Patient Support Assistant

OhioHealth•Marion, VA

About The Position

The Patient Support Assistant assists a Registered Nurse in providing direct care to multiple patients on an assigned nursing unit. The role supports patients with activities of daily living, helps maintain safe and clean patient-care environments, and provides basic nursing support tasks delegated by the Registered Nurse. The position also assists patients, visitors, and staff with information and coordination needs, maintains patient-care supplies and equipment, and may support patient transport, telemetry monitoring, technology use, or training of new nursing assistants.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED, except that 16- and 17-year-olds without a diploma or GED may be considered with a valid work permit; 18-year-olds enrolled in high school do not need a diploma, GED, or work permit to be considered.

Responsibilities

Assist patients with activities of daily living, including bathing, grooming, eating, and walking.
Maintain cleanliness and safety in patient rooms, the nursing unit, and equipment.
Assist patients, visitors, and nursing personnel on the assigned unit, and help other departments with patient care as needed.
Build respectful and compassionate relationships with patients and families to support a positive patient experience.
May promote adherence to safety guidelines as a patient safety champion.
May assist with telemetry cardiac monitoring, recognize life-threatening arrhythmias, and promptly communicate them to an available licensed clinician.
May transport patients and run errands to pick up or deliver items for patient care.
Perform nursing tasks delegated by the Registered Nurse that do not require nursing judgment, assessment, complex observation, or critical decisions, and that can be completed safely according to clear directions.
Perform basic nursing care duties as directed by the Registered Nurse, including waived testing, specimen collection, nasogastric tube care, 12-lead EKGs, and simple clean, non-sterile dressing changes.
Collect and document data such as height, weight, vital signs, intake, and output.
Use portable wireless technology to measure and document intake and output, vital signs, and point-of-care test results.
Report patient observations and concerns to the Registered Nurse.
Assist hospital visitors and staff with information needs.
May use wireless devices and technology to coordinate healthcare activities such as scheduling, flowchart documentation, and nutrition-service ordering.
May serve as a super user for nursing-assistant information technology or as a preceptor for new nursing assistants.
Maintain supplies and equipment needed for patient-care operations.
Secure and handle appropriate supplies, medications, and laboratory specimens transported to, from, and within the unit.
Perform other duties as requested by a supervisor.