Job description

Salary is commensurate with experience.

Job Summary

Provides direct and indirect patient care under the direction of a registered nurse and/or physician. Provides personal care, comfort and assists with a safe, clean environment, and maintains equipment and supplies. Meets the communication needs of the patient/family, departmental staff, and medical staff. Prepares and compiles records on the patient care unit. Floats to different patient care units as necessary. Initiates directions from physicians and nursing staff. Participates in performance improvement activities. Maintains regulatory agency requirements, nursing, and hospital policies and procedures, and standards.

Demonstrates Competency in the Following Areas

• Provides general nursing care such as positioning patients, lifting and turning patients, transferring patients, and assisting patients with ambulation.
• Notifies appropriately licensed staff when the patient complains of pain.
• Performs all aspects of patient care in an environment that optimizes patient safety and reduces the likelihood of medical/health care errors.
• Supports and maintains a culture of safety and quality.
• Takes and records temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, weight and intake output, as well as other medical information.
• Obtains patient specimens; delivers specimens to the laboratory; retrieves x-ray films, etc.
• Performs dressing changes using an aseptic technique.
• Assists the registered nurse and/or physician with sterile procedures; ensures sterile supplies are available.
• Prepares patients for tests and surgery according to policies and procedures.
• Prepares patients for meals; serves and removes food trays and assists with meals or feeds patients if necessary.
• Distributes water pitchers and other nourishments to patients.
• Assists visitors and family members with patient care needs.
• Operates medical equipment.
• Answers patient’s calls and determines how to assist them.
• Demonstrates appropriate patient care centered courtesy and respect for others.

Regulatory Requirements:

• High School graduate or equivalent.
• Current Basic Cardiac Life Support Certification (BLS) at the time of hire date.
• May require certification as a Certified Nurse Aid (CNA) in the state of Texas, or have matriculated from the first semester of an accredited Registered Nursing program in Texas or a Compact state.