Job Description

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.

Responsibilities:

• 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
• 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

Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or equivalent, required.
• One (1) year prior experience in a psychiatric setting preferred. Preferred past experience as a nurse’s aide.
• Certified by New York State or Connecticut Department of Health as a Nurse Assistant, preferred.
• Excellent communication skills. Ability to communicate effectively

*Additional Salary Detail

The salary range and/or hourly rate listed is a good faith determination of potential base compensation that may be offered to a successful applicant for this position at the time of this job advertisement and may be modified in the future. When determining a team member's base salary and/or rate, several factors may be considered as applicable (e.g., location, specialty, service line, years of relevant experience, education, credentials, negotiated contracts, budget and internal equity).