Patient Care Technician - Hematology/Oncology

Children's National Hospital

1d•$21 - $42•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician works in the Hematology/Oncology Care Unit in collaboration with the multidisciplinary health care delivery team and under the direction of a Registered Nurse. The role performs basic nursing care activities, helps maintain a safe, clean, and stocked patient care setting, assists staff members, and helps direct patient flow. The technician supports patients and families during admission and daily care, provides direct patient care, observes and reports changes to the RN, assists with monitoring and infection control, documents care, communicates with the care team, and contributes to unit safety and shared leadership.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Current certification as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), or Certified Patient Care Technician (CPCT).
Basic Life Support for Healthcare Provider (BLS) certification.
Basic computer skills, including typing and use of a mouse and email.
Knowledge of aseptic technique.
Basic calculation skills, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Human relations and interpersonal skills.

Nice To Haves

One year of experience in a health care setting, preferably pediatrics.
One semester of clinical experience completed at an accredited school of nursing or military corpsman training.

Responsibilities

Orient families to the call lights, monitor, and unit; set up monitors and alarms; and obtain vital signs, height, weight, and head circumference.
Provide activities of daily living, including bathing, skin care, mouth care, and peri-care.
Ensure nutrition is provided as ordered, including tube feeding or meals, and assist with feeding patients.
Care for feeding tubes and apply skin creams as directed by the RN.
Collect cultures and urine, stool, and other samples.
Recognize and report pain and skin breakdown, prioritize tasks and RN requests, and assist with tracheostomy care and EVDs.
Assist with central-line dressing, pin, cast, and traction care, and care for dying patients.
Prepare rooms for admissions and discharges and support patient flow by maintaining a neat and orderly environment.
Obtain equipment and supplies and maintain PAR levels.
Observe monitors and alert the RN to deviations; follow monitor-bank guidelines for dress code and professionalism when assigned.
Care for isolation patients, perform hand hygiene before and after every patient, and clean equipment after each patient's use.
Document in the nursing database and on flow sheets, including vital signs, in a timely manner; notify the appropriate charge nurse in the computer or chart as appropriate.
Communicate with the RN and team members about changes and abnormal findings, participate in beginning- and end-of-shift reporting, and communicate with the RN about patient-care activities at least hourly.
Notify the charge nurse when leaving and returning to the unit; maintain professional relationships with patients and families, resolve coworker conflicts appropriately, support family-centered care, and demonstrate non-judgmental behavior.
Keep informed about council meetings and unit issues, contribute to unit discussions, and support shared-leadership decisions.
Speak up about unsafe behavior or performance, verify information used for decisions and documentation, pause to resolve uncertainty, communicate accurately and clearly, promote safety, and self-check performance using Stop, Think, Act, and Review.