Patient Care Technician - Emergency Room - P/T with Benefits Day

Hackensack Meridian Health•Edison, NJ

14h

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician provides age-appropriate patient care in the Emergency Room, supporting patients’ physical, psychosocial, educational, and safety needs. The role contributes to safe patient outcomes through sound practice and judgment, communicates with patients and the healthcare team about patient status and care, and participates in interdisciplinary care planning and performance improvement activities. The technician also supports patient comfort, satisfaction, and safe transitions from admission through discharge. Duties include preparing patients for assessment and procedures; collecting and documenting clinical data and specimens; performing venipuncture, EKGs, and glucose checks as directed; maintaining equipment and supplies; assisting with transport, meals, hygiene, and comfort; documenting weights and intake and output; and promptly reporting changes in condition to the RN. Care should be adapted to patients’ ages, cultures, languages, literacy, and other individual needs. Other duties and projects may be assigned, and the role adheres to HMH organizational competencies and standards of behavior.

Requirements

High school diploma, GED, or equivalent GED program.
Completion of one of the following: a Certified Nursing Assistant, Medical Assistant, or Patient Care Technician program; a Fundamentals of Nursing program from an accredited school of nursing; the HMH PCT Apprenticeship Program; or equivalent medical-background experience such as EMT, Home Health Aide, CMA, MA, PCT, or Nursing Assistant.
Ability to learn quickly and adapt to changing patient needs.
Strong accountability for improving patients’ and caregivers’ lives, teamwork, commitment to ongoing education, and ability and passion to provide high-quality, patient-focused care and service.
AHA Basic Health Care Life Support HCP Certification within 60 days of entering the position.

Nice To Haves

Experience or certification in phlebotomy and experience checking EKGs, vital signs, and blood sugar.
At least one year of PCT or CNA experience in a hospital setting, or eligibility for the HMH PCT Apprentice Program.
Certified Nursing Assistant, Certified Medical Assistant, or Patient Care Technician who has completed a PCT program including phlebotomy, EKG, and nursing-assistant coursework in both theoretical and clinical settings.

Responsibilities

Provide patient care appropriate to patients’ physical, psychosocial, educational, safety, and age-related needs.
Promote safe patient outcomes through sound practice, judgment, and appropriate actions.
Communicate with patients, nursing colleagues, and other healthcare team members about patient status and care provided.
Take initiative to improve job performance and identify opportunities to contribute beyond expected duties.
Participate in interdisciplinary care planning from admission through discharge and support safe transitions and continuity of care.
Participate in Unit/Department Performance Improvement activities.
Welcome patients and verify identification bracelets.
Prepare patients for assessment, admission, examinations, and procedures.
Respond to opportunities to improve patient satisfaction.
Obtain and document temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation; promptly notify the RN of abnormal results.
Collect intravenous or capillary blood using appropriate aseptic techniques, perform venipuncture for laboratory tests, and label, process, and transport specimens correctly and promptly.
Perform EKGs as directed.
Check that necessary equipment is present, functional, and clean; maintain code carts, oxygen, and other emergency medical equipment as directed.
Apply bandages, slings, compression boots, and hypothermia blankets according to standards and RN direction.
Assist with patient transport to departments or units.
Assist with meals or feeding as needed.
Check inventory and restock assigned areas as directed; prepare rooms for admission.
Provide hygiene and comfort care, including bathing, toileting, oral hygiene, incontinence care, and bed making.
Assist patients with dressing and undressing, manage belongings and property checklists, and monitor return of clothing to family.
Perform and document glucose finger sticks and collect other specimens as directed.
Provide post-mortem care.
Obtain and document patient weights and observe and document intake and output.
Maintain a safe patient environment by answering call lights promptly and immediately communicating changes in patient condition to the RN.
Identify individual patient needs and adapt care and communication to factors such as age, culture, language, hearing or visual impairment, development, education, and literacy.
Perform other assigned duties or projects and adhere to HMH organizational competencies and standards of behavior.