Certified Nurse Assistant - Full Time - Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home

JOB TITLE: Certified Nurse Assistant

REPORTS TO: Director of Nursing/Charge Nurse

DEPARTMENT: Nursing

FLSA STATUS: Non-exempt/Hourly

JOB SUMMARY

Perform direct resident care duties under the supervision of licensed nursing personnel. Assist with promoting a compassionate physical and psychosocial environment for the residents.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be a Certified Nursing Assistant in good standing with the state and maintain a current certification in the state throughout employment.
• Must achieve 12 hours of in-service education annually as required by federal regulations (as well as meet state requirements, if exceeds federal).
• Must have ability to read, write and follow oral and written directions at a level necessary to accomplish the job.
• Must be able to relate positively and favorably to residents and families and to work cooperatively with co-workers and supervisors.
• Must be willing to assist others, including co-workers.
• Must maintain regular attendance.
• Must meet all local health regulations, pass post-employment physical exam if required. This requirement also includes drug screening, criminal background investigation and reference inquiry.

Essential Job Functions

Observe and practice safety according to facility policy and procedure:

• Able to explain and demonstrate fire/emergency procedures and must participate in any emergency or drill activities.
• Properly use and maintain facility equipment, reporting/taking out of service any equipment with breakage or needed repairs.
• Show respect for facility property.
• Demonstrate and able to explain infection control and isolation procedures.
• Demonstrate and able to explain proper body mechanics in all patient handling interactions & processes.
• Ensure residents are given correct diet.
• Use proper feeding techniques while respecting personal dignity and meeting the residents' needs for socialization.
• Make beds correctly and wrinkle free.
• Maintain residents' rooms in neat, orderly and clutter-free manner.
• Support residents' participation in activity programs by assisting them (when needed) to the activity location; encourages resident participation in activities.

Promote and maintain positive relationships with co-workers, residents, visitors, volunteers, and regulators:

• Directly respond, within the scope of practice, to needs and concerns of residents and family members.
• Work with the care giving team to identify and resolve resident and family issues.
• Promptly respond to call lights and other resident needs.
• Treat residents with compassion and dignity.
• Establish effective communication/interaction with residents and families.
• Ensure residents' right to privacy (visual and auditory).
• Maintain confidentiality of resident and facility records/information.
• Show respect for residents' personal property.
• Ensure residents are dressed appropriately, consistent with weather conditions, and according to their wishes.
• Recognize a resident's ability to make choices and support these within the constraints of the care giving environment.
• Communicate with members of the care giving team about residents' personal choices.
• Communicate residents' end of life concerns and wishes to the Charge Nurse.
• Is sensitive and appropriately responsive to each resident's "end of life" wishes.

Perform the following according to policy and procedure:

• Take and record temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure.
• Ambulate residents.
• Apply proper lifting and transferring techniques.
• Provide proper positioning and use of postural supports.
• Maintain residents' positioning, as needed.
• Weigh residents on schedule and record weights accurately.
• Provide restorative and rehabilitative nursing.
• Provide active and passive range of motion.
• Implement bowel and bladder program.
• Collect certain specimens for cultures pursuant to facility policy and within the scope of duties.

Ensure residents' comfort while assisting them in achieving their highest practicable level of functioning as follows:

• Assist residents with their activities of daily living.
• Provide oral care and hygiene pursuant to plan of care.
• Provide nail care pursuant to plan of care.
• Assist residents with dressing and grooming according to their needs, wishes and desires.
• Bathe residents with attention to privacy, respecting dignity and providing a safe and relaxing experience.

Report the following to the Charge Nurse and the care giving team as appropriate and/or document according to policy and procedure:

• A significant change in a resident's condition, a change in a resident's vital signs or weight, any accidents and injuries, any changes in a resident's skin integrity, behavioral changes, signs of resident depression or anxiety, changes in a resident's ambulation status, the level of the resident's food consumption, and the resident's intake of food and liquids as well as the resident's output, when indicated.
• Participate in collecting data needed for the accurate completion of the MDS and the plan of care.
• Show understanding of information that is provided by the ADL flow sheets.
• Provide input to the Nurses for development of the plan of care.
• Provide information gathered from care giving activities to the Charge Nurse.
• Assist in the orientation and training of other staff.
• Attend orientation, mandatory in-service and education programs and staff meetings.

Safety

• Comply with all Company safety policies, regulations and requirements regarding fire and life safety.
• Comply with all Company safety policies regulations and requirements involving employee safety and patient safety. This includes but is not limited to: a zero tolerance for harassment and violence; following infection control procedures; following safe patient handling as required with your specific job position.
• May be required to assist in the evacuation of patients during emergency situations.
• Meet the general health requirements set forth by the policies of this facility.

Residents' Rights and Positive Relationships

• Understand, comply with and promote all rules and regulations regarding residents' rights.
• Promote positive relationships with residents, visitors, and regulators, to include presenting a professional appearance.

Physical and Sensory Requirements (With or Without Aid of Mechanical Devices)

This position is very active and requires:

• Walking, standing, reaching, bending, crouching, grasping, pushing, pulling, and lifting.
• The ability to work at a rapid pace for an entire shift.
• The employee must frequently lift or move objects and patients weighing up to 40 pounds. Following the patient care plan and using a variety of equipment, the employee may frequently move, reposition and transfer patients of varying weights up to 300 lbs.
• Must have finger and hand dexterity sufficient to type, handle and manipulate instruments and operate departmental equipment.
• Have a working understanding of English: ability to read and write; ability to understand and follow written and oral instructions; ability to verbally communicate with residents and others; ability to hear and respond to pages.
• Ability to distinguish smells, tastes and temperatures.
• Ability to remain calm in emergency situations and when handling multiple tasks.

Other Functions and Responsibilities

• Must adhere to Code of Conduct and Business Ethics policy, including documentation and reporting responsibilities.
• Participate in Quality Improvement activities as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned or needed.
• Ability to understand and apply training from in-service education and ability to instruct personnel during training education and staff meetings.
• This position regularly requires long hours and frequent weekend work.
• This is a position in a health care facility open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Rotating shifts as well as holiday and working during inclement weather may be required.