Covenant Health

Patient Care Support Assistant, Float Pool

PRN/OCC, Variable hours, Day Shift

Parkwest Overview:

Headquartered in Knoxville, Covenant Health is a community-owned integrated healthcare delivery system and the area’s largest employer.

Parkwest is Covenant Health’s and West Knoxville’s premier medical facility and a top-performing heart hospital, offering our patients world-class treatment with all the convenience and warmth of home.

In addition to providing the area’s leading cardiac services, Parkwest has been nationally recognized for award-winning care throughout our facility. For 2020-21, Parkwest received recognition from U.S. News & World Report as one of the “Top 10” hospitals in Tennessee.

Knoxville located in East Tennessee is the third largest in the state, well-known for its proximity to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and is the home of the University of Tennessee. Go Vols!  Living in Knoxville means experiencing all four seasons.  Best of all, each of them is pretty mild!

Combine all that with the abundant natural beauty of the surrounding mountains, and you have a city that truly offers something for everyone. Knoxville has a vibrant arts culture, seasonal festivals, top-notch foodie and incredible outdoor recreation. It’s a perfect blend of big-city amenities and Southern charm.

Float Pool:

At Parkwest Medical Center, our nursing Float Pool consist of an amazing team of nurses, patient care assistants and health unit coordinators with a wide skill set that are trained to staff all acute care units and/or specialty units in our hospital.

Acute Care Units include:

                Oncology, Post Surgical

                Orthopedic-Neuro, Bariatric

                Cardiac Specialty

                Cardio-Thoracic Surgical

                Complex Medical Unit

                Acute Renal, Pulmonary   

                Senior Behavioral Health

Specialty Units include:

                Emergency Department

                Critical Care

Our float pool exists to help out every unit throughout our facility during times of ever-changing patient census and staffing needs. We require at least one year of recent RN experience to join our float pool.  As an incentive for the flexible nature of our positions, we offer an additional differential to all float pool employees.

As a staff member in our float pool, you will perform a variety of tasks. Because our staff move from unit to unit, it is important that our staff have a positive patient centered attitude, can be flexible, and take initiative to deliver exceptional care.  In addition to having excellent critical thinking skills, our ideal candidate will also possess outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.

Our float pool department has a supportive environment and orientation is tailored to your needs. We want to grow employees by promoting a culture of excellence and professionalism.

If you are passionate about putting patients first and you think variety is the spice of life, apply for our float pool today!

Position Summary:

The Patient Care Support Assistant functions as direct support in patient care performing tasks to assist nurses and providers. Performs hands-on care, assistance with ADL’s, and specified technical tasks for a group of patients under the supervision of the nurse. Duties include supporting the Medical Surgical Unit and Emergency Room with patient care, housekeeping, HUC, sitter, and transporting of patients.

Recruiter: Jason Shubert || jshuber1@covhlth.com || 865-374-5393

• Provides morning or evening care, which may include bed bath, oral hygiene, combing hair, back care, dressing patient, changing bed linen, cleaning over-bed table and bedside stand, straightening room, and other supportive care as needed.
• Takes and records temperature, pulse, respiration rates, blood pressures, oxygen saturation, weights, heights, and intake-output measurements.
• Documents/maintains patient record as appropriate.
• Promptly answers patient call lights and responds to patient requests.
• Answers telephone and intercoms; relays and documents messages. Helps to ensure that follow-up to patients request is timely.
• Ambulates and assists patients in and out of bed, into wheelchairs, and transport when necessary (on oxygen if required).
• Monitors and utilizes the patient flow board for assignments.
• Reports observed changes in patient condition to nurse or provider.
• Attends to nutritional needs of patient which may include distributing meal trays, feeding, filling, and passing out water pitchers.
• Helps to maintain clean and orderly patient and work environment.
• Maintains open lines of communication between patients, family, physicians, peers, and leadership.
• Encourages patients to turn, cough, and take deep breaths as specified by plan of care.
• Empties canisters, urine bags, bedpans, and emesis basins and records intake and output.
• Provides general care such as positioning, lifting, or turning patients; assisting in use of bedpan, urinal, or commode.
• Performs EKG (requires special training).
• Assists in maintaining a safe environment, which may include checking equipment daily for proper function and reporting equipment that is out of order, appropriate handling of linen, and storing of supplies.
• Gathers equipment for O2 set up. Checks O2 for connection and proper placement.
• Orders patient care supplies and keeps patient care supplies stocked in proper amounts in rooms, carts, and other areas as appropriate.
• Checks for proper functioning of equipment at patient bedside.
• Sets up suction equipment and checks for proper function.
• Demonstrates knowledge and competency in providing for age-specific needs of the population served.
• Demonstrates ability to perform skills as assigned on the Nursing Assistant checklist.
• Employs all established infection control policies including standard precautions, transmission-based isolation precautions, OSHA standards, safety measures, and proper body mechanics in performance of job.
• Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards. Completes required education assignments annually. Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
• Performs defined safety protocols (i.e., double identification, various isolation procedures, equipment maintenance and cleaning, etc.).
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Patient Care - ER Specific

• Enters and updates the ED tracking board promptly to communicate with staff.
• Assists in triage with vital signs.
• Completes all items/activities as assigned on “TECH CHECKLIST of DAILY ACTIVITIES” as applicable.

Sitter

•  A patient sitter/companion is a trained person who remains with a patient throughout a designated period of time for the purpose of maintaining the patient’s safety. Safety concerns may include, but are not limited to; being restrained and trying to remove those restraints, history of falls or remains high risk for injury after other measures implemented, a patient who wanders or is a flight risk.

Environmental Services

• Performs cleaning functions in assigned areas following established schedules and using prescribed methods.
• Assists in cleaning of emergency spills observed or upon request.
• Performs daily check of assigned equipment for cleanliness and proper repair.
• Observes and reports the need for repairs to equipment, furnishings, buildings, and fixtures.
• Removes waste and soiled linens from work area. Places in specified containers or bags. Collects trash from utility rooms and other trash collection points and transports to compactor area. Cleans trash cans and relines with plastic bags upon request. Demonstrates proper handling of biohazardous wastes.
• Monitors levels of supplies and equipment. Notifies supervisor of need for additional supplies.
• Performs personal inspection of all tasks performed/areas assigned.

Transporter

• Transports patients to and from destinations. Accommodates varying degrees of complexity such as the use of oxygen, proper isolation precautions, CPR, lifting and transfer techniques, etc., along with the effective use of equipment such as wheelchairs, stretchers, and beds.

Restrictions due to Age (for minors under 18):

• Cannot load, unload, or use the compactor or baler.
• Cannot use any type of power-driven hoisting apparatus.
• Cannot use personal or company vehicle to make any type of deliveries or run errands while on or off the clock.
• Sitter – Cannot sit for behavioral health or suicidal patients.
• Unable to work in the Radiation department (only allowed to transport patients).
• Unable to work during school hours and must be clocked out and off property by 10pm.

Minimum Education:           

None specified; this is an internship for high school students 16 years of age or older who are enrolled in healthcare courses and intending to pursue a career in healthcare. Individuals remain eligible for the role until July 15^th of the year of high school graduation. Those who are 17 at the time of graduation may remain in the role until their 18^th birthday.

Minimum Experience:         

Medical terminology a plus. Must be able to operate computer and possess excellent interpersonal skills. Must be able to read with comprehension, write legibly, and perform basic arithmetic computation. Must successfully complete Covenant’s orientation and Nursing Assistant in-house training program before being permitted to work with patients.

Licensure Requirement:      

None