PCA Nursing Students

Job Summary:

Under the direction of a registered/licensed nurse (RN), the Patient Care Associate (PCA) as a member of the interdisciplinary health care team assists in clinical support functions to promote a safe, compassionate patient care environment.

Essential Functions:

• Assists with meeting direct patient care needs

• Consistently fosters a healing environment with respect and kindness demonstrating respect for all individuals with sensitivity to cultural diversity

• Contributes to the plan of care through ongoing communication with the RN

• Assists with patient data and specimen collection

• Assists with equipment preparation and set up

• Supports a Culture of Safety by providing a safe and comfortable patient/family experience where risks are reduced and/or eliminated, by performing the following:

• Completes hourly patient care rounds, anticipating patient needs proactively

• Maintains patient and family privacy and confidentiality

• Responds to patient and family requests, including answering patient call lights in a timely manner

• Seeks registered nurse assistance to meet patient/family needs when necessary.

• Communicates in a respectful manner with all members of the interdisciplinary team

• Monitors patient and environment for safety concerns and immediately reports changes to RN/licensed nurse

• Maintains a safe and clean patient care environment

• Follows Infection Prevention Practices

§ Proper hand washing demonstrated 100% of the time

§ Utilizes two patient identifiers for proper patient identification prior to all specimen collections

• Follows Safe Patient Handling principles to maintain safety for both patients and staff

• Documents aspects of care on approved forms or electronic medical record

• Participates as a member of the Interdisciplinary team to meet patient/family and unit/department needs

• Proactively provides assistance to others

• Performs delegated responsibilities and demonstrates willingness to adapt to changing unit demands

• Provides care appropriate to age group of patients on assigned unit(s) as described in the relevant unit profiles

• In collaboration with the Nursing Manager/Director and Clinical Nurse Specialist/Nursing Practice Specialist/Nursing Professional Development Specialist, identifies and meets learning needs, including:

• Completes annual required training

• Updates knowledge through periodic in-services

• Other duties as assigned

Direct Patient Care:

• Assists with activities of daily living (i.e. personal hygiene/grooming, bathing/showering, toileting, dressing, and functionality/mobility)

• Sets up food trays and assist patients with meals as indicated

• Performs preventative skin care

• Assists patients with positioning, turning, mobilization, ambulation, passive and active range of motion per plan of care

• Applies/removes pneumatic sequential compression sleeves

• Adheres to standard precautions

• Adheres to hand hygiene guidelines

• Assists with admission/discharge process

• Provides safe patient transportation

• Orients patients and families/visitors to surroundings

• Ensures safekeeping of patient valuables including packing and storing

• Checks patients for ID bands, and notifies nurse if replacement is needed

Patient Data and Specimen Collection:

• Utilizes 2 patient identifiers for proper patient identification prior to all specimen collections

• Obtains and records vital signs, pulse oximetry and non-invasive B/P and immediately reports changes to RN/licensed nurse

• Performs blood glucose testing

Equipment:

• Retrieves equipment from other areas

• Cleans equipment between patient use

• Follows equipment management protocols on assigned unit for patient use:

o Cardiac monitors

o Portable oxygen cylinder

o Nasal cannula/face mask

o Pulse oximeter and probe

o Suction canister-liner system

o Patient lifting equipment

o Scales: Standing/Chair/Wheelchair

• Provides a Safe and Comfortable Patient/Family experience

• Adheres to service excellence standards during care provision with respectful, courteous, culturally sensitive care

• Responds to call lights in a timely manner and prioritizes call light response appropriately

• Participates in hourly rounding per unit protocol

• Provides constant observation for patients at risk for injury in person or virtually

• Reapplies soft restraints/roll belt per unit protocol

• Uses principles of Safe Patient Handling

Documentation on Approved Forms and in Medical Record

• Records intake of fluids and food

• Records height and weight

• Records output of urine, stool, vomitus, and drain output

• Records vital signs, pulse oximetry and noninvasive BPs

• Records blood glucose results

Certification as a CNA, PCT, MA, EMT or commensurate experience required, unless incumbent is currently enrolled in, and successfully completes, the NWH Patient Care Associate Training Program, or is a nursing student who has completed her/his fundamentals of nursing with a clinical component (clinical rotation or simulation lab). For nursing students hired as PCAs, strongly prefer nursing students enrolled in BSN programs or direct-entry Masters' programs