Patient Care Associate - General Pediatrics - PT Nights with Benefits (11pm-7:30am)

Hackensack Meridian Health•Hackensack, NJ

23h•Onsite

About The Position

Hackensack Meridian Health is dedicated to helping patients live better, healthier lives through a culture of connection and collaboration. The Patient Care Associate serves as a caregiver for a specific patient population, focusing on expanding knowledge and skills to provide effective direct and indirect care as part of an interdisciplinary team for complex patients. Under the direction and supervision of a registered nurse, this role promotes patient satisfaction, comfort, and safety, assisting with various patient, unit, and environment-related tasks, and participating in patient safety initiatives. Additionally, the position functions as a Unit Services Representative, acting as a welcome ambassador to facilitate positive guest relations with patients, family members, visitors, and physicians by explaining hospital and unit policies, addressing concerns, and performing clerical support for the unit and Nurse Manager. The associate assumes responsibility and accountability for patient care as a team member to achieve established departmental outcomes.

Requirements

High School diploma, general equivalency diploma (GED), and/or GED equivalent programs.
Completion of one of the following: Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA, or Medical Assistant (CMA), or Patient Care Technician program (PCT), or Fundamentals of Nursing program from an accredited school of nursing, or HMH PCT Apprenticeship Program, or have equivalent patient-facing healthcare experience.
AHA Basic Health Care Life Support HCP Certification within 60 days of entering position.

Nice To Haves

Experienced in checking EKG, vital signs, and blood sugar preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide patient care, based on physical, psychosocial, education, safety, and related criteria that is appropriate to the age of the patients served in assigned service.
Provides effective and safe patient outcomes through practice, judgment, and critical actions.
Provides ongoing communication with patients, Nurses, and other members of the health care team regarding patient status and care rendered.
Takes self-directed or self-motivated initiative to ensure patient satisfaction.
Participate in interdisciplinary collaboration of our patient's plan of care from admission to discharge to ensure safe transitioning and continuum of care.
Participate in Unit and Departmental Quality and Safety initiatives and activities.
Welcomes patients and checks for proper identification bracelets.
Prepares patients for assessment/admission, physical examination, and procedures.
Takes vital signs under the direction of the RN and documents electronically according to the Medical Center policy, reporting abnormal results immediately to the RN.
Performs and documents glucose finger stick/heel stick and collects other specimens including stool, urine, and sputum when directed by the RN.
Observe and document patient intake and output.
Provides hygiene and comfort care to patients including bathing, toileting/diapering, feeding, and bed making.
Provides a safe patient environment by answering call lights/ phone calls from patients promptly and communicating with the RN immediately for any changes in patient condition.
Identifies delivering parent/significant other and infant accurately.
Obtains and documents patient weight, height/length, and head circumference as appropriate to the patient population.
Assists with preparation as necessary assuring the patient is assisted with meals or fed as needed.
Downloads Glucometer and TcB information per established policies.
Demonstrates the knowledge and skill necessary to provide age-appropriate care to patients and families.
Recognizes and responds to opportunities to enhance patient satisfaction.
Maintains BLS certification and initiates interventions in emergent situations.
Assists with patient transport to and from the unit/department as needed.
Acts as a patient sitter when needed.
Assists patients and families with any non-clinical questions, concerns, and/or personal needs (i.e. belongings, delays, support departments, etc.).
Provides clerical support in completing Advance Directives including documentation, informing the physician, and collaborating with The Office of Patient Experience.
Creates awareness of patient satisfaction in the unit by managing public displays with this information, i.e. communication boards.
Orients families to the unit and room and reviews the welcome information and what to expect including instructions for the television, the telephone, meal ordering, visiting policy, parking, discharge options, and other non-clinical needs.
Acts as a service recovery champion by handling, and routing inquiries/issues to appropriate individuals. Proactively seeks out issues and addresses them.
Assures the environment is in appropriate condition and free of safety concerns. Reports safety concerns to the manager or designee.
Initiates help desk tickets to resolve any IT and equipment issues as they occur.
Monitors inventory, orders supplies, and equipment, and procures all items as needed using established channels.
Performs A/D/T functions and patient charge entries that include makes bed assignments and/or moves in EPIC and inputs patient charges (billing ) for unit-specific procedures in Epic.
Initiates, and maintains patient medical records by established policies.
Identifies the needs of the patient population served and assists the professional nurse to modify and deliver care that is specific to those needs (i.e.: age, culture, language, hearing, and/or visually impaired).
Communicate with patients and primary caregivers at their level of understanding.
Adheres to HMH organizational standards, competencies, and standards of behavior.
Performs other appropriate duties or projects of the department as assigned.