Nursing Assistant - Float

Responsibilities:

1 1. Takes assignments from charge nurse.

2. Answers patients call lights in a timely manner to determine needs and responds

appropriately by fulfilling needs within the scope of job description.

2 Performs routine tasks and simple treatments under the direction of a licensed nurse.

1. Assists with the admission, transfer, and discharge process.

a. Takes and documents vital signs, height, and weight upon admission.

b. Orients patient and family to environment.

c. Assists with patient transfers/discharges, prepares patient, gathers patient

belongings, and arranges for transportation from room.

d. Maintains patients dignity while performing all patient care duties.

2. Takes and records temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure on all

assigned patients at the beginning of each shift. Takes and records vital signs more

frequently as assigned.

3. Obtains weights on patients as ordered.

4. Performs finger stick blood sugars, records results in medical record.

5. Empties wound suction/drainage devices as 0600, 1400, 2200 and prn; records

amount in medical record.

6. Provides heat lamps, applies and refills ice packs, refills K-pad units and humidifiers,

and may measure for and apply TED hose. Sets up other equipment, i.e., CAPE, SCD

machines, Bucks/pelvic/cervical traction, as appropriate to specific unit.

7. Prepares and assists with Sitz baths as ordered and documents in medical record.

8. Collects specimens, labels them correctly and delivers them to the Lab.

9. Turns and encourages deep breathing and coughing by postoperative patients every

two hours. Encourages use of incentive spirometry as needed.

10. Turns bedfast patients every 1-2 hours, aligns patient correctly in bed and assists

patients to chair or ambulate as ordered.

11. Changes telemetry electrodes daily.

12. Records simple teaching in medical record including but not limited to: TED hose,

IS, Body Mechanics, equipment, etc.

13. Reports any patient equipment alarms to appropriate licensed nurse immediately.

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3 Provides personal hygiene and comfort measures to patients as directed and

documents in medical record.

1. Provides complete/partial baths or showers, including oral hygiene.

2. Provides fresh ice water at least once per shift.

3. Provides hair care, nail care, and back rubs as needed.

4. Documents hygiene and comfort measures in medical record.

5. Assists with bedpan/urinal, bedside commode, or to the bathroom as needed.

6. Performs catheter/perineal care or changes and cleans ostomy bags as needed.

7. Administers enemas as directed.

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4 Assists in the maintenance of adequate nutrition and documents in medical record.

1. Serves between meal supplements/snacks as ordered.

2. Assists patients with meals, feeding if necessary.

4 3. Documents type of diet and percentage of food eaten in the medical record.

4. Correctly follows patients diets as ordered.

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5 Demonstrates effective and accurate verbal, and written communication.

1. Promptly reports all signs and symptoms indicating any changes in the patients

condition to the appropriate nurse immediately, for example:

a. significant changes in vital signs.

b. Abnormal finger stick blood sugars (less than 80 or greater than 120)

c. Pulse oximeter reading of less than 92%

d. Change in amount/color of output from catheters/drains.

2. Reports to appropriate nurse any patient need/response to therapy (complaints of

pain, response to surroundings, changes in alertness, unusual skin redness or tears,

etc).

3. Reports of f to charge nurse before leaving assigned area.

4. Documentation of care and other pertinent data is completed according to hospital

policies and procedures.

5. Communication is timely, accurate, concise, complete, and appropriate.

6 Maintains a clean and safe environment for patient and self by:

1. Emptying and properly bagging linen and trash and storing it according to hospital

policy.

2. Cleaning bedside and over bed tables and straightening/changing bed linen prn.

3. Removing unnecessary equipment from room.

4. Cleaning and properly storing bedpans, urinals and bedside commodes.

5. Uses proper hand washing techniques and uses standard precaution at all times

6. Complies with isolation procedures.

7. Keeps bed at low position, call light within patients reach, and alerts patient and staff

to fall risk.

7 Demonstrates age specific knowledge for the patient population of his/her unit.

1. Completes unit age-specific competency program.

2. Demonstrates ability to provide care based on patients as specific needs.

3. Demonstrates ability to obtain and interpret information in terms of patient age

specific needs.

8 Promotes professional and organizational development by completing the following:

1. Attends all mandatory inservices.

2. Attending 50% of staff meetings or documentation that minutes have been read.

3. Maintains current CRP certification.

4. Participates in hospital committee, special projects, or service as requested.

5. Adheres to all OSHA standards regarding appropriate safety regulations and

procedures.

6. Complies with all policies, procedures, and protocols with no documented violations.

7. Accurately completed clock-in/out transactions.

8. Opens medical record documentation by mid-shift and completes assigned task by

end of shift.

Nursing Assistant Job Description 5

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES WEIGHT

8 9. Functions as a team player.

10. Accepts constructive criticism from supervisor.

11. Abides by work rules.

12. Maintains current Finger stick Blood Sugar competency.

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9 May occasionally be required to function in role of unit secretary with responsibilities as

follows:

1. Receives in-coming calls and communications information to appropriate personnel

and/or department.

2. Delivers reports and items as received from other departments within 15 minutes of

receipt.

3. Has working knowledge and is a resource for staff personnel for use of computer

system especially in Order Entry and Office Automation.

4. Enters STAT/NOW orders in computer and notifies charge nurse/licensed staff

within 5 minutes of request.

5. Receives equipment and supplies delivered to the desk and alert appropriate

personnel fo arrival.

6. Maintains the confidentiality of patients, staff, hospital information (written, verbal or

electronics sources).

10 Maintains a demeanor that displays desire to accommodate needs and requests in all

interactions with patients, processes requests and information in a pleasant and

courteous manner assuring that questions are directed appropriately and family

members are satisfied and needs met.

1. Greets families at desk or receives from families inquiring about the status of

patients, processes requests and information in a pleasant and courteous manner

assuring that questions are directed appropriately and family members are satisfied

and needs met. Responsible for utilizing the Institute of Medicine's "6 Quality Improvemnent Aims" as

an organized approach to creating service excellence in care/services (Safe, Timely,

efficient, Effective, Equitable, and Patient Centered).

THE ABOVE STATEMENTS ARE INTENDED TO DESCRIBE THE GENERAL NATURE AND LEVEL

OF WORK BEING PERFORMED BY INDIVIDUALS ASSIGNED TO THIS JOB. THEY ARE NOT

INTENDED TO BE AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES, DUTIES AND SKILLS

REQUIRED OF INDIVIDUALS SO CLASSIFIED.

EEO/AA

Qualifications:

Education: Must have High School diploma or GED.

Licensure:

Experience:

Certification/Registration: Current American Heart Association BLS Required to practice

independently.

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