They accompany patients during transport for diagnostic testing and must maintain constant visual contact, even during restroom use. The role requires recognizing and reporting critical patient data such as self-harm attempts, escalating behaviors, or changes in consciousness. The position emphasizes conveying compassion, empathy, and understanding, while maintaining patient comfort, privacy, and confidentiality.
Requirements
- High school diploma or GED required.
- Must be able to stand, walk, sit, use hands, reach, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, talk, hear and smell.
- Must be able to lift or exert energy up to 50 pounds 25% of the time and 100 pounds 50% of the time and more than 100 pounds 25% of the time.
- Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less), distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more), peripheral vision (ability to observe and area that can be seen move up/down or left/right) and depth perception (three-dimensional vision, ability to judge distances).
- Must possess the ability to read and understand simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos.
- Ability to effectively present information one on one or in small groups to families, patients, visitors and staff.
- Ability to perform basic math functions (add, subtract, multiply and divide) using numbers, and units of money.
- Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form.
- Ability to deal with problems involving concrete variables and standardized situations.
- Must complete and pass module titled Psychiatric Patient Holds on HealthStream.
- All staff members must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skill necessary to meet the physical, psycho/social, educational, safety, and related needs of the persons in the assigned work area.
Nice To Haves
- Prior experience preferred but not required.
Responsibilities
- Continuously observes patient to ensure safety.
- Provides 1:1 observation or close observation as assigned.
- Assists nursing staff with patient searches as requested to ensure that objects that can cause harm are removed from the patient’s environment.
- Adheres to visitation restrictions while observing the patient.
- Stays with patient even when family is present for psychiatric patients.
- Accompanies patient when transported off the unit for diagnostic testing.
- Maintains sight of patient requiring 1:1 observation even while patient is in the restroom.
- Never leave patient unattended or out of sight.
- Recognizes and reports appropriate data to the staff such as trying to injure self, escalating behaviors – agitation, hallucinations, pacing; change in level of consciousness, climbing out of bed.
- Conveys an attitude of compassion, empathy, and understanding.
- Demonstrates sensitivity to patient comfort and privacy.
- Maintains confidentiality of patient and unit care data.
- Performs other miscellaneous duties as assigned.
Benefits
- Participates in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
