Patient Care Technician Adult Orthopedic Surgical Unit FT Day - Ball Memorial

IU Health•Muncie, IN

About The Position

IU Health is seeking a Patient Care Technician (also known as a Patient Care Assistant or PCA) for the Adult Orthopedic Surgical Unit at Ball Memorial. This full-time day role provides bedside care and helps deliver a positive patient experience by anticipating patients’ needs, including providing drinks, assisting with meal ordering, encouraging walking, helping with baths, and providing clean linens and gowns. The technician provides clinical assistance to the bedside registered nurse by obtaining vital signs and reporting abnormalities or changes in patient behavior to the primary RN or charge nurse to support timely treatment. The role helps keep patients safe by using measures such as gait belts and bed and chair alarms, and staying within arm’s reach when patients are moving. The position calls for 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 and software used in this non-licensed role. The job involves physically demanding, repetitive movements and requires concentration, judgment, organization, prioritization, and communication skills in a high-stress environment with frequent interruptions and variable noise levels.

Requirements

Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through the AHA, or attainment of BLS certification upon completion of the IU Health PCA education program.
Advanced life support certifications may be required according to unit or department specialty and patient-care policies.
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 maintain concentration amid frequent and varied interruptions and variable noise levels.
Ability to exercise judgment and initiative in resolving problems.
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 they are moving.
Perform patient-care activities in accordance with applicable procedures, standards, and infection-control principles.