Patient Support Assistant - Emergency Department

OhioHealth•Circleville, OH

About The Position

The Patient Support Assistant assists a Registered Nurse in providing direct care to multiple patients on an assigned nursing unit in the Emergency Department. The role includes supporting activities of daily living, maintaining a clean and safe care environment, assisting patients, visitors, and nursing personnel, and contributing to respectful, compassionate patient and family relationships. The assistant may support patient safety efforts, transport patients, run errands, and assist with telemetry monitoring and prompt communication of life-threatening arrhythmias when applicable. Under Registered Nurse delegation, the assistant performs basic nursing tasks that do not require nursing judgment, assessment, complex observation, or critical decisions. Duties may include waived testing, specimen collection, nasogastric tube care, 12-lead EKGs, simple clean non-sterile dressing changes, and collecting and documenting patient measurements and observations. The role also supports unit operations by assisting visitors and staff, coordinating care-related information using wireless technology, maintaining supplies and equipment, and handling appropriate supplies, medications, and laboratory specimens. Responsibilities may change and include other duties requested by a supervisor.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED, subject to the stated exceptions for certain 16-, 17-, and 18-year-old applicants.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the American Heart Association.

Responsibilities

Assist patients with activities of daily living, including bathing, grooming, eating, and walking.
Maintain cleanliness and safety in patient rooms, the unit, and equipment.
Assist patients, visitors, and nursing personnel on the assigned unit, and provide flexibility to help other departments with patient care as needed.
Build respectful and compassionate relationships with patients and families to support a positive patient experience.
May support patient safety efforts and reinforce safety guidelines among licensed and unlicensed caregivers.
May assist with telemetry cardiac monitoring, recognize life-threatening arrhythmias, and immediately 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 are appropriate to the assistant's role and do not require nursing judgment or assessment.
Perform basic nursing care duties as directed by the Registered Nurse, including waived testing, non-sterile specimen collection, nasogastric tube care, 12-lead EKGs, and simple clean non-sterile dressing changes.
Collect and document patient data such as height, weight, vital signs, intake, and output.
Use portable technology and handheld wireless devices to measure and document intake and output, vital signs, and point-of-care testing results.
Report patient observations and concerns to the Registered Nurse.
Assist hospital visitors and staff with information needs.
May use wireless devices and technology for care coordination, including 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 the supervisor.