University of Southern California

Research university in Los Angeles, CA

Patient Care Assistant

Nursing & Frontline Patient CarePosted on Nov 9

Full-timeLos Angeles, CA, USA$22.88 - $38.90 /hrIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

High school education or equivalent.
At least one year of experience in a health care setting.
Ability to communicate effectively in English, verbally and in writing.
Certified Nursing Assistant certification from the California Department of Public Health.
Basic Life Support certification for Healthcare Providers from the American Heart Association.
Fire Life Safety Training for Los Angeles City; if not held upon hire, it must be obtained within 30 days and maintained through renewal before expiration.

Responsibilities

Provide nursing staff support in patient-care delivery, clerical functions, unit organization, and equipment setup and maintenance, with emphasis depending on the assigned unit.
Respond to patient calls within 10 minutes, anticipate patient needs, make proactive rounds, maintain positive interactions with patients and visitors, and provide nursing staff with relevant patient-assessment data.
Contribute input to patients’ plans of care and accurately implement interventions in collaboration with the registered nurse.
Perform patient-care skills according to routine procedures, physician orders, and registered nurse direction, including taking vital signs and daily weights, recording intake and output, providing hygiene care, maintaining organized patient rooms, assisting with meals and feeding, supporting ambulation and mobility, turning bed patients every two hours, and transferring patients between bed and chair.
Provide fresh water at the beginning and end of shifts and as needed, and prioritize patient needs appropriately.
Maintain a safe physical environment and safe operation of patient-care equipment; keep call lights and telephones within reach, remove fall hazards, and maintain clear access to bathrooms, mobility aids, and emergency equipment.
Document all care provided, including vital signs, intake and output, meal percentages, equipment used, and patient care.
Communicate presence before entering rooms or private areas, identify oneself to patients and visitors, explain the plan of care, and avoid inappropriate discussions about other patients or unit operations.
Use computerized systems to send messages, document care, and communicate patient and unit needs to other departments; follow departmental communication channels.
Report relevant information, significant changes in patient condition, patient or family concerns, and refusals of care to the registered nurse or charge nurse promptly.
Report patients’ inability to perform self-care and describe actions taken that were ineffective.
Collaborate with the registered nurse at the beginning of and throughout each shift regarding patient care and data collection.
Maintain continuous survey readiness, including keeping food and drink out of the nurses’ station, avoiding open containers in the patient pantry, keeping outside food out of the patient refrigerator, removing boxes and other items from the floor, keeping the staff refrigerator clean, keeping linens covered, keeping fire doors closed, and maintaining clean and tidy nurses’ stations, locker rooms, and pantries.
Maintain patient confidentiality and protect the confidentiality of patient records and other written information.
Perform other related duties as assigned.

The Patient Care Technician (PCT) provides nursing staff support in the areas of patient care delivery, clerical functions, and organization of the unit environment, as well as set-up and maintenance of equipment. The emphasis on each of these areas will depend on the unit assigned

Essential Duties:

Patient Satisfaction: • Responds to patient call within 10 minutes. • Anticipates pts needs • Proactively makes rounds to reduce patient calls • Maintains positive behaviors toward patients and visitors • Smiles and is pleasant during all interactions • Provides RN with necessary data related to patient assessment. • Contributes input into the patient’s plan of care and accurately implements interventions on the patient’s plan of care, in collaboration with the RN.
Performs essential skills which contribute to positive patient outcomes per routing, MD orders, and RN direction • Vitals • Daily weight • I & O • Hygiene: bath, peri-care, oral care, HS care, hair care • Maintains clear and organized patient rooms • Assist with meals/feeding • Ambulation/mobility; turn bed patients every 2 hours, transfers from bed to chair • Provides fresh water at beginning and end of shift and prn • Appropriately prioritizes patient needs
Safety: • Ensures safe physical environment and ensures safe operation of patient-care equipment • Call light/telephone with reach • Floors clear of fall hazards • Maintains uncluttered and easy access to bathroom, ambulation, and emergency equipment. • Commodes • Walkers • Shower chairs • IV poles • Beds • Tables/Chairs
Documentation • Documents all care provided, including vital signs, intake and output, meal percentages, equipment used, and patient care.
Communication: • Makes presence known before entering a room or private area • Identifies/introduces self to patient and visitors • Explains plan of care to the patient • Does not engage in inappropriate discussions regarding other patients and unit operations • Knows and utilizes all computerized systems to send messages, document care, and communicate patient/unit needs to various departments. • Knows and follows line of communication within the department. • Reports to RN/Charge Nurse pertinent information/significant change in patient condition/patient and family concerns and patient refusal of care in a timely manner. • Reports to RN/Charge Nurse patient’s inability to perform self-care and describes actions taken which were ineffective. • Actively collaborates with the RN at the beginning and throughout the shift regarding patient care and data collection.
Regulatory agency i.e.: • Ensures that the unit is in continuous survey readiness • No food/drink in nurses station • No open containers in patient pantry • No outside food in patient refrigerator • No boxes etc. or floor • Staff refrigerator kept clean • Linens covered at all times • Keep fire door closed • Maintain clean/tidy nurses station, locker room, pantry
Maintain patient confidentiality
Ensures confidentiality of patient records and other written information
Performs other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

Req High School or equivalent

Req 1 year in a health care setting

Req Ability to communicate effectively in English both verbally and in writing.

Preferred Qualifications:

Required Licenses/Certifications:

Req Certified Nursing Assistant (CA DPH)
Req Basic Life Support (BLS) Healthcare Provider from American Heart Association
Req Fire Life Safety Training (LA City) If no card upon hire, one must be obtained within 30 days of hire and maintained by renewal before expiration date. (Required within LA City only)

USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital delivers exceptional, personalized care in 14 key areas of cancer treatment:breast cancer, cancerous brain tumors, gastrointestinal cancer, genetic counseling, gynecologic cancers, head and neck cancers, hematology,lung cancer, melanoma, neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, sarcoma, skin cancer and urologic oncology. The 60-bed hospital is an integral part of our academic medical center. Using a multidisciplinary team approach, the world-renowned physicians and scientists of USC Norris treat and prevent cancer by developing new therapies, enhancing existing treatments and providing personalized, precision care that is the most advanced available. Join this world-class team providing highly specialized care, up-to-the-minute research, and innovative clinical trials.

The hourly rate range for this position is $22.88 - $38.90.
When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to theBackground Screening Policy Appendix Dfor specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying.

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at [email protected]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

If you are a current USC employee, please apply to this USC job posting in Workday by copying and pasting this link into your browser:

https://wd5.myworkday.com/usc/d/inst/1$9925/9925$156707.htmld

About the Company

University of Southern California

Research university in Los Angeles, CA

The University of Southern California is a private research university with academic programs across the arts, sciences, business, engineering, law, health, and other professional fields.

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