Perioperative Nurse Assistant (PNA)

At Houston Methodist, the Perioperative Nursing Assistant (PNA) position is responsible for applying basic knowledge and skills necessary to communicate appropriately and carry out delegated nursing assistant level tasks for assigned age-specific, diverse patient population, assisting in the delivery of patient care and services under the supervision of a licensed nurse. This position assists with the physical preparation of the patient and physical environment prior to a surgical procedure being performed. The PNA position practices Relationship-Centered care in concert with the values of Houston Methodist.

FLSA STATUS
Non-exempt

• High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.)

• Previous experience in a healthcare role such as Patient Care Assistant, Transporter, Environmental Services Tech or basic Perioperative Nursing Assistant course preferred

• BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially regarding activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
• Exhibits strong interpersonal and team player skills with all levels of the healthcare team and assures delivery of excellent customer service to all patients, visitors, physicians and co-workers

• Promotes a positive work environment with the interprofessional care team. Participates in teamwork by responding positively to requests for assistance, taking the initiative to check on a regular basis if assistance is needed by the team. Works well with others to make contributions to the work effort and facilitates problem resolution.
• Interacts with peers, staff and physicians in a supportive and respectful manner. Encourages open communication to achieve mutual understanding. Communication to promote both work efforts and problem resolution is clear and professional. Follows channels of communication for effective problem solving. Collaborates with all members of the interprofessional team by actively communicating and reporting pertinent patient care information in a clear and timely manner.
• Provides contributions towards improvement of department scores for turnover/retention/employee engagement on unit-based scorecard, i.e. peer-to-peer accountability.

• Provides assistant level care to Surgical Services patients within unit specific defined limits. Assists with preparation of the physical environment prior to surgical procedure, cleaning the room using prescribed sterile techniques, ensuring the maintenance of a clean and organized environment.
• Transports patients to and from assigned room and assists with the preparation and positioning of the patient prior to surgical procedure.
• Checks and maintains appropriate levels of surgical gowns, masks, cleaning supplies, and other supplies for the department.
• Transports specimens, cultures, blood products, and body fluids to laboratory using universal precautions.
• Contributes towards improving department scores for patient satisfaction on unit-based scorecard through peer-to-peer accountability.

• Reports observations, conditions and problems of patients to licensed personnel to achieve desired patient outcomes. Provides for the privacy of patients and families, keeping the safety of the patient in mind.
• Reports “near misses” and inputs errors promptly into PSN to improve processes and identify trends. Assists in identification of corrective action and improvement activities.
• Supports initiatives to prevent conditions such as patient falls, and hospital-acquired infections. Contributes towards improving quality and safety scores on the unit-based scorecard, through peer-to-peer accountability.

• Uses resources efficiently; does not waste supplies. Self-motivated to independently manage time effectively and prioritize daily tasks, minimizing incidental overtime. Utilizes time between heavy workloads efficiently and helps other team members.

• Seeks guidance and validation of knowledge base, skill level and decision making as necessary, especially in areas of question, from preceptor and assigned licensed personnel. Completes and updates the individual development plan (IDP) on an on-going basis.
• Offers innovative solutions through participation in performance improvement projects and shared governance activities.

• Uniform: No
• Scrubs: Yes
• Business professional: No
• Other (department approved): No

• On Call* Yes

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area No
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

• High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.)

• Previous experience in a healthcare role such as Patient Care Assistant, Transporter, Environmental Services Tech or basic Perioperative Nursing Assistant course preferred

• BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association