CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT - MAPLE STREET CAMPUS

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

SUMMARY

The Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) supports and promotes LACHC’s mission to show God’s love by providing quality, comprehensive healthcare to the homeless and underserved. This position is a key member of a multidisciplinary team at the Maple Street Campus by providing compassionate, patient-centered care to individuals experiencing homelessness and substance use. The CNA supports patients in a harm reduction-focused, low-barrier healthcare setting, ensuring that care is accessible, dignified, and trauma-informed.

The CNA will assist with daily patient care, hygiene support, basic clinical tasks, and harm reduction services in non-traditional settings, including drop-in spaces, outdoor park-lets, and outreach sites. The ideal candidate is empathetic, flexible, and passionate about working with vulnerable populations.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND PRIVILEGES include:

• Provide hands-on patient care and support, assisting with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing, dressing, feeding, and toileting.
• Assist with wound care, medication reminders, and patient monitoring under RN supervision.
• Support patients with hygiene needs, including changing clothes, cleaning wounds, and basic grooming.
• Engage patients in a compassionate, non-judgmental manner, prioritizing dignity and respect.
• Assist with rooming patients, vital signs, and basic health assessments.
• Provide phlebotomy support, particularly for patients with challenging venous access (preferred or willingness to train).
• Participate in harm reduction efforts, including overdose prevention education, safe-use supply distribution, and connection to support services.
• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team, including nurses, medical assistants, case managers, harm reduction specialists, and behavioral health staff.
• Assist with mobile and outreach efforts, helping to bring care to patients in need.
• Ensure accurate documentation of patient interactions and services provided.
• Support a welcoming, safe, and patient-centered environment in all care settings.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to accomplish each essential duty satisfactorily. The following requirements are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• Current Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification in California required.
• CPR/BLS certification required.
• At least one (1) year of CNA experience in a healthcare or community health setting preferred.
• Comfort working in non-traditional clinical environments, such as drop-in centers, outdoor park-lets, and mobile units.
• Understanding of primary care needs for people experiencing homelessness, including substance use, chronic conditions, and behavioral health considerations.
• Strong teamwork and communication skills, with the ability to work closely with an interdisciplinary care team.
• Demonstrated ability to provide compassionate, patient-centered are in a harm reduction and trauma-informed framework.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be exposed to carriers of contagious diseases such as TB, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. The employee may have to deal with irate and irrational clients who may or may not be under the influence of mind-altering substances such as cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, etc.