Licensed Vocational Nurse

Patient Care Assistant

Under direct supervision of a Registered Nurse or provider performs routine patient care, excluding administration of IV medications, as directed by San Ysidro Health policies and procedures in a medical office or clinic setting.

Essential Functions of the Job:

• Upholds San Ysidro Health's Policies and Procedures, Core Values and competencies and applicable state, federal and local laws.
• Performs routine patient care functions as prescribed by licensed health care providers following established clinical protocols and policies and procedures within defined scope of education, training, and responsibilities.
• Documents pertinent patient information, nursing procedures and patient responses in EHR, following established SYH guidelines and maintaining patient confidentiality.
• Performs data collection focusing on physiologic, psychosocial, cultural, spiritual, and cognitive status; also, nutrition, pain, patient/family education, family involvement and patient advocacy.
• Completes chart preparation and management for scheduled patients.
• Delegates appropriately and coordinates duties/activities of health care team members.
• Ability to work and support other ambulatory care roles in clinic
• Establishes patient care priorities based on essential patient needs and availability of unit resources (time, personnel, equipment, and supplies).
• Identifies patient/family learning needs and acts to meet them.
• Demonstrates an awareness of and sensitivity to patient/family rights, age specific needs, cultural and ethical beliefs.
• Provides/coordinates care for patients/patient populations.
• Establishes effective working relationships with members of the health care team, patients, and families.
• Follows SYH process for communicating patient test results and follow-up.
• Interviews patients, measures vital signs, and other pertinent information as required by specific clinic.
• Implement patient education techniques such as health coaching and teach back to support self-management. Identifies patient/family learning needs and acts to meet them.
• Implements patient care functions including but not limited to sterile wound dressing/packing, urine catheter insertion/removal, suture and staple removal.
• Performs point of care testing, including but not limited to urine tests, pregnancy tests, A1C, and others as directed.
• Handles clinic use medication inventories and orders and replenishes medical supplies, medications, and materials throughout the day as needed. Maintains clinic inventory logs.
• Prepares and administers medications, excluding IV medications, as directed by physician order and in accordance with SYH policy and procedure.
• Participates and responds and may efficiently lead in emergency situations following established protocols, informing appropriate people, and documenting events. When assigned to clinical emergency codes.
• Autoclave: oversight of process to ensure the cleaning, processing, sterilizing, and checking of instruments complies to meet audit and infection control requirements.
• Assists the physician with therapeutic and diagnostic patient care functions which may require sterile technique, wound care, urine catheter insertion/removal, wound care, inhalation treatments, minor surgery support, removal or application of dressings, EKG, visual testing, and audiometric testing.
• Follow Infection Control policy and procedures guidelines, including aseptic techniques.
• Demonstrates knowledge of and applies safety principles as identified by San Ysidro Health.
• Demonstrates responsibility and accountability for own professional practice
• Follow all SYH ambulatory care policies, and established workflow process
• Immunization coordination: oversight of clinic's daily routine workflow, excursion reporting process and emergency vaccine management plan.
• Utilizes effective communication methods and skills, following lines of authority as appropriate.
• Participate regularly in staff development training, meetings and activities for clinics to support continuous quality improvement.
• Assist with annual competency skills sign off
• Demonstrates knowledge of and applies safety principles as identified by San Ysidro Health.
• Demonstrates knowledge of legal issues, including patient confidentiality and risk management in all aspects of patient care and unit functioning.
• Ensure the clinical area is audit prepared by completing monthly Quality Assurance packet and addressing deficiencies.
• Participates in unit and department Performance and Quality Improvement activities.
• Participates in nursing research activities as requested
• Demonstrates proficiency in the use of computers and telecommunication modalities in documenting, tracking and conveying information
• Aids with nursing schedule and demonstrates flexibility in the resolution of staffing issues; demonstrates flexibility when floating to other units upon requests.
• If practicing in a specialty/extended role, fulfills the expectations established for the particular role.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• This job has no supervisory responsibilities

Customer Service/ Patient-Centered Care:

• Practices customer service standards as defined by SYH and specified clinic.
• Anticipates the customer's needs, takes proactive steps to meet those needs, by listening and taking responsibility within scope to ensure issues are resolved.
• Promptly responds to alarms and patient requests.
• Facilitates the customer's ability to utilize resources.
• Assures a clean, orderly, and functional work environment.

Team Commitment:

• Effective team member who is adaptable, cooperative, and willing to assist others.
• Works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Manages difficult or conflict situations constructively and seeks appropriate assistance.
• Takes accountability for own actions.
• Actively participates in departmental professional development activities.
• Adheres to Attendance Policy.

Message Management Details:

• May assist with medication Prior Authorization
• Follow the established Message management process
• De-escalate and service recovery for concerned patients
• Telephone triage using clear triage protocol and clinical judgement
• Telehealth visit support

Vaccination Program & Immunization Coordination:

• Provide comprehensive support for vaccination program including vaccine administration reconciliation verification inventory management patient outreach staff training reinforcement and required reporting internal and external
• Coordinate immunization efforts by overseeing daily clinical workflow communication program updates participate in quality improvement initiative managed vaccine excursions and emergency plans and ensuring compliance with training and reporting requirements

Job Requirements

Experience Preferred:

• 1 year of experience as a Licensed Vocational Nurse

Education Required:

• High School Diploma/GED
• Graduate of an accredited Licensed Vocational Nursing program

Certifications Required:

• Current license to practice as a Licensed Vocational Nurse in California
• Current BLS for Healthcare Provider CPR or CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer certification (American Heart Association)

Verbal and Written Skills Required to Perform the Job:

• Ability to read, write and comprehend English
• Ability to read, write and comprehend medical information and terminology
• Ability to effectively present information, both verbal and written
• Good interpersonal skills

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• Continuous standing/walking/twisting. Prolonged sitting
• Occasionally lifts pushes and/or transfers patients
• Exposed to unpleasant elements (accidents, injuries, and illness)
• Assisting with providing coverage as needed throughout all SYH clinic locations
• Will complete a self-ergonomic evaluation on LMS for home office
• Ability to work a varied, 40 hours per week schedule to include evenings and/or weekends, between the hours of 8 am to 8pm

Universal Requirements:

Pre-employment requirements include I-9, physical, positive background and reference check results, complete application, new hire orientation, pre-employment PPDs. Compliance with all mandated vaccinations and all boosters is a term and condition of employment.

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