Job Description

Patient Care Support Assistant

PRN/OCC, Variable Hours and Shifts

Fort Sanders Regional Overview:

Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is a 444-bed hospital recognized for pairing clinical expertise with advanced medical technology to deliver exceptional care. As a Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center, we provide leading-edge treatment for stroke recovery. Our facility also offers specialized services in bariatric surgery, robotic surgery, minimally invasive spine procedures, and advanced orthopedic care.

Fort Sanders Regional is part of Covenant Health, East Tennessee’s largest nonprofit health system and a Becker’s “Top 150 Places to Work in Healthcare.” Covenant Health includes nine hospitals and nearly 150 service locations, offering employees a comprehensive benefits package with tuition reimbursement, student loan assistance, certification bonuses, and leadership development programs.

The Patient Care Support Assistant functions as direct support in patient care performing tasks to assist nurses and providers. Performs hands-on care, assistance with ADL’s, and specified technical tasks for a group of patients under the supervision of the nurse. Duties include supporting the Medical Surgical Unit and Emergency Room with patient care, housekeeping, HUC, sitter, and transporting of patients.

Responsibilities

• Provides morning or evening care, which may include bed bath, oral hygiene, combing hair, back care, dressing patient, changing bed linen, cleaning over-bed table and bedside stand, straightening room, and other supportive care as needed.
• Takes and records temperature, pulse, respiration rates, blood pressures, oxygen saturation, weights, heights, and intake-output measurements.
• Documents/maintains patient record as appropriate.
• Promptly answers patient call lights and responds to patient requests.
• Answers telephone and intercoms; relays and documents messages. Helps to ensure that follow-up to patients request is timely.
• Ambulates and assists patients in and out of bed, into wheelchairs, and transport when necessary (on oxygen if required).
• Monitors and utilizes the patient flow board for assignments.
• Reports observed changes in patient condition to nurse or provider.
• Attends to nutritional needs of patient which may include distributing meal trays, feeding, filling, and passing out water pitchers.
• Helps to maintain clean and orderly patient and work environment.
• Maintains open lines of communication between patients, family, physicians, peers, and leadership.
• Encourages patients to turn, cough, and take deep breaths as specified by plan of care.
• Empties canisters, urine bags, bedpans, and emesis basins and records intake and output.
• Provides general care such as positioning, lifting, or turning patients; assisting in use of bedpan, urinal, or commode.
• Performs EKG (requires special training).
• Assists in maintaining a safe environment, which may include checking equipment daily for proper function and reporting equipment that is out of order, appropriate handling of linen, and storing of supplies.
• Gathers equipment for O2 set up. Checks O2 for connection and proper placement.
• Orders patient care supplies and keeps patient care supplies stocked in proper amounts in rooms, carts, and other areas as appropriate.
• Checks for proper functioning of equipment at patient bedside.
• Sets up suction equipment and checks for proper function.
• Demonstrates knowledge and competency in providing for age-specific needs of the population served.
• Demonstrates ability to perform skills as assigned on the Nursing Assistant checklist.
• Employs all established infection control policies including standard precautions, transmission-based isolation precautions, OSHA standards, safety measures, and proper body mechanics in performance of job.
• Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards. Completes required education assignments annually. Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
• Performs defined safety protocols (i.e., double identification, various isolation procedures, equipment maintenance and cleaning, etc.).
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Patient Care - ER Specific

Functions as a specialized direct patient caregiver in the Emergency Department, performing tasks to assist nurses and providers.

• Enters and updates the ED tracking board promptly to communicate with staff.
• Assists in triage with vital signs.
• Completes all items/activities as assigned on “TECH CHECKLIST of DAILY ACTIVITIES” as applicable.

Sitter

Position Accountabilities and Performance Criteria:

• A patient sitter/companion is a trained person who remains with a patient throughout a designated period of time for the purpose of maintaining the patient’s safety. Safety concerns may include, but are not limited to; being restrained and trying to remove those restraints, history of falls or remains high risk for injury after other measures implemented, a patient who wanders or is a flight risk.

Environmental Services

Position Accountabilities and Performance Criteria:

• Performs cleaning functions in assigned areas following established schedules and using prescribed methods.
• Assists in cleaning of emergency spills observed or upon request.
• Performs daily check of assigned equipment for cleanliness and proper repair.
• Observes and reports the need for repairs to equipment, furnishings, buildings, and fixtures.
• Removes waste and soiled linens from work area. Places in specified containers or bags. Collects trash from utility rooms and other trash collection points and transports to compactor area. Cleans trash cans and relines with plastic bags upon request. Demonstrates proper handling of biohazardous wastes.
• Monitors levels of supplies and equipment. Notifies supervisor of need for additional supplies.
• Performs personal inspection of all tasks performed/areas assigned.

Transporter

Position Accountabilities and Performance Criteria:

• Transports patients to and from destinations. Accommodates varying degrees of complexity such as the use of oxygen, proper isolation precautions, CPR, lifting and transfer techniques, etc., along with the effective use of equipment such as wheelchairs, stretchers, and beds.

Qualifications

Minimum Education:

None specified; this is an internship for high school students 16 years of age or older who are enrolled in healthcare courses and intending to pursue a career in healthcare. Individuals remain eligible for the role until July 15th of the year of high school graduation. Those who are 17 at the time of graduation may remain in the role until their 18th birthday.

Minimum Experience:

Medical terminology a plus. Must be able to operate computer and possess excellent interpersonal skills. Must be able to read with comprehension, write legibly, and perform basic arithmetic computation. Must successfully complete Covenant’s orientation and Nursing Assistant in-house training program before being permitted to work with patients.

Licensure Requirement:

None