Clinical & Administrative Associate

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

Working under the direction of a nurse, this position contributes to the Hospital’s mission by providing both clinical and administrative assistance on the unit. The clinical assistance involves performing basic procedures necessary to provide for the care, comfort and safety of patients. The administrative support involves keeping the patient care team informed by maintaining accurate and timely electronic medical records and acting as the unit coordinator as it pertains to non-clinical issues. This dual role staff position will have an impact on quality of care and patient satisfaction by providing for their physical and emotional needs and on patient and family member satisfaction by fielding requests and information to the patient care team and family members, providing the administrative support to ensure expedient patient throughput and acting as a central resource of the patient medical record.

Job Description:

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education/Experience

Required:

• High School Diploma or G.E.D.
• Must have/be one of the following:
• Certified Nursing Assistant
• Nursing student with completion of one medical-surgical clinical rotation
• Three months clinical care experience
• Graduate of the Winchester Hospital’s Clinical Associate Training Program

Preferred:  At least one year of previous work experience in an administrative support role.

Other Skills/Knowledge:

Required:

• For safety and quality reasons, must be able to read, write and communicate effectively in English with patients, visitors and fellow members of the hospital team

• Basic computer knowledge.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS: 

Preferred: Certified Nursing Assistant

LIFE SUPPORT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED:  Basic Life Support

POPULATION SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS:  The population specific requirements differ based on the patients cared for on the unit:  

Neonate

Infant

Children

Adolescent (age 13 to 18)

Adult

Geriatric

A4

Intensive Care Unit

OTHER JOB REQUIREMENTS:

On-call:  N/A

Schedule requirements:  Based on department needs.  Holiday rotation is required.

Travel requirements:   Based on department needs.  May be asked to cover other units to meet business and patient needs.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS:

• Reports to the Nurse Manager. 
• Works under the direction of a nurse in the clinical role.
• Does not supervise others

Clinical Associate

• Provides quality and safe patient care under the direction of a nurse, utilizing compassion, empathy, and respect to collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team to achieve expected outcomes.

• Welcomes and orients patients, family members and significant others to the environment.
• Contributes to meeting the patient’s physical, emotional, cultural, and spiritual needs.
• Observes patients and reports findings and/or concerns to nurse in a timely manner.
• Demonstrates purposeful rounding and promptly responds to call lights to ensure patient safety and satisfaction.
• Performs required tasks including but not limited to:
  • Assisting with activities of daily living
  • Repositioning and ambulating patients
  • Making  an occupied and unoccupied bed
  • Assisting in transporting patients, beds, supplies and equipment
  • Collecting, labeling and transporting specimens
  • Retrieving and signing out blood products
  • Accurately performs point of care testing
  • Obtains vital signs and weights
  • Maintains accurate intake and output measurements
  • Removes Foley catheters and saline locks
  • EKGs
  • Maintains a clean and safe work environment to enhance patient satisfaction and a culture of safety.
  • Sets up/breaks down rooms, ensuring expedient turnaround time. 
  • Assists in post-mortem care in a respectful manner
  • Documents accurately, legibly and timely
  • Assists with procedures
• Appropriately follows the chain of command and adheres to hospital policies and procedures.
• Informs patients and family members throughout the patients’ experience.
• Communicates effectively with the healthcare team utilizing established handoff procedures.  Gives and accepts respectful feedback to enhance teamwork.
• Minimizes preventable harm events and consistently executes the infection control protocols.  Incorporates the Culture of Safety tools in daily practice, adhering to quality and safety guidelines and communicating near-miss or potential risks.
• Coordinates work schedule with departmental supervisor to provide coverage and maintain safe staffing levels.
• Maintains a clean and safe work environment to enhance patient satisfaction and a culture of safety.
• Maintains appropriate supplies at the bedside and on the unit, addressing inventory issues in a timely manner.
• Responds to equipment issues in a timely manner to ensure availability of equipment and to maximize its useful life.
• Functions effectively in patient crisis situations and utilizes emergency resources. 
• Assists in preparation of patient for transport to appropriate level of care.
• Maximizes patient throughput to minimize wait time.
• Adheres to the Magnet standards of professional development and clinical practice.

Administrative Associate

• Provides the administrative support for the unit and staff so the patient care team can concentrate on providing superior patient care.

• Answers the phone for the unit, answering questions, directing calls to other team members and/or taking messages and expediently passing on information.
• Greets patients, visitors, volunteers, clergy and interdisciplinary staff members.  Answers questions, signs forms and/or directs the individual or question as appropriate to ensure efficient unit flow and patient/family member satisfaction.
• Processes physician and other orders utilizing the electronic medical record and manual orders.  Monitors orders throughout shift and notifies nursing staff promptly of stat and other pertinent issues.  Questions unclear orders and seeks clarification from the nursing and medical staff.
• Receives admittance information.  Communicates expediently to the nursing staff to start the patient placement process and ensures the room is available for the patient.  Assembles a medical chart for the patient.
• Maintains accurate and complete medical charts for the patients, including the forms necessary for daily use.  Copies and faxes paperwork as necessary to expedite the patient care process among the hospital departments and outside sources if appropriate.
• Pages and contacts physicians for consults.  Schedules tests and other diagnostic services with other hospital departments and off-site providers.  Arranges ambulances and transport services.  Follows through on orders for medical equipment and other non-medication needs.
• Prepares the patient record for discharge.  Reviews the medical record and advises the nursing staff if forms are needed prior to discharge.  Disassembles medical chart according to Health Information Management Department standards.
• Prioritizes functions based on emergency situations.
• Completes administrative/secretarial tasks in support of the nurse manager and the department, which may include but is not limited to data entry, simple letter typing, simple spreadsheet creation, other typing needs, minute taking, and sorting and triaging mail.
• May follow up with staff on green sheets and other schedule issues, at the request of the Manager.
• At the request of the Manager, may call-in staff during staffing shortages.
• Answers the door bell and monitors people entering and leaving the unit.  Contacts security and unit leadership about concerns and follows proper safety protocols.
• Files and ensures the unit has an adequate supply of various required forms.
• Maintain an adequate inventory of non-medical supplies for the unit.  Oversees the office equipment and addresses equipment problems timely to maximize the unit’s efficiency.

DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC JOB FUNCTIONS 

The functions performed in the various nursing units may differ depending on the patient population. In the Clinical Associate role, staff  are responsible to meet all applicable competencies.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL REQUIREMENTS/CONDITIONS

• The employee needs to have the physical and mental abilities to perform the duties of the position listed above using the WE CARE behaviors. 
• It is anticipated that the employee will have contact with blood, bodily fluids or other potentially infectious materials while performing their job duties.
• It is anticipated that employee will have contact with potentially hazardous chemicals while performing their job duties.
• The list below is intended to describe the physical and sensory ability requirements of the position; however those requirements may vary, sometimes considerably, based on meeting patient and operational needs.

While the physical requirements for this role differs significantly between the clinical and the administrative roles, both roles are considered an essential element of the position.

Pay Range:

$19.50 - $26.24

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