Patient Care Technician - Observation Unit Days - 12hrs/wk

umhealthwest•Wyoming, MI

23h

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. The role is in the Observation Unit on day shifts, with a 0.3 FTE status and 12 hours per week. Weekend work is required; the position is not on-call. The PCT assists with activities of daily living, hygiene, comfort, nutrition, elimination, specimen collection, vital-sign and weight measurement, and other designated patient-care procedures. The technician uses equipment and supplies safely, follows infection-control practices, documents care as directed by the RN, and communicates with patients and staff using available unit systems. Additional duties may include tasks assigned by the RN in charge, maintaining knowledge of department processes, pursuing learning opportunities, and participating in committees or work groups as determined by management.

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.
Successfully complete unit-specific core competencies as 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; equivalent enrollment may include nursing school, pre-PA school, medical school, or a closely related health science program.
Basic understanding of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and patient confidentiality.
Experience in an acute care or extended care facility.
Equivalent experience may include Medical Assistant, Paramedic, Medical First Responder, EMT, Nurse Tech, Resident Aid/Assistant, or LPN experience.

Responsibilities

Assist patients with activities of daily living and comfort, including making beds, turning and positioning, ambulating, dangling, 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 drinking water; feeding patients; and measuring and recording dietary intake.
Assist patients with elimination needs, accurately record intake 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 vital signs and weight, including temperatures, pulse, blood pressure, and respiratory rate, and use standing, chair, sling, and bed scales.
Use equipment and supplies safely, including assisting with incentive spirometry, setting up oxygen flow meters and suction equipment, disposing of suction canisters, and applying or removing designated comfort and support devices.
Assist with infection control by using aseptic technique and standard precautions, following special isolation precautions, handling clean and soiled linen, replacing full sharps containers, and cleaning equipment between uses 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, or work groups as determined by management.