Patient Care Tech - Medical Surgical Progressive Care Unit - Rotating

VCU Health•Richmond, VA

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician provides direct, age-specific care to patients based on medical orders and the plan of care, under the direction of an RN or licensed independent practitioner. The role is in a 28-bed Medical Surgical Care Unit with telemetry capability and 8–10 progressive care beds. The unit cares for adult medical and surgical patients with a diverse range of disease processes and emphasizes safe, evidence-based care, professional learning, shared governance, and collaboration across the interprofessional team. The unit has received its second Gold Beacon award from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). The technician supports patients’ comfort, personal hygiene, and safety; monitors and documents patient information; assists with specimens and diagnostic or waived tests; and helps maintain a safe, clean, stocked care environment. The role serves patients across the lifespan and requires care appropriate to each patient’s age and needs. The position has rotating shifts and may involve high-stress, fluctuating workloads, frequent interruptions, exposure to potentially infectious materials and other listed workplace hazards, and physical demands including lifting and maneuvering patients.

Requirements

High school degree or equivalent.
Certification or completion of one of the following: Certified Nursing Assistant, Medical Assistant, Emergency Medical Technician, Military Corpsmen/Medic, or Nursing Aide Training Program.
Experience within a healthcare environment, or completion of a foundations/clinical nursing course and one clinical rotation.
AHA BLS HCP Certification or equivalent.
Knowledge of patient data collection and documentation, including vital signs, intake/output, and changes 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 completing assigned tasks.
Ability to wear personal protective equipment as needed.
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively managing bias.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Provide safe, direct, age-appropriate patient care in the assigned unit.
Monitor patients’ conditions and provide updates to the healthcare team.
Provide direct and indirect care to patients with and without medical or surgical complications, meeting comfort, personal hygiene, and safety needs.
Deliver care according to nursing and medical plans of care and VCUHS policies and procedures.
Maintain the assigned clinical location as a safe, clean, stocked environment.
Maintain supplies, educational materials, equipment, and, as applicable, sterilization of supplies and instruments.
Contribute to the patient experience through accurate patient identification, observance of safety goals, and reporting patient responses or incidents that pose harm or threat to a licensed independent practitioner, manager, and/or Registered Nurse.
Obtain and record initial and ongoing patient information, including admissions data, vital signs, height and weight, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, intake and output, calorie counts, and other information specified by VCUHS policy.
Obtain or assist in collecting specimens for diagnostic or waived tests.
Attend mandatory in-services and trainings and meet online training requirements.
Promote patient safety through job functions and participation in hospital, department, or unit patient-safety initiatives.
Maintain courteous and effective rapport with patients, visitors, coworkers, and other healthcare team members; respond promptly to instructions and demonstrate sensitivity to their needs.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Provide equitable care appropriate to the age and needs of patients served, applying knowledge of lifespan growth and development and relevant departmental policies and procedures.