Patient Care Associate

Cooley Dickinson Hospital, 30 Locust St, Northampton, Massachusetts, United States of America

Under the direction of a registered/licensed nurse (RN), the Patient Care Associate (PCA), as a member of the interdisciplinary health care team, assists in clinical support functions to promote a safe, compassionate patient care environment.

• Assists with meeting direct patient care needs
• Consistently foster a healing environment with respect and kindness, demonstratin g respect for all individuals with sensitivity to cultural diversity.
• Contributes to the plan of care through ongoing communication with the RN
• Assists with patient data and specimen collection
• Assists with equipment preparation and set up
• Completes hourly patient care rounds, anticipating patient needs proactively
• Maintains patient and family privacy and confidentiality
• Responds to patient and family requests, including answering patient call lights promptly
• Seeks registered nurse assistance to meet patient/family needs when necessary.
• Communicates respectfully with all members of the interdisciplinary team
• Monitors patient and environment for safety concerns and immediately reports changes to RN/licensed nurse
• Maintains a safe and clean patient care environment
• Follows Infection Prevention Practices:
• Demonstrate proper hand washing 100% of the time.
• Utilizes two patient identifiers for appropriate patient identification before all specimen collections
• Follows Safe Patient Handling principles to maintain safety for both patients and staff
• Documents aspects of care on approved forms or electronic medical record
• Participates as a member of the Interdisciplinary team to meet patient/family and unit/department needs
• Proactively assists others
• Performs delegated responsibilities and demonstrates a willingness to adapt to changing unit demands
• Provides care appropriate to the age group of patients on assigned unit(s) as described in the relevant unit profiles
• Completes annual required training
• Updates knowledge through periodic in-services
• Other duties as assigned
• Assists with activities of daily living (i.e., personal hygiene/grooming, bathing/showering, toileting, dressing, and functionality/mobility)
• Sets up food trays and assists patients with meals as indicated
• Performs preventative skincare
• Assists patients with positioning, turning, mobilization, ambulation, and passive and active range of motion per plan of care
• Adheres to standard precautions
• Adheres to hand hygiene guidelines
• Assists with the admission/discharge process
• Orients patients and families/visitors to surroundings
• Ensures safekeeping of patient valuables, including packing and storing
• Checks patients for  and notifies nurse if replacement is needed

• Utilizes two (2) patient identifiers for proper patient identification before all specimen collections
• Obtains and records vital signs, pulse oximetry, and non-invasive B/P and immediately report changes to RN/licensed nurse.
• Performs blood glucose testing

• Retrieves equipment from other areas
• Follows equipment management protocols on the assigned unit for patient benefit:
• Pulse oximeter and probe
• Suction canister-liner system
• Scales:
  Standing/Chair/Wheelchair
• Provides a Safe and Comfortable Patient/Family experience
• Adheres to service excellence standards during care provision with the respectful, courteous, culturally sensitive care
• Responds to call lights promptly and prioritizes call light response appropriately
• Participates in hourly rounding per unit protocol
• Provides constant observation for patients at risk for injury in person or virtually
• Uses principles of Safe Patient Handling

• Records intake of fluids and…