Surgical Patient Services Assistant PRN

University of Chicago Medical Center - Chicago, IL

Chicago, IL

Hospitals

About the position

Join one of the nation's most comprehensive academic medical centers, UChicago Medicine, as a Surgical Patient Service Assistant PRN at our Hyde Park medical campus. This position is a 100% onsite opportunity. You will need to be based in the greater Chicagoland area. Under the direction of the SPSA Manager or his/her designee, the Surgical Patient Service Assistant PRN provides fundamental services to support the patient/family and the Peri-Operative Care Team to render quality care to all surgical patients.

Responsibilities

• Completes cleaning of all areas under the jurisdiction of the GOR/DCAM Care Center according to the standards set by the Care Center Leadership or designee and Environmental Liaison.
• Provides a safe environment for patients and health care team members.
• Coordinates cleaning in an efficient manner to meet the needs of patient care and keeps charge nurse apprised of clean/dirty status of OR rooms.
• Assists in meeting room turn-over expectations.
• Inventories and maintains stock and equipment throughout the perioperative areas, including OR sub sterile areas, pre-op and recovery rooms.
• Transportation of equipment, specimens, and supplies as required.
• Assists in maintaining a sterile field during the preparation of the OR for a surgical procedure and the duration of the procedure.
• Change medical gas tanks at the direction of the charge nurse.
• Complete steam sterilizer drain cleaning.
• Performs duties involving direct patient care in the changing, pre-op holding and recovery areas as assigned by the Registered Nurse.
• Stocks blanket warmer and bedside items as needed.
• Assists patients in changing clothes, to and from home, as required.
• Transports patients (via cart/wheelchair) within the OR areas and other departments, as requested.
• Assists in the assembly of chart sheets according to posted guidelines.
• Assists in positioning patients on the OR table and transferring patients between operating room table and cart.
• Assists in post-mortem care.
• Under the direction of the Registered Nurse or OR Technician, acts to expedite delivery of supplies and equipment needed for patient care.
• Provides and promotes patient safety.
• Promotes, has knowledge of and utilizes appropriate patient care protocol relating to the physical, psychosocial and developmental needs of neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult and geriatric patients.
• Assists the Intraoperative Care Team while adhering to principles of sterile technique.
• Sets up and changes suction canisters.
• Verifies all equipment is present where needed and ready for use, including sterile supplies.
• Delivers additional supplies and equipment to the OR during the operative procedure as requested.
• Practices within Infection Control policies and procedures.
• Properly and safely handles contaminated instruments in regards to storage and transferring to designated areas.
• Transports red and yellow containers to a central location on the floor.
• May be asked to move these longer distances in emergency situations.
• Properly transports blood products within the GOR/DCAM Care Centers.
• Properly transports patient specimens with the GOR/DCAM Care Centers.
• Assists with orientation of new employees, agency personnel and employees reassigned to the area.
• Participates in Continuous Quality Improvement projects as directed by the Specialty Manager.
• Performs other duties as requested by senior management.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or the equivalent is required.
• Surgical operating room experience preferred.
• Previous work that required organizational skills and ability to work in stressful environment.
• Reading comprehension and math ability at 6th grade level.
• Ability to successfully complete departmental certification program including sterile technique, case supply selection according to pick sheet and use of Optime Operating Room data management software system.