Patient Care Assistant Novice

At Houston Methodist, the Patient Care Assistant (PCA) Novice position is Patient Care Technician (PCT) graduate, or an internal internship, and is an entry level position in which incumbents should document, where applicable, care administered, diagnostic measurements, treatments and procedures and demonstrate the ability to continuously progress in basic knowledge and skills necessary to communicate appropriately and carry out delegated tasks for age-specific, diverse patient population. This position receives coaching from preceptors, Registered Nurses (RN) and management and performs delegated patient care tasks under the supervision of the RN. The PCA Novice position responds to the call light system and records data established by policy and procedure, and reports observations and patient problems to the licensed nurse. This position is responsible for assigned non-nursing functions. The PCA Novice position practices Patient and Family Centered Care in concert with Houston Methodist ICARE values.

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

• • Must be one of the following: ◦ graduate of the Patient Care Tech (PCT) program ◦ internal employee participating in the Houston Methodist PCA immersion program/ internship ◦ Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) ◦ Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) through an approved credentialing certification agency

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required

• BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association within 1 month

KNOWLEDGE 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
• Performs basic patient care activities of daily living (ADL’s) within unit specific defined limits and job scope, such as assistance with patient elimination, hygiene, comfort, safety, nutrition, and progress activity

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Promotes a positive work environment with the interprofessional care team. Participates in teamwork by responding positively to requests for assistance. Works well with others to make contributions to the work effort as a whole and facilitates problem resolution.
• Seeks guidance from interprofessional health care team, when needed, and applies feedback to improve patient outcomes. Follows channels of communication for effective problem solving.
• Applies expected behaviors and actions with team members which contribute to improvement of department score for employee engagement, i.e., peer-to-peer accountability.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Follows the patient and family-centered care standards and provides direct patient care under the direction of a registered nurse. Responds to the call light system, contacting nursing personnel as appropriate, and follows through with meeting patient needs.
• Assists with maintaining, cleaning, and stocking of equipment and supplies as established on assigned unit. May serve as an in-house courier which may include retrieving blood, hand delivering labs, tele boxes, etc.
• Applies expected behaviors and actions which contributes to department score for patient satisfaction through peer-to-peer accountability, i.e., bedside shift handoff/report.

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.
• Provides care to patients assigned within unit-specific, defined limits. Documents, where applicable, care administered, diagnostic measurements, treatments and procedures in accordance with established policies and procedures keeping the safety of the patient in mind.
• Applies expected behaviors and actions to improve quality and safety scores, through peer-to-peer accountability.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Applies expected behaviors and actions which contributes to meeting department financial targets.
• Utilizes resources with cost effectiveness and value creation in mind. Self-motivated to independently manage time effectively and prioritize daily tasks, minimizing incidental overtime, assisting coworkers as needed.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Seeks opportunities to identify self-development needs on knowledge base, skill level and decision-making, as necessary, especially in areas of question, from preceptor and assigned licensed personnel and takes appropriate action. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the My Development Plan on an on-going basis.

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
WORK ATTIRE

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

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* No

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

• • Must be one of the following: ◦ graduate of the Patient Care Tech (PCT) program ◦ internal employee participating in the Houston Methodist PCA immersion program/ internship ◦ Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) ◦ Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) through an approved credentialing certification agency

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required

• BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association within 1 month