Patient Care Assistant- Orthopedics

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health•Lebanon, NH

About The Position

Under the direction of the nurse leader, the Patient Care Assistant provides clerical and non-clinical support to the patient care area. Duties include keeping clinical areas clean, safe, supplied, and ready for patients, while working in a fast-paced, detail-oriented environment and prioritizing responsibilities as part of a team. The role may involve access to drug products and secure medication areas, excluding controlled-substance locations, to manage medication storage, handling, and disposal in accordance with the Medication Storage and Handling Policy. Responsibilities vary by setting. In clinic or outpatient settings, the assistant greets patients, supports rooming, prepares patients, rooms, and equipment for procedures and exams, assists with questionnaires, and keeps chart information organized and current in compliance with Health Information Services requirements. In inpatient settings, the assistant supports admissions and discharges, prepares and turns over rooms, assists patients with personal care and mobility, responds to call lights, performs hourly rounding and safety checks, delivers meals, and may provide one-to-one patient observation after completing required learning activities.

Requirements

Ability to function in a fast-paced work environment.
Excellent organizational, customer-service, and prioritization skills.
Ability to work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team to provide high-quality patient care.
BLS certification within 30 days.

Nice To Haves

High school diploma or GED is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Acts as a front-line representative of the patient care area.
Orders, obtains, restocks, and monitors supplies for outdates.
Maintains a clean and safe environment, including cleaning equipment and patient rooms and keeping work areas and hallways clear.
Performs low-level disinfection and follows infection-prevention principles.
Performs quality checks on point-of-care testing machines.
Checks emergency stations daily and, when appropriate, checks and records medication refrigerator temperatures.
Escorts patients throughout the building and assists with wheelchairs as needed.
Answers telephone calls and supports the overall functioning of the department.
Prepares patient forms with demographic information.
Delivers specimens to the laboratory and runs errands to other departments.
Participates in regulatory-readiness activities and uses safety practices such as repeat-back, SBAR, and huddle attendance.
Participates in medication conveyance according to the Medication Storage and Handling Policy.
Greets patients and assists with rooming in clinic or outpatient settings.
Prepares patients, rooms, and equipment for procedures and exams.
Assists patients with completing questionnaires.
Keeps chart information current, organized, and compliant with Health Information Services requirements.
Supports inpatient admissions, including setting up rooms after Environmental Services cleaning so they are ready for the next patient.
Greets inpatients and completes standard admission tasks.
Assists patients with discharge readiness, gathers belongings (including items from pharmacy or the safe), and helps patients get dressed.
Strips down rooms after discharge.
Returns medications from medication carts to the pharmacy return bin.
Completes hourly rounding for assigned patients, including safety checks according to unit standards and use of a rounding script or checklist.
Delivers meal trays and sets patients up to eat.
Sets patients up for personal care, assists with its completion, and provides clean gowns and linens.
Provides patient sitting for patients requiring one-to-one observation after completing required learning activities.
Assists with lifting, positioning, and dressing patients.
Answers call lights and directs patient needs to appropriate resources.
Stocks equipment from central locations to nurse servers as needed.
Performs other duties as required or assigned.