Patient Observation Assistant

Texas Children's Hospital; The Woodlands (TX); On-site; USD 25,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Texas Children’s Hospital in The Woodlands is seeking a full-time Patient Observation Assistant to safeguard patients at risk, under RN supervision. You will provide continuous observation, support safety plans, and maintain therapeutic boundaries while collaborating with the care team.

This role emphasizes family-centered care, de-escalation skills, and participation in ADLs as needed. A high school diploma is required; prior psychiatric/behavioral health exposure is preferred.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• BLS certification preferred.
• CNA certification preferred.
• 1 year experience in psychiatric inpatient or outpatient program preferred.
• Inpatient hospital experience or enrollment in a nursing program preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provides direct continual observation of patients requiring special precautions to ensure a safe environment during their hospital stay.
• Remains with the assigned patient at all times during their shift.
• Monitors for at-risk behavior and uses verbal de-escalation techniques to prevent escalation or violence.
• Assists the RN to create a safe environment for patients, visitors, and staff.
• Supports safety by promoting healthy coping and implementing behavior plans with the therapeutic team.
• Reports patient condition and responses to care to the RN to help achieve desired outcomes.
• Maintains communication with the health care team to enhance the plan of care and advocate for patients and families.
• Demonstrates understanding of behavioral health diagnoses and provides therapeutic direction and feedback to the patient.
• Documents observations in the medical record and informs appropriate team members of changes in patient status.
• Participates in activities of daily living as needed to reinforce safety during structured routines.

Education

HS Diploma or GED

BLS - Basic Life Support (American Heart Association)

CNA - Certified Nurse Assistant

1 year experience in psychiatric inpatient or outpatient program

Inpatient hospital experience or nursing program enrollment

Job description

Job Description

We’re looking for full time Patient Observation Assistant, someone who’s ready to grow with our company. In this position you will ensure the safety of patients at risk of harm to self or others, under the direction and supervision of the Registered Nurse (RN). Care will be delivered that incorporates Family Centered Care in a cost-effective manner and is developmental and age appropriate for the patient population.

Available shifts:

• Day Shift: 7:00 AM- 7:00 PM (3 shifts per week)
• Evening shift: 3:00 PM - 11:00 PM (5 shifts per week)
• Night Shift: 11:00 PM- 7:00 AM (5 shifts per week)

Think you’ve got what it takes?

Responsibilities

• Provides direct continual observation of patients requiring special precautions to ensure a safe environment during their hospital stay.
• Patient Observation Assistants (POA) are responsible for remaining with the assigned patient at all times during their assigned shift.
• Direct observation of the patient and monitoring for at-risk behavior.
• Assists the R.N. to provide an environment conducive to safety for patients, visitors and employees.
• Promotes healthy coping via verbal support, implementation of behavior plan by therapeutic team and management of the environment.
• Assists in identifying patient response to care provided and reports patient condition to the RN to assure achievement of desired outcomes.
• Ensures and participates in ongoing communication with other health care team members in order to enhance the patient’s plan of care, advocate for the patient/family, and facilitate unit operations.
• Uses knowledge of behavioral health diagnosis/issue to understand the presenting problem and provides therapeutic direction and feedback to the patient.
• Evaluates patient responses to interventions; documents observations in the patient’s medical record and communicates findings for appropriate team members.
• Responds during a psychiatric emergency using the least restrictive measures to ensure patient safety.
• Uses verbal de-escalation techniques to prevent escalation and violence.
• Maintains therapeutic boundaries.
• Participates in Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) as a means of reinforcing safety in structured routines.
• POAs will provide ADLs for patients who require observation for medical needs or alone patients.
• POAs will not provide ADLs for patients who require observation of behavioral health conditions.
• Monitors the environment for items that could be used as weapons to harm self or others.
• Use safe and effective oral feeding practices to ensure eating safety.
• Demonstrates willingness and ability to acquire new knowledge, demonstrates new skills needed to improve individual, team, and organizational performance.
• Demonstrates commitment to team, flexibility, professional interpersonal, communication, and customer service skills.
• As part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace, all successful candidates will be required to undergo respiratory fit testing in compliance with occupational health and safety standards.

Qualifications

• H.S. Diploma or GED required
• BLS - Cert-Basic Life Support by the American Heart Association preferred
• CNA - Certified Nurse Assistant preferred
• 1 year experience in a psychiatric inpatient or outpatient program, Psychiatric Residential placement programs or in therapeutic support services preferred
• Inpatient hospital experience or enrolled in an accredited Nursing education program preferred

About Us

Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands is north Houston’s first true, free-standing pediatric hospital designed, equipped and staffed exclusively to provide care in more than 25 areas of specialty care for children and adolescents. Hospital facilities include 24 emergency center rooms, outpatient exam rooms, radiology rooms, operating rooms and acute care beds, as well as a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

To join our community of 15,000+ dedicated team members, visit texaschildrenspeople.org for career opportunities.

Texas Children’s is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All applicants and employees are considered and evaluated for positions at Texas Children's without regard to mental or physical disability, race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, genetic information, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or any other protected Federal, State/Province or Local status unrelated to the performance of the work involved.