Student Nurse Associate

Covenant Health•Knoxville, TN

About The Position

The Student Nurse Associate provides a wide variety of patient care activities and supportive services under the supervision of a registered nurse in the Nephrology Unit at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. The position is PRN/OCC with variable hours per pay period on the day shift. The associate supports patient comfort, safety, documentation, and nursing care while working within established policies and seeking RN guidance when needed.

Requirements

Be a student in an accredited nursing education program.
Have junior or senior status and have successfully completed the program’s fundamental clinical skills portion, or complete the program within the same semester as hiring into the position.
CPR is required.

Responsibilities

Perform required core competencies and deliver care appropriate to the age-specific needs of the patient population.
Measure and record temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, weight, height, and intake and output; document oxygen saturation for patients on continuous pulse oximetry.
Follow infection-control policies, including standard and transmission-based precautions, OSHA standards, safety measures, and proper body mechanics.
Complete designated patient-care activities while maintaining patient comfort and privacy.
Assist patients who need help with nutrition or hydration.
Empty drains, canisters, urine bags, bedpans, and emesis basins, and record intake and output.
Help maintain a clean and orderly patient and work environment.
Collaborate with the RN to revise and update the plan of care when problems change or new problems are identified.
Assist the RN in obtaining a thorough nursing history for assigned patients.
Use effective therapeutic communication skills.
Document and maintain patient records as appropriate, including nursing care actions, patient responses, treatments, diagnostic tests and results, and patient responses; obtain RN review and co-signatures for all entries.
Perform basic dressing changes and apply the fundamentals of sterile technique.
Observe and respond appropriately to changes or complications in patient conditions, and report significant changes to the RN.
Observe assigned post-treatment and postoperative patients upon return to the floor and initiate appropriate nursing actions.
Complete assigned tasks with minimal supervision and seek guidance when uncertain about a procedure.
Communicate suggestions and complaints through appropriate channels; demonstrate cooperation, flexibility, and positive behavior toward patients and staff.
Perform effectively under stress and follow policies, procedures, and safety standards.
Complete required annual education assignments, work toward goals and objectives, and participate in quality-improvement initiatives as requested.
Perform other duties as assigned.