Nurse Assistant - Geriatric Psychiatry

Department: Geripsych
Daily Work Times: 7p-730a
Shift: Midnights
Scheduled Bi-Weekly Hours: 72 hours

Benefits: 
•    403(b) 
•    Dental insurance 
•    Health insurance 
•    Paid time off 
•    Vision insurance 

Position Summary:

Under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse, contributes to the delivery of patient-centered care through: Performance of selected day-to-day patient care activities.  Maintenance of an environment that is functionally and aesthetically conducive to patient well-being.  Demonstrates unit/area-designated competencies.  Interacts with patients considering their developmental, age-specific, and cultural spiritual preferences.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Always introduce self and explains care role.
• Receives report from appropriate RN.  Performs specific patient care interventions as delegated by the RN in an effort to identify/attain treatment goals.
• Assists in establishing and maintains a patient care environment that is clean, safe, and conducive to patient/family well being.
• Prepare patient room for arrival, assists in transfers and or discharge of patients.
• Orients patient/family/visitors to patient room, unit, waiting area and facilities.
• Assists patient/family in the use of facility equipment (telephone, lights, television).
• Makes occupied and unoccupied beds and collects and disposes of soiled linen.
• Answers call lights and telephones.  Exemplifies the highest levels of customer service standards when performing these tasks.
• Performs safety checks and observes hospital safety guidelines, documents as required.
• Perform competency routine oxygen therapy, pulse oximetry.
• Follows and adheres to all policies and procedures including infection control (use of body substance isolation and use of personal protective equipment when in contact with body fluids and other isolation status as ordered).
• Assists patient with menu selection or assists patient care partner in doing so.
• Distributes nourishments and orders late trays.
• Assists patient and care partner with ADL’s including bathing, showering, toileting, feeding, positioning, turning, transferring, and ambulating.
• Records/calculates intake output observations, and care intervention in designated areas of the record or on appropriate forms.
• Performs all activities related to routine capillary blood glucose monitoring.
• Applies support/orthopedic devices such as TED hose and SCD’s.
• Participates in efforts to maintain and monitor patient safety through the appropriate  application and use of safety devices and safety interventions as directed by the RN.
• Checks/restocks unit’s routine and emergency equipment/supplies. 
• Collects/sends/takes labeled specimens to the lab. 
• May discontinue peripheral intravenous lines as directed by RN
• Obtains routine vital signs and temperature and documents in appropriate area or the EMR (electronic medical record).
• Assists the patient with coughing, deep breathing, use of incentive spirometer, suctions patient orally.
• Applies warm/cold therapies (heating pads, ice packs, and warm soaks) as directed by RN.
• Administers enemas and documents in the appropriate area of the EMR as designated by the RN.
• Places patients on monitors/telemetry and maintains lead placement as directed by RN.
• Assist in preparing the body following death.
• Seeks out Registered Nurse for additional assignments.
• Documents patient care rendered.
• Answers phone and communicates messages.
• Seeks ongoing learning experiences by attending appropriate in-services, continuing education and mandatory programs.  Participates in quality management and process improvement activities and staff meetings as delegated the RN, Clinical Manager and/or unit Director.
• Performs other related job duties as requested.

Behavioral Expectations

• Maintains good rapport and cooperative relationships.  Approaches conflict in a constructive manner.  Helps to identify problems, offer solutions, and participates in their resolution.  Ability to communicate effectively within a team and interact with internal and external customers.  Must maintain high level of confidentiality and ability to prioritize multiple tasks/activities.  Must be able to problem solve related  to performing job duties.  Organizational skills required and ability to concentrate while being subjected to multiple interruptions and changing work priorities. 
• Able to thrive in a fast-paced work environment under stress in an emergency situation.
• Maintains the confidentiality of information acquired pertaining to patient, physicians and visitors. 
• Assumes responsibility for performance of job duties in the safest possible manner to assure personal safety and that of coworkers, and to report all preventable hazards and unsafe practices immediately to management.
• Interacts with patients and performs skills and tasks for patients in relation to their development age, maturity level, cultural and spiritual preference.
• Demonstrates cost effectiveness through prudent use of human and material resources.
• Participates in activities that facilitate efficient and effective patient family centered care operations.