Patient Care Technician

Northwell Health

8d•Onsite

About The Position

Under the direction and supervision of a registered nurse, this role assists with activities of daily living, provides basic nursing care, and helps maintain a safe and clean environment. The Patient Care Technician functions as a key member of the nursing care team, organizing patient care assignments, setting priorities, and alerting the RN to changes in patient status. Responsibilities include documenting patient care, communicating routine information to the RN, assisting with ADL needs such as feeding, bathing, and toileting, and maintaining patient mobility through range of motion exercises and ambulation. The role also involves maintaining patient care units in a neat and orderly condition, changing beds, cleaning bedside areas, and preparing rooms for new admissions or transfers. Additionally, the technician assists the Registered Nurse by performing selected procedures and simple treatments, including taking vital signs, measuring fluid intake and output, performing EKGs, drawing blood (within guidelines), obtaining specimens, administering enemas, weighing patients, shaving patients, performing simple aseptic technique procedures like dressing changes, and performing simple respiratory treatments such as oral suctioning. Other duties include assisting patients with mobility, serving meals, transporting patients, reporting equipment issues, maintaining non-patient rooms and equipment cleanliness, performing constant observation on selected patients, supporting QA/QI efforts, and performing post-mortem care. The role also requires participation in continuing education through orientation courses, annual mandatory requirements, and staff development programs.

Requirements

High School Diploma or equivalent, required.
Completion of Nurse Assistant course or equivalent, required.
OR Prior experience as a Nursing Attendant or equivalent, required.
Ability to communicate effectively, and follow written and/or oral instructions.
Ability to work in diversified settings.
Ability to lift, turn, position, etc. Patients, as required

Nice To Haves

NYS Nurse Attendant certification, preferred.

Responsibilities

Functions as a co-worker to the nurse and a key member of the nursing care team: Organizes patient care assignment and sets priorities.
Alerts RN co-worker to changes in patient status i.e., alteration in comfort, skin integrity, alterations in breathing pattern, etc.
Documents patient care and patient status changes on the appropriate chart forms.
Communicates routine information to RN periodically during shift i.e., intake and output.
Assists RN in providing for ADL needs of patients: Prepares patients for meals, and feeds or assists with meals.
Provides between meal nourishment and fresh water to patients.
Bathes or assists patient to bathe, provides oral hygiene.
Toilets patients as necessary.
Maintains patient’s mobility with range of motion exercises and ambulation.
Grooms patient, including shaving, as needed.
Participates with the RN in the development of a plan of care for assigned patient.
Utilizes a plan of care in carrying out patient assignments.
Maintains patient care units in a neat and orderly condition: Changes and makes beds.
Cleans and straightens bedside table and over-bed tables, as needed.
Strips patient units upon discharge of patient, in preparation for cleaning by Housekeeping Department.
Removes equipment from room. Cleans and place it in appropriate are.
Prepares room for new admissions, transfers and post-operative patients.
Assists Registered Nurse by performing selected procedures and simple treatments: Takes and records temperature, pulse, respiration rate and B.P. on admission and as assigned.
Measures and records fluid intake and output; totals at shift end.
Perform, mount and process EKG’s.
Draw and process blood, as appropriate, within State and County guidelines.
Obtains specimens, such as urine, stool and sputum.
Administers enemas, as directed.
Weighs and records patient weight on admission and as indicated.
Shave patients as instructed in preparation for procedures.
Performs simple procedures utilizing aseptic technique (i.e. – applying and changing simple dressings).
Performs simple respiratory treatments, as required (i.e. oral suctioning).
Performs a variety of related duties: Assists patients in and out of bed, ambulates patients, lifts, turns and positions patients.
Assists with serving of meals; positions patient, cleans over-bed table, and helps distribute and collect trays.
Transports and accompanies patients to various departments, as directed.
Reports missing or damaged equipment to Nursing Unit Secretary.
Maintains non-patient rooms (i.e., utility rooms, linen rooms, kitchens, etc.) in a neat and orderly condition.
Maintains cleanliness of patient care equipment.
Performs constant observation on selected patients as assigned.
Follows medical Center’s policies and procedures to support QA/QI efforts in patient care and services.
Performs post-mortem care and transports body to morgue.
Takes part in Nursing’s continuing education policy by: Attending nursing attendant course during orientation program.
Participating and completing annual mandatory educational requirements.
Attending nursing attendant staff development programs offered throughout the year.
Performs related duties, as required.