Patient Care Technician Adult Coronary Critical Care Unit PT Rotating - Methodist

IU Health•Indianapolis, IN

About The Position

IU Health is seeking a Patient Care Technician (also known as a Patient Care Assistant or PCA) to provide bedside care and a positive patient experience. The role anticipates patients’ needs by providing drinks, assisting with meal ordering, encouraging walking, assisting with baths, and providing clean linens and gowns. The PCA provides clinical assistance to bedside registered nurses by obtaining vital signs and reporting abnormalities or changes in patient behavior to the primary RN or charge nurse to support prompt treatment. Patient safety is maintained through measures such as using gait belts and bed and chair alarms, and staying within arm’s reach of patients while they move. The position requires compassion, a caring bedside manner, and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment. It also requires knowledge of age- and developmentally appropriate care, patient-care procedures and standards, infection control, and the equipment, software, and standards relevant to tasks performed by non-licensed staff. Candidates must be able to communicate effectively, remain focused under stress and interruptions, exercise judgment and initiative, prioritize a high workload, perform physically demanding repetitive movements, read and perform basic math, organize tasks, and attend to details. Current Basic Life Support certification through the AHA is required, or it must be attained at the completion of the IU Health PCA education program. Other advanced life support certifications may be required according to unit or department specialty and patient-care policies.

Requirements

Current Basic Life Support certification through the AHA, or attainment of certification at the completion of the IU Health PCA education program.
Knowledge of care appropriate to the age and developmental level of patients served.
Up-to-date knowledge of procedures and standards related to patient-care activities.
Proficiency in interpersonal and communication skills.
Ability to maintain mental awareness and withstand a high level of tension and stress.
Ability to concentrate through frequent and varied interruptions and variable noise levels.
Ability to exercise judgment and initiative in resolving problems encountered.
Ability to set priorities and manage a high workload within limited time.
Knowledge of procedures, equipment, software, and standards related to patient-care activities performed by non-licensed roles such as PCA/PCR/PCI.
Knowledge of infection-control principles and good personal hygiene and aseptic techniques to prevent infection of patients, self, and others.
Ability to perform physically demanding, repetitive movements.
Ability to read and perform basic math.
Ability to organize tasks and attend to details.
Compassion, a caring bedside manner, and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

Anticipate and meet patients’ bedside needs, including providing drinks and helping with meal ordering.
Encourage patients to walk and assist with baths.
Provide patients with clean linens and gowns.
Obtain vital signs and report abnormalities or changes in patient behavior to the primary RN or charge nurse.
Use safety measures such as gait belts and bed and chair alarms, and remain within arm’s reach of patients when assisting them as they move.
Perform patient-care activities in accordance with applicable procedures, standards, and infection-control principles.