Patient Care Technician - Cardiac Acute Care Nights - 24hrs/wk

University of Michigan Health-West•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. The position is in Cardiac Acute Care, works nights, and is scheduled for 24 hours per week (0.6 FTE). On-call work is not required; weekends are required. The PCT supports patients with daily activities, comfort, hygiene, procedures, nutrition, elimination, specimen collection, measurements, equipment use, infection control, documentation, and communication. The technician documents care as directed by the RN, reports observations, and keeps the RN informed about care delivered. Additional duties may include tasks assigned by the RN in charge to support department efficiency, maintaining knowledge of department processes and procedures, pursuing self-directed learning and continuing education, and participating in committees, task forces, and work groups as determined by management.

Requirements

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.
Ability to 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.
Basic understanding of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and patient confidentiality is preferred.
Experience in an acute care or extended care facility is preferred.
Equivalent health science program enrollment may include nursing school, pre-PA school, medical school, or a closely related program.
Equivalent experience may include 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, transferring patients, and performing passive or assisting with 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 and 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, record accurate 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 levels.
Measure and record vital signs and weight, including oral and tympanic temperature, radial and apical pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and weight using standing, chair, sling, and bed scales.
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 and removing ice bags, moist or dry heat, ace bandages, arm slings, binders, supports, anti-embolism stockings, sequential compression devices, and restraints.
Help control the spread of infection by using aseptic technique and standard precautions; providing appropriate care for patients with special isolation precautions; handling clean and soiled linen; replacing full sharps containers; and cleaning equipment between patients and before returning it to Central Processing Department.
Document care as directed by the RN.
Communicate 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 duties as assigned, including tasks from the RN in charge that facilitate department efficiency.
Maintain current knowledge of department processes and patient-care procedures, pursue self-directed learning and continuing education, and participate in committees, task forces, and work groups as determined by management.