Patient Care Associate - Pediatric Epilepsy Monitoring; Emu - Nights

Patient Care Associate - Pediatric Epilepsy Monitoring (EMU) - Full Time Nights (11pm-7:30am)

HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MED CNTR, Hackensack, New Jersey Shift: Night (11pm-7:30am) Requisition #:
Status:
Full Time with Benefits

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better. At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives — and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It’s also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community.

Together, we keep getting better – advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change. The Patient Care Associate functions as a caregiver for a specific patient population to achieve desired outcomes. This position focuses on expanding knowledge and skills and provides effective direct and indirect care as part of the interdisciplinary team to a variety of complex patients.

Under the direction and supervision of the registered nurse, promotes patient satisfaction, comfort, and safety. Assists with a variety of patient, unit, and environment‑related tasks. Participates in patient safety initiatives. This role also serves as Unit Services Representative for this patient population. The Unit Services Representative acts as a welcome ambassador to facilitate and maintain positive guest relations with our patients, family members, visitors, and physicians by welcoming and explaining hospital and unit policies and procedures and addressing problems and concerns.

The Representative also performs clerical support for the unit and Nurse Manager. Assumes responsibility and accountability for patient care as a team member to achieve established departmental outcomes.

• Provide patient care, based on physical, psychosocial, education, safety, and related criteria that is appropriate to the age of the patients served in assigned service.
• Provides effective and safe patient outcomes through practice, judgment, and critical actions.
• Provides ongoing communication with patients, nurses, and other members of the health care team regarding patient status and care rendered.
• Takes self‑directed or self‑motivated initiative to ensure patient satisfaction.
• Participate in interdisciplinary collaboration of our patient's plan of care from admission to discharge to ensure safe transitioning and continuum of care.
• Participate in unit and departmental quality and safety initiatives and activities.
• Welcomes patients and checks for proper identification bracelets.
• Prepares patients for assessment/admission, physical examination, and procedures.
• Takes vital signs under the direction of the RN and documents electronically according to the medical center policy, reporting abnormal results immediately to the RN.
• Performs and documents glucose finger stick/heel stick and collects other specimens including stool, urine, and sputum when directed by the RN.
• Observes and documents patient intake and output.
• Provides hygiene and comfort care to patients including bathing, toileting/diapering, feeding, and bed making.
• Provides a safe patient environment by answering call lights/ phone calls from patients promptly, and communicating with the RN immediately for any changes in patient condition.
• Identifies delivering parent/significant other and infant accurately.
• Obtains and documents patient weight, height/length, and head circumference as appropriate to the patient population.
• Assists with preparation as necessary assuring the patient is assisted with meals or fed as needed.
• Downloads glucometer and TcB information per established policies.
• Demonstrates the knowledge and skill necessary to provide age‑appropriate care to patients and families.
• Recognizes and responds to opportunities to enhance patient satisfaction.
• Maintains BLS certification and initiates interventions in emergent situations.
• Assists with patient transport to and from the unit/department as needed.
• Acts as a patient sitter when needed.
• Assists patients and families with any non‑clinical questions, concerns, and/or…