Patient Care Technician - Ortho Trauma Med-Surg Nights - 24hrs/wk

University of Michigan Health-West•Wyoming, MI

11h

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. This position is on the Ortho Trauma Med-Surg unit, works nights, and is scheduled for 24 hours per week. The position is not on-call and includes weekends. The PCT supports patients with daily activities, comfort, hygiene, nutrition, elimination, procedures, specimen collection, measurements, and other care as directed by the RN. The technician safely uses equipment and supplies, follows infection-control practices, documents care, communicates observations and care delivered to the RN, and helps maintain department efficiency and knowledge of unit processes.

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.
Able to successfully complete unit-specific core competencies as defined in the orientation checklist.

Nice To Haves

Completion of a nursing fundamentals course and/or one clinical rotation for candidates enrolled in a health science program.
Basic understanding of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and patient confidentiality.
Experience in an acute care or extended care facility.

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 intake from dietary trays.
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; 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 temperatures, pulse, blood pressure, and respiratory rate, using appropriate scales to measure weight.
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 items and devices.
Help control infection by using aseptic technique and standard precautions, following special isolation precautions, handling linen appropriately, replacing full sharps containers, and cleaning equipment between patients and before return to Central Processing Department (CPD).
Document care provided 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, including tasks from the RN in charge that facilitate department efficiency.
Maintain current knowledge of department processes and procedures, pursue self-directed learning and continuing education, and participate in committees, task forces, and work groups as determined by management.