Clinical Assistant

About This Role

This night-shift post on the cardiac ward pairs patient care with mentoring new nurses. The Clinical Assistant provides direct care to patients and contributes to efficient operations in the patient care environment. This role involves both direct patient care activities and indirect activities that support clinic operations.

Responsibilities

• Obtain vital signs
• Meet the comfort needs of patients
• Draw and collect blood and other samples
• Assist nursing/medical staff in performing invasive procedures, such as bone marrow aspirates
• Order and stock clinical supplies and patient education materials
• Clean patient care areas and infusion room
• Transport patients and specimens as needed
• Monitor the environment of care
• Greet patients, families, and colleagues promptly in a welcoming and courteous manner
• Respond promptly and courteously to requests for assistance from others
• Ensure proper patient identification by verbally and visually confirming patients’ two identifiers
• Maintain patient safety, privacy, confidentiality and follow guidelines under HIPAA
• Obtain and record vital signs, pain screens, weights and heights accurately into the medical record (Epic)
• Report changes and/or abnormalities in vital signs; findings that are outside of defined parameters; and changes in patient’s conditions to the nursing/medical staff in a timely manner
• Obtain specimens (urine, stool, sputum, etc.) and ensure accurate labeling in presence of patient, using two unique patient identifiers
• Instruct patients/family members in collecting specimens
• Perform phlebotomy and EKG as applicable and be competent in the two-patient identifier practice
• May precept with specific training
• Assist with unit specific procedural needs as applicable
• Transport patients, medical records, specimens, blood components, equipment and supplies in accordance with Institute policy
• Ensure that all patients on schedule are accounted for and communicate with providers/patients and colleagues as to approximate wait times
• May be required to assist with research specific patient data entry, as applicable
• Assure that all clinical areas have an adequate stock of medical supplies, equipment, and forms
• Manage room assignments in order to maintain patient flow
• Strategize the day’s workload and make recommendations accordingly
• Assist with medical record preparation
• Properly clean and maintain equipment and patient care environment
• Safely manage hazards of biomedical waste and chemotherapy waste
• Maintain a working knowledge of current computer systems used in clinical areas