Patient Support Assistant

OhioHealth•Marion, VA

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Support Assistant assists a Registered Nurse in providing direct care to multiple patients on a designated nursing unit. The role supports patients with activities of daily living, helps maintain a clean and safe care environment, and contributes to respectful, compassionate patient and family relationships. The assistant may help other departments with patient care, act as a patient transporter, run errands, and may support patient-safety initiatives or telemetry monitoring as assigned. 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 point-of-care testing, specimen collection, nasogastric tube care, 12-lead EKGs, and simple clean dressing changes. The assistant collects and documents patient measurements and observations, including vital signs and intake and output, using portable technology, and reports observations and concerns to the Registered Nurse. The role also provides information to hospital visitors and staff, may use wireless technology for care coordination and documentation, and may serve as a technology super user or preceptor. The assistant maintains patient-care supplies and equipment and handles supplies, medications, and laboratory specimens transported within or to and from the unit. Responsibilities may change, and other duties may be assigned by a supervisor. As part of a High Reliability Organization, the role requires attention to safety, quality, and efficiency.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED, subject to the stated exceptions for certain 16-, 17-, and 18-year-old individuals.
A 16- or 17-year-old without a high school diploma or GED must have a valid work permit to be considered.
An 18-year-old enrolled in high school does not need a high school 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 unit, and equipment.
Assist patients, visitors, and nursing personnel on the assigned unit and, as needed, help other departments with patient care.
Build respectful and compassionate relationships with patients and families to support the patient experience.
May serve as a patient safety champion and support adherence to safety guidelines.
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 patient-care items.
Perform other basic nursing tasks delegated by the Registered Nurse that do not require nursing judgment, assessment, complex observations, or critical decisions.
Perform basic 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 data such as height, weight, vital signs, and intake and output.
Use handheld wireless devices for measurement and documentation, including point-of-care testing.
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, 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, or within the unit.
Perform other duties as requested by a supervisor, with attention to safety, quality, and efficiency.