Patient Care Technician, Part-Time- Hydrotherapy

UPMC•Pittsburgh, PA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

UPMC Mercy is hiring a part-time Patient Care Technician for its Hydrotherapy Unit, a specialized three-bay center attached to the Trauma Burn ICU. The unit provides water debridement for burn patients and has a treatment room for smaller hand, foot, and facial injuries. It functions similarly to a doctor’s office or clinic, with patients scheduled for treatment. Patients are typically adults, though pediatric patients are occasionally treated. Hydrotherapy treatments primarily take place Monday through Friday, with occasional weekends. The position works two shifts per week, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Previous experience is not required for the role, but the technician should be comfortable caring for burn patients and will perform burn dressing changes after training. The Patient Care Technician provides direct patient care, assists with procedures and activities of daily living, supports therapies, communicates patient status to the RN, and performs nursing assistant and patient care technician tasks. The role also includes documentation, equipment and safety responsibilities, patient and family instruction under RN direction, and collaboration with the healthcare team. The technician must complete the UPMC patient care technician class and eRecord training. Access to medications is limited to distributing medication to the nurse.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet at least one of the following: one year of general healthcare experience; six months of experience as a UPMC Nursing Assistant/CNA with PCT competency achieved within 120 days of hire, transfer, or promotion for those with less than one year of experience; enrollment in a PT, OT, PA, or related healthcare training program with at least one clinical rotation completed; or a bachelor’s degree in a health sciences field.
Successful completion of the UPMC patient care technician class.
Successful completion of eRecord training.
CPR certification based on AHA standards, including didactic instruction and a skills demonstration, within 30 days of hire.
Basic Life Support (BLS) or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
Act 31 Child Abuse Reporting clearance, with renewal.
Act 33 clearance, with renewal.
Act 34 clearance, with renewal.
Act 73 FBI Clearance, with renewal.
Comfort caring for burn patients and willingness to perform burn dressing changes after training.

Nice To Haves

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or Paramedic certification, or current enrollment in an EMT or Paramedic program.
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).

Responsibilities

Provide patient care, assist with procedures and activities of daily living, and assist with physical, respiratory, and cardiopulmonary therapies.
Provide feedback to the RN about patient care and report changes in patient status.
Perform nursing assistant responsibilities, including bathing, feeding, toileting, ambulating, transporting, turning, and repositioning patients; blood glucose testing; weights; vital signs; intake and output; specimen collection; Foley care; telemetry monitor application or reapplication; and patient safety tasks.
Perform required unit-specific tasks, including point-of-care testing, simple dressing changes, restraint placement and removal, bladder scans, specimen collections, and intra-hospital transportation using the ticket-to-ride process.
Achieve and maintain competency in at least one or more advanced skills based on department operational need, such as phlebotomy or venipuncture, peripheral IV removal, indwelling Foley catheter removal, basic arrhythmia recognition, 12-lead EKG, or NG tube clamping and removal.
Complete burn dressing changes after training.
Report equipment malfunctions to the appropriate department and communicate effectively with other departments.
Support universal unit activities, including responding to call lights and telephones, passing meal trays, and transporting patients.
Receive feedback and direction constructively, identify and communicate learning needs, seek assistance with planning and prioritizing, and take action to improve knowledge, skills, and performance.
Provide instruction to patients and their families under the direction of the RN; apply, monitor, and remove restraints as permitted by physician or hospital protocol.
Communicate clearly and effectively with the healthcare team; demonstrate understanding of cultural diversity, horizontal violence, and impairment in the health professions; and support workplace safety.
Maintain productive working relationships and demonstrate accountability, enthusiasm, motivation, and commitment to patients and colleagues.
Follow patient care and hospital information policies and procedures, including safety policies and standard precautions.
Support departmental changes, projects, and quality initiatives; take responsibility for assignments and contribute to efficient department operations.
Document in the medical record according to established procedures, complete assigned work in a timely manner, and perform clerical functions as needed.
Limit medication access to distribution of medication to the nurse.