Patient Care Tech - Medical Surgical Progressive Care Unit - Rotating

VCU Health•Richmond, VA

1d•$17 - $24

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 based in a 28-bed Medical Surgical Care Unit with telemetry capability and 8–10 progressive care beds. The unit serves adult medical and surgical patients with diverse disease processes and emphasizes safe, evidence-based care, professional growth, shared governance, and collaboration across the inter-professional team. The unit has received its second Gold Beacon Award from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. The technician provides direct and indirect care to support patients’ comfort, hygiene, and safety; monitors and documents patient information; assists with specimen collection; and helps maintain a safe, clean, stocked clinical environment. The position requires age-appropriate care and knowledge of life-span growth and development. Employees must follow nursing and medical plans of care, hospital policies and procedures, patient-safety practices, infection-control policies, and training requirements. The position involves rotating work and may include exposure to high-stress conditions, infectious materials, physical hazards, and frequent interruptions.

Requirements

High school degree or equivalent.
AHA BLS HCP Certification 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; and experience within a healthcare environment; OR completion of a foundations/clinical nursing course and one clinical rotation.
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.
Ability to meet the role’s physical demands, including lifting and carrying and pushing or pulling up to 100 pounds; climbing, stooping, kneeling, squatting, balancing, bending, sitting, walking, and standing.
Ability to perform shift work and meet role-related physical, sensory, and emotional demands, including patient handling, manual dexterity, hearing alarms, and managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced, frequently changing environment.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Provide safe, direct, age-appropriate care to patients in the assigned unit.
Monitor patient conditions and communicate updates to the health care team.
Provide direct and indirect care to meet patients’ comfort, personal hygiene, and safety needs, including patients with medical or surgical complications.
Deliver care in accordance with nursing and medical plans of care and VCUHS Nursing and Hospital policies and procedures.
Maintain the clinical location as a safe, clean, and stocked environment.
Maintain supplies, educational materials, equipment, and, as applicable, the sterilization of supplies, instruments, and the environment.
Accurately identify patients, observe safety goals, and report patient responses to the plan of care or incidents posing harm or threat to an appropriate licensed independent practitioner, manager, 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 required 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 safety initiatives.
Maintain courteous and effective rapport with patients, visitors, co-workers, and other members of the health care team; respond promptly to instructions and demonstrate sensitivity to others’ needs.
Perform other duties as assigned.