Nursing Assistant

Nursing Assistant

The Nursing Assistant performs various patient care activities and related nonprofessional services necessary in caring for the personal needs and comfort of patients. The Nursing Assistant assists with patient cleaning, feeding, and preparation for treatment, takes and records vital signs, changes bed linen, prepares treatment trays and other supplies, and assists nursing service personnel with a variety of other patient care duties. Relies on established guidelines to accomplish tasks. Works under close supervision. Performs patient phlebotomy following department and facility policies and procedures. Successfully obtains phlebotomy specimens with minimal discomfort to the patient.

Responsibilities

Patient Care:

• Assists in preparing unit and patient room and bed in an effort to ensure that patients are adequately and properly accommodated during their hospital stay. Assists and accompanies patients during admission, transfer, and discharge procedures in a manner that demonstrates compassion and understanding for each patient.
• Takes and records patient temperature, pulse, respiration, weight, height, blood pressure, and intake-output measurement as directed by appropriate personnel in a caring and efficient manner and documents information in CIS. Performs and records EKGs for patients being triaged and receiving care. Expediently reports any unusual incidents or observed changes in patient condition or behavior to appropriate personnel.
• Assists patients with daily living activities (e.g., bed bath, oral hygiene, shaving, dressing, back rubs, linen freshening), and provides general care (e.g., positioning patients, pre- and post-operative care, assisting with bed pan use) in a manner that demonstrates compassion and understanding for all patients.
• Prepares patients for meals, serves food, and feeds patients when needed in a manner that demonstrates compassion and respect for patient needs.
• Transports patients to and from designated areas of the hospital in a caring, considerate, expedient, and professional manner. Ensures that patients have identification bracelets before transportation and demonstrates compassion and respect in all contacts with patients, family members, and fellow employees.
• Retrieves medications from the pneumatic tube system and/or pharmacy and delivers the medications to the nurse and/or place medications in a secure location as determined by the nurse manager.
• Performs patient phlebotomy following department and facility policies and procedures. Successfully obtains phlebotomy specimens with minimal discomfort to the patient.

Quality:

• Expediently answers patient call lights, assists patients with personal hygiene and other activities of daily living (e.g., dressing, ambulation) in a caring and understanding manner, and efficiently maintains an attractive, comfortable, and safe environment for patients with special consideration to room cleanliness, ventilation, lighting, and patient safety.
• Maintains a safe, comfortable, and therapeutic health care environment by cleaning rooms and equipment, preparing for sterilization and disinfection, promptly reporting damaged equipment and other problems to appropriate personnel, and efficiently and properly handling linen and supplies.
• Provides input for end of shift reports and CIS documentation and participates in unit quality assurance programs in an effort to enhance the quality and efficiency of unit services.
• Utilizes all equipment, supplies, facilities, and resources in a prudent and efficient manner in order to ensure efficient departmental operations and the provision of high-quality health care services.
• Strives to promote the quality and efficiency of his/her own performance through participation in staff educational programs, approved continuing education courses, and specialized skill training programs.

Collaboration & Partnership:

• Assists physicians with examination, treatments, and special tests and procedures as directed by a Registered Nurse. Collects patient specimens in a caring manner and expediently transports specimens to the lab when necessary. Assists with patient rehabilitation under the supervision of a Registered Nurse and in accordance with the patient's care plan in an efficient and professional manner.
• Runs inter-departmental errands (e.g., transporting lab specimens, picking up patient medications from pharmacy) for nursing personnel in an expedient and professional manner.

Other Duties as Assigned:

• Performs other duties as assigned or requested are completed.
• Accurately and appropriately receives, places, and transfers phone calls, and records and communicates messages; efficiently and accurately uses phones, intercoms, and computer.

Qualifications

High School Diploma, Good Communication and Customer Service Skills, BLS certification required.

About Us

FMOL Health is a leading health care innovator in Louisiana and Mississippi. We bring together outstanding clinicians, the most advanced technology and leading research to ensure that our patients receive the highest quality and safest care possible. This commitment is grounded in a history that is more than 100 years old, but reflected today by our strategic vision of transforming healthcare through superior performance and excellent patient care. In the last fiscal year, FMOL Health had:

• 1,747 Licensed Beds
• 65,322 Discharges
• 44,592 OR Procedures
• 10,827 Full Time Employees
• 331,360 Inpatient Days
• 1,915 Active Medical Staff
• 229,296 Emergency Visits

As a nonprofit, mission-focused Catholic healthcare ministry, we give special attention to our citizens who are most in need. During the most recent fiscal year, we provided more than $39 million in unreimbursed care and community support to the underprivileged. Our health system is one of the largest in Louisiana, with hospitals, clinics and physicians located throughout Louisiana and in Mississippi. In fact, we provide care to almost half of Louisiana's citizens, and serve in Mississippi's largest metropolitan area. Because of our size and the partnerships we have with other local organizations, we are able to pool our resources and share cost and service efficiencies and learn from each other, thereby accelerating our ability to improve care and solve challenges. Since our founding in Monroe, Louisiana in 1911, we have been blessed by the guidance of the Franciscan Sisters. Through their guidance and steadfast example, we have committed to assure that we perpetuate their healing ministry for another hundred years. It is a noble purpose we strive to fulfill every day. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, we serve patients across Louisiana and Mississippi through a network of hospitals, clinics, physicians, elderly housing and integrated information system. Our health system has partnered with the State of Louisiana as it transforms its healthcare delivery system. The partnership includes inpatient acute care and primary care delivery in Baton Rouge and Bogalusa. Following in the footsteps of our founders, the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady, our team members and physicians are called to provide high quality care and compassion to all people, especially those most in need.

As we look to the future of our healthcare ministry, we chart our course by "going where we are called."