Licensed Vocational Nurse

Patient Care Assistant

Under direct supervision of an RN or provider performs routine patient care, excluding administration of IV medications and venipuncture, following established policies, procedures and standards; follows Quality of Service Standards; follows Universal Precautions.

Essential Responsibilities:

• May perform nursing care functions such as vital signs, removal and/or application of dressings for assessment by licensed provider.
• Cleaning or irrigating wound after providers assessment and instructions, shaving and skin preparation, ear washes, NG insertion & lavage, urinary catheter insertion & irrigation.
• Reinforce standardized self care procedures as directed by licensed provider.
• Recognizes and responds to acute emergency situation following established procedures.
• Orients patients to system policies and practices.
• Provides appropriate instruction sheets based upon provider direction.
• Reviews instruction sheet with patient.
• Administers medications, excluding IV medications, as ordered by provider.
• Observes and documents patients response to medications and therapy.
• May perform tuberculin, coccidioidin and histoplasmin skin tests, provides such tests are part of a tuberculosis control program.
• May perform immunizations provides they are based upon written protocols.
• Completes necessary arrangements or organizes treatment rooms prior to surgical and/or examination procedures by setting up or laying out instruments, drapes and sponges contained in sterile trays and assembling equipment items as required for particular procedures as directed.
• May assist licensed provider with patient examinations and treatments by positioning, restraining patients, and assisting as directed.
• Provides assistance in treatment rooms during minor surgical procedures and/or various diagnostic examinations by positioning and draping.
• May hold clamps or retractors, sponge vascular areas, and pass instruments as specifically directed by the physician.
• Assures safety of patient during procedures.
• May prepare and transport items such as medical equipment and laboratory specimens.
• May clean and disinfect instruments/equipment according to standardized procedures.
• Follows Universal Precautions. Reports incidents of failure to follow procedures to Department Administrator or designee.
• Maintains departmental files, performing duties such as pulling file and assembling forms prior to appointment, and filing returned diagnostic reports as directed.
• Initiates and/or completes diagnostic rest forms per provider order, telephones prescriptions to pharmacies, relays medical information from physician to patient, and relays information from patient to physician.
• Charts in patients medical record as indicated.
• May perform lab tests including urine dip-tests, acetone tests, hemoccult tests, tests to determine. PH, protein, PKU.
• May perform hearing and vision tests, glaucoma tests and visual acuities.
• Collects, by non-invasive and invasive techniques, and preserves specimens for testing, including urine, and sputum and stool.
• Participates in Department Quality Assurance activities.
• Performs other duties, as required, such as checking patients medical records for incomplete data and relaying message to staff personnel.
• Note: Specific duties may vary depending on assignment.
• Note: Bold print indicates the differences between an MAII & LVN.