Mental Health Worker I - PRN - Day

Mental Health Worker

Position at Putnam Hospital Center

Northwell is the largest not-for-profit health system in the Northeast, serving residents of New York and Connecticut with 28 hospitals, more than 1,000 outpatient facilities, 22,000 nurses and over 20,000 physicians. Northwell cares for more than three million people annually in the New York metro area, including Long Island, the Hudson Valley, Connecticut and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Northwell is New York State's largest private employer with over 104,000 employees including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners who are working to change health care for the better. The Mental Health Worker (MHW) provides direct and indirect patient care under the direction of an RN or physician. Assists patients with activities of daily living, provides for personal care, emotional support and performs more complex clinical skills under the direction of an RN. Population served based on scope of services in the department.

Position Duties May Include:

• Performs patient care responsibilities considering needs specific to the standard of care for patient's age.
• Provides care appropriate to condition and age of patient, including pediatric, geriatric and the general patient population.
• Provides patient care that meets the psychosocial and physical needs of the patient within the MHW's scope of practice.
• Assists with patient admissions, discharge and transfers.
• Provides morning care which may include bed bath, shower, oral hygiene, combing hair, back care, dressing patients, changing bed linen, cleaning overbed table and bedside stand, straightening room and other general care as necessary throughout the shift.
• Provides evening care which includes hands/face washing as needed, oral hygiene, back rubs, peri-care, freshening linen, cleaning overbed tables, straightening room and other general care as needed.
• Provides general assistance such as positioning patients, lifting and turning patients, assisting in use of bedpan, commode and ambulating patients.
• Prepares patients for meals; serves and removes food trays and assists with meals or feeds patients if necessary.
• Distributes drinking water and snacks to patients as applicable.
• Answers patients' call lights, anticipates patients' needs and makes rounds of assigned patients.
• Performs 15 minute safety checks and/or 1:1 observation of patients as per MD orders
• Runs sensory, recreation, activity and/or cognitive stimulation groups as assigned.
• Takes and records temperature, pulse, respiration, weight, blood pressure and intake-output. Notifies appropriate licensed personnel with variations to normal limits.
• Reports patient complaint of pain to supervising RN. Observes patient's mental and physical conditions, reports any changes to supervising RN. Knowledgeable of sterile techniques and infection control procedures.
• Performs all aspects of patient care in an environment that optimizes patient safety and reduces the likelihood of medical/health care errors. Knowledgeable about behaviors and statements that indicate elevated safety risk, including suicide, homicide and psychosis.
• Communicates in a clear and concise manner to RNs and medical staff. Maintains a good working relationship within the department and with other departments. Documentation meets current standards and policies. Attends in-service education programs, as assigned, to learn new treatments, procedures, developmental skills etc. Treat patient and families with respect and dignity. Demonstrates the ability to be flexible, organized and function under stressful situations. Manages and operates equipment safely and correctly. Performs Hourly Patient Rounding as required by guidelines and standards. Uses the principles of AIDET in every customer encounter

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: High school graduate. Actively enrolled in a college program for psychiatric or health-related field preferred.
• Work Experience: One (1) year prior experience in a psychiatric setting preferred. Preferred past experience as a nurse's aide.
• Other: BLS Certification within 90 days of hire. CPI Certification within 30 days of hire. PREFER: CT, MA or NY CNA Certification.

Working Conditions:

• Manual: Some manual skills/motor coord & finger dexterity
• Occupational: Some occupational risk
• Physical Effort: Medium to Heavy effort. May exert up to 35 lbs. force
• Physical Environment: Some exposure to dirt, odors, noise, human waste, etc.

Company: Putnam Hospital Center

Org Unit: 935

Department: Psych Unit

Exempt: No