Nursing Assistant - Surgical Intensive Care Unit

When you join the growing BILH team, you're not just taking a job, you’re making a difference in people’s lives.

Job Description:

36 Hours Days - Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU)

Position Summary:  Reporting to the nurse manager, with duties under supervision of a Registered Nurse, provides administrative, clerical, and patient care support to inpatient nursing units and performs basic patient care activities in providing for the personal needs, comfort and safety of patients.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities including but not limited to:

Support Services

• Demonstrates professional working relationships with colleagues from all disciplines to promote a positive/encouraging workplace.
• Communicates effectively to optimize team functioning and enhance team productivity.
• Responds to queries from physicians, nursing staff, and visitors taking care not disclose confidential patient information to unauthorized individuals.
• Files all documents in the patient’s chart (i.e. health care proxy, consents).
• Answers telephones, following Lahey’s established greeting; takes and transmits messages to unit staff.
• Interacts with patients and families in a compassionate and humanistic manner, demonstrating empathy, sensitivity, and patience.
• Coordinates processes associated with admissions, discharges and transfers in a timely and accurate manner; while promoting optimal patient flow throughout the continuum of care.
• Updates the patient accommodation code in the electronic health record.
• Faxes necessary discharge paperwork to appropriate facilities.
• Ensures that unit environments meet regulatory requirements at all times (no cardboard on floor, appropriate sprinkler clearance, safe passages, etc.) by completing daily unit walk through.
• Organizes the work area to promote efficiency and optimize workflow.  
• Inventories nursing unit’s office supplies and orders new supplies as needed to maintain standard inventory levels.
• Orders supplies from Central Supply/Purchasing/other departments as needed or requested in collaboration with Nurse Manager/Clinical Nurse Leader.
• Stores supplies ensuring that areas are neat and organized.
• Initiates and tracks work requests for improvements and repairs on assigned units.
• Collects, submits, and analyzes data for audits as requested.
• Serves as a resource for the team related to computer operations and office equipment in conjunction with the Information Systems Help Desk.
• Accountable to understand how to operate in downtime.
• Assign iPhones to staff at start of each shift.
• Update census display board with assigned RNs and iPhone numbers at the start of each shift and as changes occur.   

Direct Patient Care

• Takes and enters into the electronic medical record as directed temperatures, EKG, bladder scans, blood sugar readings, patient weights. Uses mobile and ceiling lifts as directed. Applies bedside cardiac monitor and discontinues telemetry leads upon direction by the RN. Reports all unusual observations or reactions of the patient to the nurse assigned to the patient or charge nurse.
• Collects various specimens for analysis, including urine and stool specimens. May perform point of care fecal occult and point of care blood glucose testing and document results in the electronic medical record upon completion of the competency. Assists patients in the use of urinal, urine hats, bedpans and commodes. Measures and records intake and output.
• Provides patients with personal care by giving complete or partial bed baths, oral and denture care, combing and hair care, giving nail care without trimming or cutting nails or cuticles, giving back rubs or perineal care. May perform preventative skin care and may apply, as delegated by RN, skin care products to help reduce the development of decubitus. Assists with ambulation of patient and use of patient assistive devices. Turn and position patients. Complete range of motion on patient. Makes occupied and unoccupied beds, using proper patient positioning and body alignment. For patient NOT on anticoagulation therapy, may shave with a safety or electronic razor.
• Performs basic clinical procedures independently or under the direct supervision of a nurse by: changing simple dressings, performing EKGs, setting up oxygen equipment, applying and re-applying oxygen nasal cannula and face mask following assessment by RNs, assisting patient with coughing and deep breathing, using incentive spirometer, applying hot and cold compresses as directed by RN. Applies elastic stocking/compression boots. Additional activities may be done dependent upon area of work. Set up patient room (suction canisters, cables for cardiac monitoring, tubing for chest tubes). Set up hemodynamic monitoring when working in specific units. Assist in performing postmortem care. The following procedures can be completed by the nursing associate once competency training is completed: bladder scan, point of care blood glucose testing, point of care fecal occult blood testing, use of tonsil tip for oral suctioning.
• Provides for patient’s nutritional needs including ordering meals and setting up meal trays. Feeds patients as required, particularly attending to the needs of patients on special diets or those on special swallowing/aspiration precautions. May assist with nasogastric tube care, maintaining external cleanliness of tubes. Measures and records food and fluid intake and output in EMR.
• Supports a culture of safety and carries out safety interventions for all patients. Under the direction of the RN, participates in patient safety rounds and performs basic and high risk interventions as outlined in the Falls Risk Policy. Provides for patient safety, which includes but is not limited to: use of side rails, bed/chair alarm, patient observational rounds, toileting, and restraints as outlined in the Fall and Restraint policies.
• Functions as patient safety attendant after completion of required competency.
• Adheres to all applicable infection control policies and procedures, including hand hygiene, isolation protocol, and cleaning of patient care devices and equipment.
• Follows department procedures related to access to non-controlled medications, such as IV solutions and vaccines, when granted access to these medications as part of the job functions.
• Assists with the orientation of new Nurse Associates.

Organizational Requirements:

• Maintains strict adherence to the Lahey Clinic Confidentiality policy.
• Incorporates LHMC Standards of Behavior, Mission Statement and Goals into daily activities.
• Complies with all Lahey Clinic Hospital and Medical Center (LCHM).
• Complies with behavioral expectations of the department and LCHM.
• Maintains courteous and effective interactions with colleagues and patients.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the job description, performance expectations, and competency assessment.
• Demonstrates a commitment toward meeting and exceeding the needs of our customers and consistently adheres to Customer Service standards.
• Participates in departmental and/or interdepartmental quality improvement activities.
• Participates in and successfully completes Mandatory Education.
• Performs all other duties as needed or directed to meet the needs of the department. 

Minimum Qualifications:

Education:  Requires a high school diploma or equivalent

Licensure, Certification, Registration:  None required

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities:  Excellent customer service, interpersonal, and organizational skills. Requires knowledge of medical terminology and basic personal computer skills. Knowledge of competencies required to care for patients of all age populations and proper use of nursing supplies. Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing. Basic ability to read, write and perform basic four function math as demonstrated by successfully passing a written examination.

Experience:    None

Pay Range:

The pay range listed for this position is the base hourly wage range the organization reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for this position at this time. Actual compensation is determined based on several factors, that may include seniority, education, training, relevant experience, relevant certifications, geography of work location, job responsibilities, or other applicable factors permissible by law.  Compensation may exceed the base hourly rate depending on shift differentials, call pay, premium pay, overtime pay, and other additional pay practices, as applicable to the position and in accordance with the law.

As a health care organization, we have a responsibility to do everything in our power to care for and protect our patients, our colleagues and our communities. Beth Israel Lahey Health requires that all staff be vaccinated against influenza (flu) as a condition of employment.

More than 35,000 people working together. Nurses, doctors, technicians, therapists, researchers, teachers and more, making a difference in patients' lives. Your skill and compassion can make us even stronger.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled