Patient Care Technician - Progressive Care Unit Nights - 12hrs/wk

umhealthwest•Wyoming, MI

19h

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 Progressive Care Unit. The position is a night-shift role with an FTE status of 0.3 (12 hours per week), is not on-call, and includes weekend work. The PCT assists with activities of daily living, comfort, hygiene, nutrition, elimination, specimen collection, vital signs, and measurements. The role also includes designated patient-care procedures, safe use of equipment and supplies, infection-control practices, documentation as directed by the RN, and communication with patients and the care team. Additional duties may be assigned to support department efficiency, maintain knowledge of department processes, pursue learning and continuing education, and participate in committees, task forces, or work groups as determined by management.

Requirements

Minimum 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. Considered programs include nursing school, pre-PA school, medical school, or a closely related health science program.
Basic understanding of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and patient confidentiality.
Experience in an acute care or extended care facility.
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, ambulating, dangling, transferring, 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; test urine for sugar, acetone, blood, or pH; strain urine for kidney stones; and use a glucometer to test blood glucose.
Measure and record vital signs and weight, including temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and respiratory rate, using appropriate scales and measurement methods.
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 devices.
Assist with infection control by using aseptic technique and standard precautions, following special isolation precautions, handling linen appropriately, replacing full sharps containers, and cleaning equipment between uses and before return to Central Processing Department.
Document care provided as directed by the RN.
Communicate using Vocera, the unit paging system, telephone system, and pneumatic tube system; answer patient call lights; report observations to the RN; keep the RN informed of care delivered; and maintain patient confidentiality.
Perform other assigned duties to facilitate department efficiency, maintain 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.
Successfully complete unit-specific core competencies as defined in the orientation checklist.