Patient Care Tech - Cardiac Observation Unit

VCU Health•Richmond, VA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician provides direct, age-specific care to a patient or group of patients based on medical orders and the plan of care under the direction of the RN or licensed independent practitioner. This role involves monitoring patients' conditions, providing updates to the healthcare team, and ensuring patient comfort, hygiene, and safety. The technician will maintain a safe and clean environment, manage supplies, and contribute to the patient experience by adhering to safety goals and reporting any changes in patient status or incidents. Responsibilities include obtaining and recording patient information, assisting with specimen collection, attending mandatory training, and ensuring patient safety initiatives are followed. The role requires establishing courteous and effective rapport with patients, visitors, and healthcare team members, and responding promptly to instructions. The Patient Population section details the need for equitable care appropriate to the age of patients served, including Neonates, Infants, Pediatrics, Adolescents, Adults, and Geriatrics.

Requirements

High School Degree or equivalent
AHA BLS HCP Certification or equivalent
Certification/Completion of one of the following: Certified Nursing Assistant, Medical Assistant, Emergency Medical Technician, Military Corpsmen/Medic, Nursing Aide Training Program, Experience within a healthcare environment OR Completion of foundations/ clinical nursing course and one clinical rotation.
Knowledge of patient data collection and documentation (i.e. vital signs, intake/output, change in patient condition)
Knowledge of basic hygiene and activities of daily living care
Ability to assist with feeding, hydration, and nutrition
Ability to assist with ambulation and patient mobility
Ability to provide safe, compassionate care
Accountability for completion of assigned tasks
Ability to wear personal protective equipment as needed
Demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively managing bias.

Nice To Haves

Certified Nursing Assistant
Acute care experience as a nursing assistant or aide experience

Responsibilities

Provide safe and direct care to patients in their assigned unit making age-appropriate adjustments as needed.
Monitor patients’ conditions and provide updates to the health care team.
Provide direct and indirect care to patients with and without medical/surgical complications to meet their comfort, personal hygiene and safety needs.
Provide care in accordance with nursing and medical plans of care and deliver per VCUHS Nursing and Hospital policy and procedure.
Ensure assigned clinical location is maintained as a safe, clean, stocked environment to facilitate meeting patient needs and unit/healthcare team functioning.
Maintain supplies, educational material, equipment, sterilization of supplies, instruments and the environment to promote quality, safe patient care outcomes (as applicable).
Contribute to the patient experience by accurately identifying the patient, by observing safety goals and reporting to a licensed independent practitioner, manager and/or Registered Nurses regarding the patient’s physical and mental responses to the plan of care or any incident posing harm or threat to a patient.
Obtain and record initial and ongoing patient information throughout the cycle of care, including admissions data, vital signs, height and weight, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, intake and output, calorie counts, and other patient information as outlined by VCUHS policy
Obtain or assist in the collection of specimens for diagnostic or waived tests.
Attend all mandatory in-services and trainings and adhere to online training requirements.
Ensure patient safety in the performance of job functions and through participation in hospital, department or unit patient safety initiatives.
Establish and maintain courteous and effective rapport with patients, visitors, co-workers, and other members of health care team; demonstrate sensitivity and awareness to needs of patients, visitors and co-workers and respond promptly to verbal and/or written instructions.
Performs other duties, as assigned