Patient Care Assistant

Covenant Health•Sevierville, TN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Care Assistant (PCA) in the Medical Unit is a full-time position, working 72 hours per pay period on the night shift at LeConte Medical Center. LeConte Medical Center is a community hospital and part of Covenant Health, a regional healthcare network. The PCA functions as a direct patient caregiver, performing tasks to assist registered nurses. This role involves hands-on care, assisting with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), and executing specified technical tasks for a group of patients under the supervision of the Team Leader. The PCA may also serve as a sitter for patients requiring constant supervision.

Requirements

Must successfully complete Covenant’s orientation and Nursing Assistant in-house training program before being permitted to work with patients.
CPR required.

Nice To Haves

High school diploma or GED preferred.
Ability to perform phlebotomy (requires additional training).
Ability to perform EKG (requires special training).

Responsibilities

Follows established hospital and departmental policies and procedures, objectives, quality assurance program and safety standards.
Take and record temperature, pulse, respiration rates, blood pressures, weights, heights, and intake-output measurements.
Encourage patients to turn, cough, and take deep breaths and to use incentive spirometry as specified by Plan of Care.
Ambulate, and assist patients in and out of bed, into wheelchairs and transport when necessary.
Attends to nutritional needs of patient which may include distributing meal trays, feeding, filling and passing out water pitchers.
Provides morning or evening care, which may include bed bath, oral hygiene, combing hair, back care, dressing patient, changing bed linen, cleaning over-bed table and bedside stand, straightening room, and other supportive care as needed.
Empty drains, canisters, urine bags, bedpans and emesis basins and record intake and output.
Assists in maintaining a safe environment, which may include reporting equipment that is out of order, appropriate handling of linen and storing of supplies.
Provides general care such as positioning, lifting or turning patients; assisting in use of bedpan, urinal or commode; preoperative supportive care; and application/removal of abdominal binders or anti-embolism stockings and sequential compression devices.
Empty & clean ostomy bag, per procedure.
Collect urine, stool and sputum specimen as ordered.
Perform tasks such as ROM, assist with ambulatory devices as specified by the patients' plan of care.
Perform phlebotomy (requires additional training). To include correct labeling using two patient identifiers, maintenance of lab-draw supplies, rotating and restocking.
Perform EKG (requires special training).
Promptly answer patient call lights and respond to patient requests.
Report significant changes in patients' condition to RN.
Help to maintain clean and orderly patient and work environment.
Employ all established infection control policies including standard precautions, transmission-based isolation precautions, OSHA standards, safety measures and proper body mechanics in performance of job.
Document/maintain patient record as appropriate.
Gathers equipment for O2 set up.
Checks O2 for connection and proper placement.
Checks for proper functioning of equipment at patient bedside.
Ambulate patients with oxygen.
Set up suction equipment and check for proper function.
Demonstrates ability to perform skills on the Nursing Assistant checklist.
Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards.
Completes required education assignments annually.
Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
Must be trained and willing to function in a Sitter capacity for patients who need full-time supervision in the hospital.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Not to exceed scope of practice.