Overview
The Personal Support Worker participates in direct and indirect patient care activities in order to carry out the Interprofessional care plan.
The scope of activities are directed and assigned by the RN or RPN or appropriate multidisciplinary team member.
The Personal Support Worker in Medicine / Surgery A2 unit must have a wide range of skills related to general medical-surgical care activities.
The PSW must have excellent critical thinking and the ability to adapt to unpredictable situations. Inorder to serve the wide organizational needs the PSW must be willing to cross-train to specialty areas as required.
This position will primarily support Medicine and Surgery Units, staff may be assigned to work within other areas of the organization that are within the Medicine and Surgery clinical setting domain.
Primary Responsibilities
- Performs basic patient care functions, as assigned by the RN or RPN, which contribute to the implementation of the Interprofessional plan of care.
- Develops supportive and trusting relationships with patients, encouraging independence and participation in the decision-making process
- Maintains patient safety by performing a bedside safety check and adhering to hospital infection control standards handwashing.
- Maintains team and personal safety by using appropriate equipment ceiling lift devices etc.
- Promotes team functioning by participating in bedside shift report and hourly rounding practices.
- Assists patients with hygiene including : dressing / undressing and grooming, perineal care, oral hygiene, bathing, showering, washing hair, shaving, etc.
as assigned by the RN / RPN
- Assists patients with toileting activities including supplying and emptying bedpans, etc.
- Assists with ambulation of patients, as assigned by the RN or appropriate multidisciplinary team member, transports ambulatory and non-ambulatory patients and assists with the mobilization of patients
- Ensures patient oxygen therapy is maintained, assisting with the setup of basic oxygen and suction equipment as required
- Assists with patient nutritional needs.
- Maintains awareness of patient nutritional status and dietary restrictions, NPO, Dysphasia
- Completes, corrects and / or assists patients with menu selections, as required
- Assistwith feeding and hydration, as designated;
- Records the volume of food / fluid intake / output, in an accurate and timely manner
- Measures and reports patient weight and fluid intake and output
- Contributes to the patient information collection and documentation process.
- Reports patient observations and other relevant information to appropriate member of the care team
Secondary Responsibilities
- Transports patients to designated floors or upon discharge to family or mode of transportation
- Ensures that supplies are adequately stocked, checked and maintained in patient rooms and equipment is in working order
- Responds to call bells, answers the telephone, takes messages and reports appropriately
- May include housekeeping duties such as cleaning spills, disposing of full sharp containers, as required
- Delivers stat blood work and specimens to laboratories, as required
Education
- A Personal Support Worker certificate or diploma from an accredited college.
- Completion of Basic Cardiac Life Support ( required.
- Ability to speak, read, write and comprehend the English language.
Experience
- 1 - 2 years of recent relevant work experience.
- Must be willing to work within other areas of the organization that are within the Medicine and Surgery clinical setting domain.
- Knowledge of the Occupational Health & Safety Act and other relevantlegislation.
- Knowledge of the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System.
- Knowledge of Hospital and departmental policies, procedures, protocols and practices.
- Knowledge of Emergency Codes.
- Work is moderately heavy involving lifting, considerable walking, and standing, bending, pushing and pulling of equipment.
- Demonstrated knowledge of infection control.
- Demonstrates a positive attitude and the willingness to work effectively in a team.
- Demonstrated commitment to on-going learning and professional development.
- Demonstrate aptitude to foster caring and trusting relationships with patients and families in an effort to support patient focused care.
- Ability to maintain a consistent level of productivity and efficiency.
- Ability toperform responsibilities in a courteous manner.
- Compliance with confidentiality requirements under TEGH Privacy Policy.
- Effective organizational, interpersonal and communication skills.
- Patient service orientated, with the abilityto effectivelywork with diversity.
- Good work and attendance record is required.
- All employees of Toronto East Health network - Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) formerly Toronto East General Hospital (TEGH) agree to work within the legislated practices of the Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario.
- All employees of MGH are responsible to contribute to a transparent culture of patient and staff safety by adhering to and abiding by patient and staff safety policies and procedures set by MGH.
- All employees are accountable for protecting the psychological health and safety of themselves and their co-workers through adherence to Toronto East Health network's policies and practices.