PATIENT TRANSPORTER - CASUAL

Independence Health System•Greensburg, PA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

As a member of a Transport TEAM, this role provides timely individual patient transport via wheelchair or cart, primarily for designated inpatients and occasional outpatients. Patients are transported for designated testing, therapy, treatment, pre or post-operative care, or admission/discharge. Shift assignments are pre-set by the Patient Transporter Supervisor, who also handles dispatching during day-shift peak times via cell phone. The Patient Transporter is responsible for coordinating patient transport with the assigned charge nurse or technician, and safely and efficiently transporting the patient, along with IV equipment, monitoring equipment, the medical record, and oxygen equipment as required. Additionally, job assignments may include stock maintenance and distribution of oxygen tanks and regulators to assigned hospital departments.

Requirements

Must be 18 years of age.
Strong leadership ability, good organizational skills, independent and critical thinking skills, sound judgment.
Strong ability to communicate complex and/or controversial topics and concepts to a wide and diverse audience.
Basic working knowledge of computers and office equipment.
Basic Life Support (BLS) approved curriculum of the American Heart Association (CPR and AED) program Required.
Act 33 with renewal.
Act 34 with renewal.
Act 73 FBI Clearance with renewal.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience working with patients.

Responsibilities

Introduces self to patient and explains transport plan and destination.
States own name and describes mode of transportation being used and destination to patient.
Retrieves patient's nurse if patient has questions regarding tests/therapy where they are being transferred to.
Obtains permission from patient’s nurse to transport patient off floor for testing/procedure.
Provides for appropriate mode of transportation considering the patient's condition, comfort, and any safety factors.
Uses critical thinking skills to determine mode of transport.
Contacts nursing staff with questions related to transport and gets a ticket-to-ride (TTR) signed by registered nurse (RN).
Coordinates tasks when able.
Anticipates problems and follows through.
Transfers patient to/from cart, wheelchair, or other transport vehicle according to procedure and is knowledgeable and effectively operates transport equipment.
Maintains proper body mechanics.
Uses patient lift equipment.
Seeks assistance when necessary, i.e. carts, electronic devices, etc.
Identifies patient prior to transport.
Asks patient to state their name.
Checks patient identification bracelet.
Alerts staff when patient's bracelet is missing.
Completes tasks as assigned through capacity management.
Determines patient code status prior to transport.
Checks Capacity Management for (LH entity).
Reminds staff when (LH entity).
Uses appropriate isolation techniques and complies with universal precautions.
According to isolation posting, secures and dons appropriate protective equipment before entering patient's room.
Removes their PPE and follows hand washing protocol before taking patient out of room.
Ensures patient is wearing PPE, when appropriate, before taking patient out of their room.
Stores and cleans transport equipment appropriately throughout the day.
Reports broken equipment.
Returns transport equipment to department when able.
Assists in coordinating patient trips.
Obtains permission from nursing staff for patient transport from one ancillary department to another.
Other duties as assigned.
Communicates effectively with patient/family, visitors and other members of the healthcare team.
Maintains ongoing shift communication (daylight shift) with the Patient Transporter, Supervisor for patient delays, issues, problems and temporary reassignment as necessary to keep patient throughput efficient.
Uses chain of command in the department effectively.
Maintains dignity and confidentiality of all patients encountered at Independence Health, directly or indirectly.
Ensures transport cell phone is working properly, transferring phone to patient transporter on duty or appropriate voice mail direction per Independence Health standards.
Responsible to check in with and assist co-workers with lift help or transport of difficult patients or volume patient load during any down-time period.
Operate wheelchairs for safe transport of patients within the hospital, following patient safety practices.
Operate transport carts for safe transport of patients within the hospital, following patient safety practices.
Assist patients onto transport carts or into wheelchairs for in-house transport.
Practice infection control procedures, per policy for infectious / isolation patients.
Provide assistance for patients who become ill and need immediate attention (vomiting, CPR, etc.).
Coordinate proper transport of the correct inpatient (or outpatient) for assigned testing or procedure, including the correct medical record, as coordinated and assigned by the physician, and/or assigned registered nurse.
Maintain patient privacy, dignity and confidentiality throughout transports and hospital stay per policy.
Provide positive communication at all times with hospital patients.
Keep daily productivity / Capacity Management of all transports and activity.
Coordinate delivery of patients with receiving department, technicians, signing in at required log stations and reporting special needs of patients requiring special attention of the receiving department.
Assist nursing staff with specimen or special situation equipment transport, as assigned by Patient Transporter, Supervisor.
Delivery of stock oxygen tanks or regulators to pre-assigned departments.
Assist hospital customers/visitors with directional information, as appropriate throughout the hospital throughout shift, as appropriate.
Serves as greeter for visitors, patients and employees entering Independence Health.
Perform basic customer service and reception duties.
Screens all visitors prior to entering and logs visitors in tracking program as appropriate.
Greet and assist patients/visitors as they enter the main entrance of the hospital.