Sr Perioperative Nurse Assistant

At Houston Methodist, the Sr Perioperative Nursing Assistant (PNA) position is responsible for applying proficient knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to communicate appropriately and perform delegated assistant tasks for assigned age-specific, diverse patient population, 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. Other duties for the Sr PNA include independently and expertly performing the duties and responsibilities of preceptor and clinical resource to PNAs, training and orienting others and demonstrates ability to troubleshoot problems and prioritize multiple requests for assistance. This position practices Relationship-Centered care in concert with the values of Houston Methodist.

FLSA STATUS
Non-exempt

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

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

EXPERIENCE

• Two years in a Perioperative Nursing Assistant or Patient Care Assistant role or Graduate Nurse (GN) who will be retaking the NCLEX for RN licensure

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required

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

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• 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 with regard to 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
• Follows all safety rules while on the job. Reports all accidents promptly and corrects minor safety hazards. Communicates with peers and management regarding any hazards identified in the workplace
• 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
• Demonstrates independence and exercises judgment in interactions with physicians, interprofessional care team, patients and their families
• Adapts to multiple ongoing priorities with minimal supervision including but not limited to organizing workflows and actively participating in problem solving
• Demonstrates ability to access information both in the department and within the hospital system to support the department and interprofessional health care team as appropriate

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Promotes a positive work environment that actively assists interprofessional care team to achieve optimal patient and department results. Makes contributions to the work effort by leading and initiating problem resolution within the work unit. Follows channels of communication for effective problem solving. Facilitates teamwork by anticipating the need for assistance and responding positively to requests for assistance, taking the initiative to check on a regular basis if assistance is needed by the team.
• Collaborates with all members of the interprofessional health care team by actively communicating and reporting pertinent patient care information and data in a comprehensive manner. Teaches peers to critically think by verbally expressing rationale for decisions and follows up consistently. Facilitates open, professional, communication to achieve mutual understanding, role modeling by example.
• Assists in orientation and training of new PNAs as assigned. Independently executes the duties and responsibilities of preceptor, serves as a clinical resource in the department, using advanced skills and competencies, guiding and mentoring colleagues’ though processes to provide optimal patient care. Provides structured feedback with examples.
• Initiates contributions towards improvement of department scores for turnover/retention/employee engagement on unit-based scorecard, i.e. peer-to-peer accountability.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Performs, independently, assistant-level care to Surgical Services patients within unit specific defined limits. Prepares the physical environment prior to surgical procedure, cleaning the room using prescribed sterile techniques, ensuring the maintenance of a clean and organized environment.
• Organizes the work flow, problem-solves higher level matters, and manages multiple ongoing priorities. Troubleshoot problems and prioritize multiple requests for assistance.
• Transports patients to and from assigned room and assists with the preparation and positioning of the patient prior to surgical procedure. Transports specimens, cultures, blood products, and body fluids to laboratory using universal precautions.
• Monitors and maintains appropriate levels of surgical gowns, masks, cleaning supplies, and other supplies for the department.
• Role models’ behaviors and skills, through peer-to-peer accountability, towards improving department score for patient satisfaction on unit-based scorecard.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• 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.
• Contributes to identification of corrective action and improvement activities, impacting quality and safety targets on the unit-based scorecard, through peer-to-peer accountability, reporting near misses, and collaborating with the interprofessional team.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• 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.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Develops skills of team members and continually assists with improving skills, performance and outcomes. Fosters a positive and constructive patient care environment by engaging co-workers in learning opportunities that are valuable and in alignment with department objectives.
• Offers innovative solutions through participation in performance improvement projects and shared governance activities. Completes and updates the individual development plan (IDP) on an on-going basis.

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
WORK ATTIRE

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

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. Disaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* Yes

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

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

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

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

EXPERIENCE

• Two years in a Perioperative Nursing Assistant or Patient Care Assistant role or Graduate Nurse (GN) who will be retaking the NCLEX for RN licensure

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required

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