Patient Care Technician - Cardiac Acute Care Days - 16hrs/wk

umhealthwest•Wyoming, MI

About The Position

Under the direction of a Registered Nurse (RN), the Patient Care Technician (PCT) provides basic nursing care to patients and performs related tasks necessary to support the unit. This is a day-shift position in Cardiac Acute Care, listed at 16 hours per week (0.4 FTE). Weekends are required; on-call is not required.

Requirements

Minimum high school diploma or GED.
Meet at least one of the following: current Certified Nurse Aide (CENA) certification; current enrollment and continued progression in a health science program; or equivalent experience.
Current Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR) provider certification.
Able to successfully complete unit-specific core competencies defined in the orientation checklist.

Nice To Haves

For health science program enrollment, completion of a nursing fundamentals course and/or one clinical rotation is preferred.
Basic understanding of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and patient confidentiality.
Experience in an acute care or extended care facility.
Equivalent health science program enrollment may include, but is not limited to, nursing school, pre-PA school, medical school, or a closely related health science program.
Equivalent experience may include, but is not limited to, Medical Assistant, Paramedic, Medical First Responder, EMT, Nurse Tech, Resident Aid/Assistant, or LPN.

Responsibilities

Assist patients with activities of daily living and comfort, including making beds, turning and positioning patients, ambulating and dangling patients, transfers, and passive or assisted active range-of-motion exercises.
Assist patients with hygiene activities.
Provide indwelling urinary catheter care (excluding insertion, removal, and irrigation), change non-sterile dressings, provide ileostomy or colostomy care, and assist with postmortem care.
Assist with nutrition by passing trays, snacks, and water; feeding patients; and measuring and recording dietary intake.
Assist with elimination needs, record accurate input and output, and empty other drains as designated by the RN.
Collect and label sputum, urine, and stool specimens for laboratory testing; test urine for sugar, acetone, blood, or pH; strain urine for kidney stones; and use a glucometer to test blood glucose.
Measure and record accurate vital signs and weight, including temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and respiratory rate, using appropriate scales to measure weight.
Use equipment and supplies safely and appropriately, including assisting with incentive spirometry, setting up oxygen flow meters and suction equipment, disposing of suction canisters, and applying or removing specified comfort and support devices.
Help control the spread of infection by using aseptic technique and universal or standard precautions; following special isolation precautions; handling clean and soiled linen appropriately; replacing full sharps containers; and cleaning equipment between patients and before return to Central Processing Department (CPD).
Document care as directed by the RN.
Communicate effectively using Vocera, unit paging, telephone, and pneumatic tube systems; answer patient call lights; report observations to the RN; keep the RN informed of care delivered; and maintain patient confidentiality.
Perform other assigned duties to facilitate department efficiency, maintain knowledge of department processes and procedures, pursue self-directed learning and continuing education, and participate in committees, task forces, and work groups as determined by management.