Patient Care Assistant-7A-7P

JOB SUMMARY

At Houston Methodist, the Patient Care Assistant (PCA) position is responsible for functioning as novice to competent and demonstrates basic knowledge and skills necessary to communicate appropriately and carry out delegated nursing assistant level tasks for assigned age-specific, diverse patient population, assisting in the delivery of Patient Care and services under the supervision of a licensed nurse. This position conducts hourly rounding to ensure patient needs are met and records data established by policy and procedure, and reports observations and patient problems to the licensed nurse. The PCA position performs basic Patient Care activities of daily living (ADL’s) within unit-specific defined limits and job scope, such as assistance with patient elimination, hygiene, comfort, safety, nutrition, and progress activity and practices Patient and Family Centered Care in concert with Houston Methodist ICARE values.

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVED
Refer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
• INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
• COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
• ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
• RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
• EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.
• Focuses on patient/customer safety
• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards
• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)
• Intentionally rounds with patients/customers to ensure their needs are being met
• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job
• Displays cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion principles
• Actively supports the organization vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

PRIMARY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Job responsibilities labeled EF capture those duties that are essential functions of the job.

PEOPLE - 25%

1. Promotes a positive work environment with the interprofessional care team. Participates in teamwork by responding positively to requests for assistance. Works well with others to make contributions to the work effort as a whole and facilitates problem resolution. (EF)
2. Interacts with peers, staff, and physicians in a supportive and respectful manner. Encourages open communication to achieve mutual understanding. Communication to promote both work efforts and problem resolution is clear and professional. Collaborates with all members of the interprofessional team by actively communicating and reporting pertinent Patient Care information in a clear and timely manner. (EF)
3. Conducts self in a manner that is congruent with cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion principles. Provides contributions towards improvement of department scores for employee engagement, i.e., peer-to-peer accountability. (EF)

SERVICE - 25%

1. Follows the patient and family-centered care standards and provides direct Patient Care under the direction of a registered nurse. Documents, where applicable, care administered, diagnostic measurements, treatments, and procedures in accordance with established policies and procedures and cultural diversity and inclusion principles. Responds to the call light system, contacting nursing personnel as appropriate, and follows through with meeting patient needs. (EF)
2. Assists with maintaining, cleaning, and stocking of equipment and supplies as established on assigned unit. May serve as an in-house courier which may include retrieving blood, hand delivering labs, tele boxes, etc. Organizes the workflow, problem-solves basic and routine matters, and manages multiple ongoing priorities, seeking guidance and assistance from preceptor, licensed nurse, or management. (EF)
3. Contributes towards improving department scores for patient satisfaction through peer-to-peer accountability, i.e., bedside shift handoff/report. (EF)

QUALITY/SAFETY - 35%

1. Reports observations, conditions and problems of patients to licensed personnel to achieve desired patient outcomes. Provides for the privacy of patients and families, keeping the safety of the patient in mind. (EF)
2. Provides appropriate hand-off at change of shift at patient bedside to communicate and collaborate, promoting patient-centered care. (EF)
3. Conducts hourly rounding to ensure patient needs are met (four P’s). Reports near misses and collaborates with the interprofessional health care team to improve patient safety. (EF)
4. Contributes towards improving quality and safety scores, through peer-to-peer accountability. Supports initiatives to prevent conditions such as pressure injuries, patient falls, and hospital-acquired infections. (EF)

FINANCE - 10%

1. Assists with patient and staffing needs (floats) across the service line or hospital as competencies allow. Utilizes time between heavy workloads efficiently. (EF)
2. Utilizes resources with cost effectiveness and value creation in mind. Self-motivated to independently manage time effectively and prioritize daily tasks, minimizing incidental overtime, assisting coworkers as needed. (EF)

GROWTH/INNOVATION - 5%

1. Offers innovative solutions in performance improvement projects and shared governance activities. (EF)
2. Seeks opportunities to identify self-development needs on knowledge base, skill level and decision-making, as necessary, especially in areas of question, from preceptor and assigned licensed personnel and takes appropriate action. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the My Development Plan on an on-going basis. (EF)

This job description is not intended to be all inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

o High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.)

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

o Must complete one of the following:

o PCA externship

o PCA internal internship

o Six months of direct Patient Care experience

o Enrolled in a school of nursing program with a completed first clinical rotation

CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES AND REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED

o American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS)

o For Skilled Nursing Facility(SNF)/Rehab departments only - Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED

o Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations

o Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security

o Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles

o Performs basic Patient Care activities of daily living (ADL’s) within unit specific defined limits and job scope, such as assistance with patient elimination, hygiene, comfort, safety, nutrition, and progress activity

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

Work Attire Yes/No

Uniform No

Scrubs Yes

Business professional No

Other (dept approved) Yes

On-Call* No

*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (i.e., Disaster, Severe Weather Event, etc.) regardless of selection above

Travel**

May require travel within No

Houston Metropolitan area

May require travel outside No

of Houston Metropolitan area

**Travel specifications may vary by department.

Please note any other special considerations to this job: __________________________

Since 1998, Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital has been serving Fort Bend and the surrounding counties. Residents have come to rely on a level of compassionate care and leading-edge technology that was once available only in the Texas Medical Center. Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital tied for No. 4 in Houston and No. 6 (three-way tie) in Texas in U.S. News & World Report’s best hospital rankings in 2020. With 316 operating beds, 24 operating rooms and over 2,400 employees, Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital was designed to provide comprehensive, personalized care for the community.