Nursing Assistant

Nursing Assistant

The Nursing Assistant performs various patient care activities and related nonprofessional services necessary in caring for the personal needs and comfort of patients. The Nursing Assistant assists with patient cleaning, feeding, and preparation for treatment, takes and records vital signs, changes bed linen, prepares treatment trays and other supplies, and assists nursing service personnel with a variety of other patient care duties. Relies on established guidelines to accomplish tasks. Works under close supervision.

Responsibilities

Patient Care:

• Assists in preparing unit and patient room and bed in an effort to ensure that patients are adequately and properly accommodated during their hospital stay. Assists and accompanies patients during admission, transfer, and discharge procedures in a manner that demonstrates compassion and understanding for each patient.
• Takes and records patient temperature, pulse, respiration, weight, height, blood pressure, and intake-output measurement as directed by appropriate personnel in a caring and efficient manner and documents information in CIS. Performs and records EKGs for patients being triaged and receiving care. Expediently reports any unusual incidents or observed changes in patient condition or behavior to appropriate personnel.
• Assists patients with daily living activities (e.g., bed bath, oral hygiene, shaving, dressing, back rubs, linen freshening), and provides general care (e.g., positioning patients, pre- and post-operative care, assisting with bed pan use) in a manner that demonstrates compassion and understanding for all patients.
• Prepares patients for meals, serves food, and feeds patients when needed in a manner that demonstrates compassion and respect for patient needs.
• Transports patients to and from designated areas of the hospital in a caring, considerate, expedient, and professional manner. Ensures that patients have identification bracelets before transportation and demonstrates compassion and respect in all contacts with patients, family members, and fellow employees.
• Retrieves medications from the pneumatic tube system and/or pharmacy and delivers the medications to the nurse and/or place medications in a secure location as determined by the nurse manager.

Quality:

• Expediently answers patient call lights, assists patients with personal hygiene and other activities of daily living (e.g., dressing, ambulation) in a caring and understanding manner, and efficiently maintains an attractive, comfortable, and safe environment for patients with special consideration to room cleanliness, ventilation, lighting, and patient safety.
• Maintains a safe, comfortable, and therapeutic health care environment by cleaning rooms and equipment, preparing for sterilization and disinfection, promptly reporting damaged equipment and other problems to appropriate personnel, and efficiently and properly handling linen and supplies.
• Provides input for end of shift reports and CIS documentation and participates in unit quality assurance programs in an effort to enhance the quality and efficiency of unit services.
• Utilizes all equipment, supplies, facilities, and resources in a prudent and efficient manner in order to ensure efficient departmental operations and the provision of high-quality health care services.
• Strives to promote the quality and efficiency of his/her own performance through participation in staff educational programs, approved continuing education courses, and specialized skill training programs.

Collaboration & Partnership:

• Assists physicians with examination, treatments, and special tests and procedures as directed by a Registered Nurse. Collects patient specimens in a caring manner and expediently transports specimens to the lab when necessary. Assists with patient rehabilitation under the supervision of a Registered Nurse and in accordance with the patient's care plan in an efficient and professional manner.
• Runs inter-departmental errands (e.g., transporting lab specimens, picking up patient medications from pharmacy) for nursing personnel in an expedient and professional manner.

Other Duties as Assigned:

• Performs other duties as assigned or requested are completed.
• Accurately and appropriately receives, places, and transfers phone calls, and records and communicates messages; efficiently and accurately uses phones, intercoms, and computer.

Qualifications

High School

Good Communication and Customer Service Skills.

BLS certification required.