Department: Nursing
Reports To: Nursing Supervisor/Nursing Manager
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

SUMMARY
Assists professional nursing staff by performing routine duties in caring for hospitalized patients.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Works closely with nursing staff, medical staff, patients and their families.
• Performs routine treatment procedures as directed and have knowledge of setting up patient care equipment as appropriate.
• Assists Registered Nurse and/or Licensed Practical Nurse in complicated treatment procedures, as directed.
• Helps prepare unit, patient room(s), and patient bed(s) for receiving patient admission, returning surgical patient, transfer, or emergencies.
• Assists in and, as necessary, accompanies patient in the admission, transfer and discharge procedures.
• Under supervision, performs general care activities for patients with Standard Precaution or Isolation. Provides post-mortem care.
• Knowledgeable about standard precautions; and follows appropriate precautions as appropriate.
• Performs personal cares and assists with ADLs as appropriate for the patient.
• Assists with preoperative and postoperative care, such as positioning patient, lifting and turning patient with proper body mechanics, applying/utilizing special equipment as necessary, and ambulating the patient as directed.
• As directed, takes and records temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, O2 saturation, weight, height, (intake, output measurements, as applicable). Collects specimens and transports same to proper area, as requested.
• Performs close communication with team leader regarding patient status including updates on vital signs, activity, appetite. Reports to team leader, and where appropriate, records any changes observed in condition or behavior of patient. Accurately documents activities performed on chart.
• Prepares patients for meals, distributes food trays, assists or feeds patients as necessary, and removes trays. Distributes drinking water and other nourishments to patients.
• Makes rounds to assigned patients, anticipates patients' needs, and answers/responds to patient call lights or paging, whether that of assigned patient or not.
• Handles and cares for patient's clothing and other personal property (including prosthetic devices, hearing aids, dentures, glasses, contact lenses, etc.) from admission through discharge of the patient. Documents care of patient belongings.
• Transports patients to and from various areas, as necessary.
• Stocks nurse servers daily with established list of supplies that are needed to help the care team provide care to patients.
• Assists in checking expiration dates on supplies monthly, as directed and per process defined by unit.
• Assists in maintaining safety by reporting any medications not located in the medication bin in the nurse servers to the charge nurse. Refrains from performing any other tasks involved with medications.
• Assists in maintaining a safe and clean environment by reporting equipment that is out of order, reporting other problems to management, cleaning equipment as assigned, and preparing same for disinfection, and receiving supply stock on the unit.
• Attends departmental meetings and in-service education programs and meetings, as assigned, to learn new treatments, procedures, developmental skills, communication, etc. Participates in and supports committees and other activities which promote the growth and development of nursing and/or patient care.
• Knows and understands role in disaster plan, fire plan, Code Blue and Code Pink.
• Establishes and maintains interpersonal relationships with patients, visitors and other organization personnel, while assuring confidentiality of patient information. Supports the Patient Bill of Rights. Supports all organization policies.
• Supports the policies and procedures of the organization and the standards of the Joint Commission as required for full accreditation.
• Demonstrates compliance in following Standard Precautions for all aspects of patient care. Demonstrates organization values in daily work.
• Implements quality assurance standards and programs to assure compliance with standards of Joint Commission, as required for full accreditation.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
Completion of nursing assistant program at accredited school; previous experience preferable, but not essential. Workers receive on-the-job training under close supervision.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
Completion of nursing assistant training/course; BLS certification is required upon hire and renewed every 2 years.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally carry up to 20 pounds, pushing up to 200 pounds. Frequent lifting of up to 40-50 pounds, pulling of up to 40-50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Occasional noise, dusts, mists, violent behavior, contact with communicable diseases and unpleasant odors. Precautions should be taken when using oxygen with aerosol.

Welia Health is an equal-opportunity employer.