PATIENT CARE ASSISTANT

Covenant Health; Crossville (AL); On-site; USD 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

None

Job summary

Cumberland Medical Center, part of Covenant Health, seeks a Patient Care Assistant for the Surgical Unit to provide hands-on care to a group of patients under RN supervision. This full-time role supports ADLs, monitors vital signs, and assists with mobility in a hospital setting.

The position emphasizes infection control, patient safety, and teamwork, with responsibilities including documentation and responding to patient needs. Orientation and CNA training are required, CPR preferred.

Qualifications

• Must complete Covenant orientation and Nursing Assistant in-house training.
• TN Nursing Assistant certification preferred; CPR required.
• High school diploma or GED preferred.

Responsibilities

• Take and record vital signs and intake-output measurements.
• Assist with ADLs and mobility, ambulation, and hygiene.
• Provide patient care and respond to call lights promptly.
• Maintain infection control and safe patient environment.
• Perform phlebotomy and EKG with proper training.
• Document patient records and report changes to RN.

Skills

Patient care

Vital signs

Mobility assistance

Infection control

Education

Nursing Assistant training program

High School diploma or GED

Tools

EKG equipment handling

Oxygen setup equipment

Job description

Overview

Patient Care Assistant, Medic Surgical Unit

Full Time, 72 Hours Per Pay Period, Day Shift

Cumberland Medical Center Overview:

Cumberland Medical Center in Crossville, Tennessee is part of Covenant Health, East Tennessee’s largest nonprofit health system and a Becker’s “Top 150 Places to Work in Healthcare.” Fully accredited by the Joint Commission, Cumberland Medical Center is an acute care hospital offering all private patient rooms as well as comprehensive care including cardiology, orthopedics, maternity, cancer treatment, and wound care. The hospital features emergency and critical care, surgical suites, and specialized programs such as imaging, cardiac rehab, sleep disorder care, and hyperbaric medicine, all in a family-oriented environment focused on exceptional patient care.

Position Summary:

Functions as a direct patient caregiver performing tasks to assist registered nurses. Performs hands-on care, assistance with ADL’s and specified technical tasks for a group of patients under the supervision of the Team Leader. May also function as a sitter for patients in need of full-time supervision in the hospital.

Responsibilities

• Take and record temperature, pulse, respiration rates, blood pressures, weights, heights, and intake-output measurements.
• Encourage patients to turn, cough, and take deep breaths and to use incentive spirometry as specified by Plan of Care.
• Ambulate, and assist patients in and out of bed, into wheelchairs and transport when necessary.
• Attends to nutritional needs of patient which may include distributing meal trays, feeding, filling and passing out water pitchers,
• 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.
• Empty drains, canisters, urine bags, bedpans and emesis basins and record intake and output.
• Assists in maintaining a safe environment, which may include reporting equipment that is out of order, appropriate handling of linen and storing of supplies.
• Provides general care such as positioning, lifting or turning patients; assisting in use of bedpan, urinal or commode; preoperative supportive care; and application/removal of abdominal binders or anti-embolism stockings and sequential compression devices.
• Empty & clean ostomy bag, per procedure.
• Collect urine, stool and sputum specimen as ordered.
• Perform tasks such as ROM, assist with ambulatory devices as specified by the patients' plan of care.
• Perform phlebotomy (requires additional training). To include correct labeling using two patient identifiers, maintenance of lab-draw supplies, rotating and restocking.
• Perform EKG (requires special training).
• Promptly answer patient call lights and respond to patient requests.
• Report significant changes in patients' condition to RN.
• Help to maintain clean and orderly patient and work environment.
• Employ all established infection control policies including standard precautions, transmission-based isolation precautions, OSHA standards, safety measures and proper body mechanics in performance of job.
• Document/maintain patient record as appropriate.
• Gathers equipment for O2 set up. Checks O2 for connection and proper placement.
• Checks for proper functioning of equipment at patient bedside
• Ambulate patients with oxygen.
• Set up suction equipment and check for proper function.
• Demonstrates knowledge and competency in providing for age-specific needs of the population served.
• Demonstrates ability to perform skills on the Nursing Assistant checklist.
• 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.
• Must be trained and willing to function in a Sitter capacity for patients who need full-time supervision in the hospital.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Education:

None specified; will accept any combination of formal education and/or prior work experience sufficient to demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skill and ability needed to perform the essential tasks of the job, typically such as would be equivalent to a high school diploma or GED. Preference may be given to individuals possessing a HS diploma or GED.

Minimum Experience:

Must successfully complete Covenant’s orientation and Nursing Assistant in-house training program before being permitted to work with patients.

Licensure Requirement:

Nursing Assistant certification from state of Tennessee preferred. CPR required.