PATIENT CARE ASSISTANT

Covenant Health•Knoxville, TN

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Care Assistant is a direct patient caregiver on the Medical Unit, performing hands-on care, activities of daily living, and specified technical tasks for a group of patients under the supervision of the Team Leader. The assistant may also serve as a sitter for patients who require full-time supervision in the hospital. The role is full-time, 72 hours per pay period, on the day shift at Parkwest Medical Center.

Requirements

CPR certification is required.
No minimum experience is specified.
No minimum education is specified; qualifying formal education and/or prior work experience must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for the role, typically equivalent to a high school diploma or GED.
Must be trained and willing to function as a sitter for patients who need full-time supervision.

Nice To Haves

Preference may be given to individuals with a high school diploma or GED.

Responsibilities

Measure and record temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, weight, height, and intake and output.
Encourage patients to turn, cough, breathe deeply, and use incentive spirometry as specified by the plan of care.
Ambulate patients and assist with transfers into or out of bed and wheelchairs, and with transport as needed.
Support patients' nutritional needs, including distributing meal trays, feeding, and filling and distributing water pitchers.
Provide morning or evening care, including bathing, oral hygiene, grooming, back care, dressing, changing bed linens, and tidying patient areas.
Empty drains, canisters, urine bags, bedpans, and emesis basins, and record intake and output.
Help maintain a safe environment, report malfunctioning equipment, handle linen appropriately, and store supplies.
Provide general care, including positioning, lifting, and turning patients; assisting with bedpans, urinals, or commodes; preoperative supportive care; and applying or removing abdominal binders, anti-embolism stockings, and sequential compression devices.
Empty and clean ostomy bags according to procedure.
Collect urine, stool, and sputum specimens as ordered.
Perform range-of-motion tasks and assist with ambulatory devices according to the patient's plan of care.
Perform phlebotomy after additional training, including labeling specimens with two patient identifiers and maintaining, rotating, and restocking lab-draw supplies.
Perform EKGs after special training.
Promptly answer patient call lights and respond to patient requests.
Report significant changes in patients' conditions to the RN.
Help maintain a clean and orderly patient and work environment.
Follow infection-control policies, including standard and transmission-based precautions, OSHA standards, safety measures, and proper body mechanics.
Document and maintain patient records as appropriate.
Gather equipment for oxygen setup and check oxygen connections and placement.
Check that equipment at the patient bedside is functioning properly.
Ambulate patients who are using oxygen.
Set up suction equipment and check that it functions properly.
Demonstrate knowledge and competency in meeting age-specific needs of the population served.
Demonstrate ability to perform skills on the Nursing Assistant checklist.
Follow policies, procedures, and safety standards; complete annual education assignments; work toward goals and objectives; and participate in quality-improvement initiatives as requested.
Train and remain willing to serve as a sitter for patients who need full-time hospital supervision.
Perform other duties as assigned.