Perioperative Technician/PCA

DCH Health System•Northport, AL

10d•Onsite

About The Position

Provides compassionate personal care and support services under the supervision of a registered nurse to help patients achieve physical and emotional comfort and healing. Also assists the RN with planning, organizing, implementing, and evaluating nursing-station activities by performing clerical and receptionist duties and maintaining the area's physical environment. The position supports safe unit operations through patient care, cardiac-monitor observation and validation, order transcription, medical-record maintenance, communications, supply and equipment upkeep, documentation, and participation in performance-improvement activities. It requires onsite presence and the ability to work a 12-hour shift.

Requirements

Approved previous experience providing patient care or completion of in-service education classes.
Approved previous experience in clerical functions or completion of in-service education.
High school education or equivalent.
Computer and/or computer software knowledge or experience.
Current American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider training.
Ability to read, write legibly, speak, and comprehend English.
Ability to communicate clearly and accurately, receive delegation, work in groups, and perform structured and unstructured work while meeting time pressures and deadlines.
Ability to deal with conflict and unpleasant or physically aggressive personalities.
Ability to use electronic mail, telephone, and texting.
Ability to tolerate possible exposure to human body fluids, disease, infection, laboratory chemicals, hazardous materials, and cleaning solutions, and to wear common protective equipment such as gloves, safety glasses, masks, and gowns.
Ability to exert more than 100 pounds of force occasionally, more than 50 pounds frequently, and/or more than 20 pounds constantly to move objects.
Ability to tolerate prolonged standing and walking; reach reasonable distances in any direction; stand, walk, kneel, bend, sit, stoop, and lift; and run in an emergency.
Ability to move fingers in a coordinated manner and perceive temperature, texture, shape, and size with fingertips.
Ability to perform the duties with or without reasonable accommodation.
Normal hearing and vision, or corrected to within the normal range.
Stamina to work a 12-hour shift.
Physical presence onsite is essential.

Nice To Haves

Patient care experience.
Current enrollment in a nursing program.
Prior customer service experience.

Responsibilities

Provide personal care according to the treatment plan assigned by the registered nurse, including measuring and recording intake and output, vital signs, oxygen saturation, weight, and height.
Position, lift, turn, transfer, and ambulate patients; assist with range of motion and use of bedpans, urinals, or commodes; and feed patients.
Provide pre-operative and post-operative care and perform the listed care activities, including applying or removing anti-embolism stockings and SCD devices, removing Foley catheters and saline locks, providing perineal care and non-sterile vaginal irrigations, assisting with sitz baths and non-medicated enemas, applying heat and cold, caring for incontinent or immobilized patients, emptying colostomy bags, and performing blood sugars.
Place patients on cardiac monitors and set up oxygen equipment.
Collect, label, and transport laboratory specimens.
Accurately document care in accordance with policies and procedures.
Consistently perform basic care practices, including rounding, AIDET, the 4 Ps (Pain, Position, Potty, Proximity of items), prompt response to patient needs, hand hygiene, and use of two patient identifiers.
Observe cardiac-monitoring status for all patients and ensure the monitor station is attended by qualified staff during breaks and lunch.
Validate at the beginning of each shift that cardiac alarms are assigned to caregivers; notify staff of alarms, rhythm changes, and leads-off alarms.
Validate each patient's monitoring status at least every two hours, at shift change, and during hand-off communication for breaks and lunch; document validation on the appropriate form.
Perform a monitor count each shift to ensure monitors are present, as appropriate for the area.
Transcribe orders accurately; assemble, maintain, and disassemble medical records; answer phones and intercoms; and communicate messages.
Use supplies economically and maintain equipment and nursing units in a clean and safe manner.
Apply safety principles when ambulating, transferring, assisting with range of motion, and positioning patients.
Assist with performance-improvement activities, including serving on teams as warranted, assisting with measures, and supporting and implementing changes.
Demonstrate working knowledge of order entry and physician-order transcription.
Maintain a well-organized, well-supplied, clean nursing unit and maintain statistics or logs required by the unit Manager/Director.
Meet performance, patient and employee satisfaction, and financial standards; comply with Employee Handbook requirements and DCH Health System policies and procedures.
Adhere to DCH Behavioral Standards and perform essential functions in a way that promotes the safety of patients, visitors, and employees; identify unsafe practices and take appropriate action to reduce risks and hazards.
Use electronic mail, time-and-attendance software, learning-management software, and the intranet.
Perform other duties as assigned.