ED Patient Care Technician

Rhode Island Hospital's Emergency Department is seeking a Patient Care Technician to assist in providing care to ED patients and their families from arrival to departure. This full-time position reports to the clinical manager and works under the supervision of professional nursing staff, performing a variety of clerical and patient care assistive duties as a member of the healthcare team.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct physical care and assist with activities of daily living (ADLs) under the direction of the registered nurse
• Collaborate with the registered nurse to set priorities and organize work
• Communicate all pertinent observations to the responsible registered nurse
• Perform selected procedures and treatments according to standards and protocols, including EKGs, pulse oximetry, phlebotomy, and minor non-sterile dressings
• Assist with admissions, transfers, and discharges of patients
• Collect tests, records, and report selected specimen data to the registered nurse
• Set up and assist with cardiac monitoring devices; run 12-lead electrocardiograms (EKGs) and report findings
• Record selected procedures for which you are responsible
• Maintain patient and family confidentiality according to hospital standards
• Serve as an active patient and family advocate
• Support and reinforce teaching done by the registered nurse
• Identify cardiopulmonary arrest and initiate CPR
• Demonstrate adherence to universal precautions, safety programs, and infection control measures
• Report unsafe situations to the registered nurse or clinical manager
• Lift correctly and utilize assistive devices when available to avoid harm
• Maintain an environment conducive to patient comfort and safety
• Exercise proper care in the use of equipment and report malfunctions
• Adhere to fall precaution and constant observation protocols as assigned
• Organize and prioritize workload based on patient and unit needs
• File reports in charts accurately and maintain medical records
• Answer phones and intercom using proper etiquette
• Utilize hospital computer systems accurately to execute orders, retrieve data, and generate reports
• Manage multiple tasks and rapidly transition between priorities
• Page physicians and others via hospital page system and computer alpha paging
• Perform secretary duties including patient type codes, discharge disposition codes, and updating dietary rounds reports
• Effectively prepare rooms and patients for physicians and nurses
• Assist physicians and nurses with procedures including suture placement/removal, dressing changes, line placement, endoscopic procedures, bone marrow, lumbar puncture, biopsies, and NG tube insertions
• Assist in positioning and holding patients for invasive procedures
• Complete vital signs per hospital policy or as ordered
• Document patient's reported pain using appropriate pain scale
• Refer patients with medical issues to the registered nurse or physician
• Collect, label, document, and secure patient belongings appropriately
• Utilize sound judgment to recognize level of urgency and respond appropriately
• Handle potentially critical situations with speed and sensitivity

Required Qualifications

• High school graduate or equivalent
• Current Rhode Island registration as a Certified Nursing Assistant or graduate of a Medical Assistant training program (9 months or longer with curriculum including sterile technique and sepsis)
• Certification in Basic Cardiac Life Support (BLS)
• Effective interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to multi-task and perform a variety of complex duties
• Basic computer skills
• Ability to read, write legibly, and speak English
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills necessary to provide care to patients throughout Brown University Health, with consideration of aging processes, human development stages, and cultural patterns

Preferred Qualifications

• Basic knowledge of medical terminology
• Basic knowledge of the hospital's patient care delivery orientation program

Schedule

• Full-time position, 36 hours per week
• Day shift: 7:00 AM to 7:30 PM
• Every other weekend and holiday rotation
• No driving required

Compensation

• Pay range: $23.20 to $23.66 per hour
• Union: International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Working Environment

• Patient care environment with frequent standing, walking, and sitting
• Exposed to standard emergency department conditions