Patient Care Assistant/Rehab Health Care Tech

Patient Care Assistant/Rehab Health Care Tech Days - Full Time Acute Inpatient Rehab

The Rehab Health Care Tech is an unlicensed staff member who is accountable to and completes delegated tasks from the RN in a caring and culturally sensitive manner, with excellent customer service at all times. Demonstrates competence in the areas of critical thinking, interpersonal relationships, and technical skills related to delegated tasks. Provides basic nursing skills, including but not limited to: vital signs and pulse oximetry; finger stick blood glucose; ADL's; recording intake and output; collecting urine, stool, sputum specimens; apply/remove compression hose; SCDs etc.; emptying drains, urinary catheters, NG tubes, and ostomies; additional skills to meet unit needs. Documents in O2 all tasks, I&O, percentage of meals eaten, etc. Maintains a neat, clutter-free and clean patient room and work environment. Maintains a safe patient environment to include High Fall Risk interventions as appropriate for high fall risk patients. This can include but not limited to: hourly rounds; answering call lights in person, promptly for all patients on the unit. Demonstrates proper hand hygiene, standard precautions, and isolation principles. They care for the patient in restraints; including ROM and fluids/toileting; reorienting confused patients; reinforcement of patient/family education regarding fall and safety precautions. Promptly notifies the RN of change in vital signs from baseline or expected result, change in mental status or condition, any breakdown in skin integrity or redness of skin, patient report of pain, any other patient needs, concerns, or issues. Provides specialized rehab patient care. This can include but not limited to dysphagia management and reinforcing patient swallowing techniques, monitoring, and assisting patients in meal group, participation in completion of delegated tasks necessary for rehab specific bowel and bladder protocols, and working with specialized rehab specific equipment (i.e., tilt in space shower commodes). Must complete other duties as assigned.

Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions

• Provides basic nursing skills, including but not limited to: vital signs and pulse oximetry; finger stick blood glucose; ADL's; recording intake and output; collecting urine, stool, sputum specimens; applying/removing compression hose; SCDs etc.; emptying drains, urinary catheters, NG tubes, and ostomies. Additional skills to meet unit needs.
• Documents in O2 all tasks, I&O, percentage of meals eaten, etc.
• Maintains a neat, clutter-free and clean patient room and work environment.
• Maintains a safe patient environment to include High Fall Risk interventions as appropriate for high fall risk patients. This can include but is not limited to hourly rounds, answering call lights in person, promptly for all patients on the unit.
• Demonstrates proper hand hygiene, standard precautions, and isolation principles.
• Cares for the patient in restraints, including ROM and fluids/toileting; reorienting confused patients; reinforcement of patient/family education regarding fall and safety precautions.
• Promptly notifies the RN of change in vital signs from baseline or expected result, change in mental status or condition, any breakdown in skin integrity or redness of skin, patient report of pain, and any other patient needs, concerns, or issues.
• Stocks supplies and cleans/maintains rehab specific equipment.
• Attends meal group and assists patients with dysphagia swallow strategies and required supervision.
• Performs complex patient transfers safely and competently i.e., squat pivot, sliding board, hemi transfer techniques, stand pivot, and uses multiple safe patient handling lifts and other equipment.
• Works with multiple types of unique specialized equipment necessary for the care of the rehab patient. i.e., tilt and space shower commode wheelchairs, etc. Cleans equipment and maintains order in storing unused equipment.
• Assists with bowel and bladder protocols specific to the rehab patient population. i.e., completion of bladder scans, time toileting, and fluid intake management as delegated by the nurse.
• Rehab Health Care Techs have specialized training in dysphagia management, patient transfer techniques, use of bowel and bladder protocols.
• Must be able to perform the professional, clinical, and or technical competencies of the assigned unit or department.
• These statements are intended to describe the essential functions of the job and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities. Skills and duties may vary dependent upon your department or unit. Other duties may be assigned as required.

Required Education and Experience

• High School Graduate

Required Licensure and Certification

• Basic Life Support Heartsaver (BLS HS) (Non-Clinical) - American Heart Association (AHA)
• Certified Nurse Aide / Assistant (CNA) - State Department for Aging and Disability Services (Health Occupations Credentialing) OR
• Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) - American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) OR
• Documentation of Fundamentals of Nursing Course verifying required basic skills (required at time of hire) OR
• Minimum of 18 months in a specialty tech position OR
• Completion of the Gold Standard Intern Program/Acute Care School with University of Kansas Health System

We are an equal employment opportunity employer without regard to a person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and sexual orientation), national origin, ancestry, age (40 or older), disability, veteran status or genetic information.