SURGICAL CARE ASSISTANT at Westchester Medical Center – Poughkeepsie, New York

Assists with the delivery of patient care in accordance with established methods and procedures, under the supervision and guidance of the RN and Clinical Operations Manager and Director. Patient care includes care to patients in the following age groups: pediatric (infant to 12 years), adolescent (13 to 17 years), adult (18 to 64 years), and geriatric (over 64 years).

Responsibilities:

• Check Operating Rooms to ensure proper furniture/equipment for case, prepare the correct surgical bed with linens, retrieve missing equipment prior to and during procedures if needed, assist with placement and hook – up of OR equipment. Connect electrical equipment to outlets with guidance from surgical team and assist with moving equipment to sterile field as needed.
• Replaces empty nitrogen tanks (for drills), CO2 tanks on video towers, argon tanks on ABC and making sure that there are back-up tanks available.
• Check OR electrical beds prior to patient arrival, make sure the OR bed is locked, plugged in and charging in to the room and/or troubleshoot any issues.
• Help to transport patients to the OR from the nursing units; Same Day Surgery, Atrium and PACU.
• Assist surgical team with transferring patient to OR bed prior to the procedure, assisting surgical team with patient positioning and ensuring safety strap is available and applied. Post procedure, ensures stretcher or bed is available and assists with transfer of patient from OR bed.
• Understands and follows universal protocol and parameters of the sterile field and traffic flow of the OR.
• Assists circulating nurse as needed.
• Transports specimens and blood to lab/pathology as needed.
• Returns equipment and supplies to appropriate area. Keeps scrub sinks cleaned and stocked, stocks/re-stocks Operating Rooms before and after procedure. Keeps corridors surrounding the Operating Room clean and free of clutter. Ensures exits and fire extinguishers are not blocked.
• Reports and tags any equipment that is out of order and notifies supervisor, with the knowledge of procedure to place the equipment out of order. Reports any unusual situations, reactions or conditions to supervisor.
• Routinely performs necessary housekeeping independently within assigned area of department and Endoscopy.
• Assists with room turnover, cleans all flat surfaces including the bed in the OR, mop floors, removes linen and case carts, removes and delivers trash to appropriate area. Responsible for suction cleanup and set up.
• Assists with transport of patient to recovery area or nursing unit as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Gives thorough report to next shift regarding status of ongoing cases and rooms.
  • Day shift SCA will give a thorough report of their areas to the incoming Evening SCA
  • Evening SCA will give a thorough report to the Overnight SCA of all surgical areas (MAIN, Atrium)
• Participate in education and orientation of new SCA.
• Responsible for completion and or/ assignment of logs.

Experience:

• 1-3 years of housekeeping experience
• Preferred PCT experience

Education:

• High School Graduate or GED

Licenses / Certifications:

• Current BLS/CPR card

Other:

• Weekend Rotation
• On call
• Holidays