Nurse Attendant

Job Description

Under direction and supervision of a Registered Nurse, assists patients with activities of daily living, provides basic nursing care, and assists in maintenance of a safe and clean environment.

• Functions as a co‑worker to the nurse and a key member of the nursing care team:
  • Organizes patient care assignment and sets priorities.
  • Alerts RN co‑worker to changes in patient status including comfort, skin integrity, breathing pattern, etc.
  • Documents patient care and patient status changes on the appropriate chart forms.
  • Communicates routine information to RN periodically during shift, e.g., intake and output.
• Assists RN in providing ADL needs of patients:
  • Prepares patients for meals and feeds or assists with meals.
  • Provides between‑meal nourishment and fresh water to patients.
  • Bathes or assists patient to bathe and provides oral hygiene.
  • Toilets patients as necessary.
  • Maintains patient’s mobility with range‑of‑motion exercises and ambulation.
  • Grooms patient, including shaving, as needed.
  • Participates with the RN in the development of a plan of care for assigned patient.
  • Utilizes a plan of care in carrying out patient assignments.
• Maintains patient care units in a neat and orderly condition:
  • Changes and makes beds.
  • Cleans and straightens bedside tables and over‑bed tables as needed.
  • Strips patient units upon discharge of patient, in preparation for cleaning by Housekeeping Department.
  • Removes equipment from room, cleans and places it in the appropriate area.
  • Prepares room for new admissions, transfers and post‑operative patients.
• Assists Registered Nurse by performing selected procedures and simple treatments:
  • Takes and records temperature, pulse, respiration rate and blood pressure on admission and as assigned.
  • Measures and records fluid intake and output; totals at shift end.
  • Obtains specimens such as urine, stool and sputum.
  • Administers enemas as directed.
  • Weighs and records patient weight on admission and as indicated.
  • Shaves patients as instructed in preparation for procedures.
  • Performs simple procedures utilizing aseptic technique (e.g., applying and changing simple dressings).
  • Performs simple respiratory treatments such as suctioning as required.
• Performs a variety of related duties:
  • Assists patients in and out of bed, ambulates patients, lifts, turns and positions patients.
  • Assists with serving meals, positions patient, cleans over‑bed table, and helps distribute and collect trays.
  • Transports and accompanies patients to various departments as directed.
  • Reports missing or damaged equipment to Unit Service Coordinator.
  • Maintains non‑patient rooms (e.g., utility rooms, linen rooms, kitchens) in a neat and orderly condition.
  • Maintains cleanliness of patient care equipment.
  • Performs constant observation on selected patients as assigned.
  • Follows medical Center’s policies and procedures to support QA/QI efforts in patient care and services.
  • Performs post‑mortem care and transports body to morgue.
• Participates in Nursing's continuing education policy:
  • Attends nursing attendant course during orientation program.
  • Participates and completes annual mandatory educational requirements.
  • Attends nursing attendant staff development programs offered throughout the year.
• Performs related duties as required.

• High School Diploma or equivalent, required.
• Completion of Nurse Assistant course or equivalent required.
• Prior experience as a Nursing Attendant or equivalent required.
• NYS Nurse Attendant certification, preferred.
• Ability to communicate effectively and follow written and/or oral instructions.
• Ability to work in diversified settings.
• Ability to lift, turn, position patients as required.

The salary range and/or hourly rate listed is a good faith determination of potential base compensation that may be offered to a successful applicant for this position at the time of this job advertisement and may be modified in the future. When determining a team member’s base salary and/or rate, several factors may be considered as applicable (e.g., location, specialty, service line, years of relevant experience, education, credentials, negotiated contracts, budget and internal equity).