Patient Support Assistant

About the Role

Assist Registered Nurse in providing direct patient care to multiple patients at a time on a designated nursing unit.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform and/or assist the patient with activities of daily living (e.g., bathing, grooming, eating, walking).
• Maintain environmental cleanliness and safety of patient rooms, unit, and equipment.
• Provide assistance to patients, visitors, and nursing personnel in the assigned unit.
• Maintain flexibility to help other departments with patient care as needed.
• Assist in creating the ideal patient experience through respectful and compassionate relationships with patients and families.
• May serve as a patient safety champion, empowering equal responsibility for all safety guidelines.
• May assist in telemetry cardiac monitoring, recognizing life-threatening arrhythmias and communicating them to a licensed clinician.
• May act as a transporter for the assigned nursing unit.
• Run errands to pick up or deliver items for patient care.
• Perform delegable nursing tasks delegated by the Registered Nurse, adhering to specific criteria for safety, predictability, and minimal consequences for error.
• Perform basic nursing care duties as directed by the RN, including:
• Waived testing (fingerstick glucose, urine dipstick, occult fecal).
• Non-sterile specimen collection.
• Nasogastric tube care.
• 12-lead EKG.
• Simple clean non-sterile dressing changes.
• Accurately collect data such as height, weight, vital signs, intake, and output, and record on the appropriate documentation form.
• Utilize portable technology and handheld wireless devices for measurement and documentation of intake and output, vital signs, and point-of-care testing (e.g., fingerstick glucoses, urine dipstick).
• Report patient observations and concerns to the Registered Nurse.
• Assist hospital visitors and staff with information needs.
• May utilize wireless devices and technology for healthcare coordination (e.g., scheduling, flowchart documentation, nutrition service ordering).
• May serve as a super user for nursing assistant information technology and/or preceptor for new nursing assistants.
• Maintain supplies and equipment necessary for patient care operations.
• Secure and handle appropriate supplies, medications, and lab specimens transported from, into, and within the unit.
• Focus on safety, quality, and efficiency in performing job duties as a High Reliability Organization (HRO).

Requirements & Tech Stack

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Competent in the use of portable technology.
• Proficient with handheld wireless devices.

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications: High School or GED.
• Additional Qualification Note:
• 16- and 17-year-old individuals without a high school diploma or GED will be considered only if they have a valid work permit.
• 18-year-old individuals enrolled in high school do not need a high school diploma/GED/work permit to be considered.