Patient Care Assistant Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post presents exhaustive information on the patient care assistant job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements that you may be expected to fulfill to be hired for the patient care assistant role.

What Does a Patient Care Assistant Do?

A patient care assistant is responsible for cleaning of the operating theatre and the clinic.

The patient care assistant job description entails assisting patients with any procedures that they wish to undertake in the hospital, provided there is no medical reason not to do so.

It also involves dealing with all medical emergencies, including helping in all aspects of resuscitation and treating patients, who are outside the operating theatre or clinic.

Patient care assistants assist patients getting into/out of bed and wheelchairs when required or necessary while in transit to or from hospital treatment facilities.

They attend to basic personal needs of patients, such as bathing and taking medications, provided it is not a medically supervised activity that is considered unsuitable for them.

Ensuring that patient request is met on time and in accordance with hospital procedures is a part of their tasks.

A patient care assistant performs the duties of a hospital porter, security guard and receptionist as required by the organization or facility they are employed in.

They have to deal with information, both verbal and written, relating to a patient’s health status, treatment needs and other care requirements (such as medical test results).

The patient care assistant work description also involves assisting in meeting the need for socialization among the patients, particularly those who are hospitalized for long periods of time.

It also entails organizing patient transport from their residence to the hospital and back.

Patient care assistants deal with patients and other employees in a professional and diplomatic manner, resolving conflicts and acting as the main point of contact for the patients who become dissatisfied.

They provide emotional support to the patients when they feel lonely or depressed.

They try to establish a good relationship with patients who are unable to express their feelings by themselves, such as those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or mental illness.

Patient Care Assistant Job Description Sample/Example/Template

The patient care assistant job description consists of the following duties, tasks, and responsibilities:

• Cleaning the patient room and assisting to change linens
• Preparing patient for examination
• Taking patients’ vital signs and recording temperature and pulse rate in a chart
• Recording lab results in a chart or computerized database
• Collecting samples from patients for analysis by scientists
• Feeding patients under the superintendence of dietitians and registered nurses
• Transporting patients to diagnostic facilities for treatment or testing, such as laboratories, radiography rooms, operating rooms, etc., under the direct supervision of physicians/registered nurses/ orderlies or EMTs/paramedics
• Restraining patients and assisting in examinations as directed by physicians/RNs/LPNs
• Providing information and assistance to patients
• Assisting with transportation of patients to exam rooms, operating rooms, laboratories or other treatment areas
• Maintaining cleanliness of the ward or unit, sterilizing instruments, reporting any deficiencies to supervisor/administrative staff
• Responsible for inventory supplies and equipment; requisition necessary supplies and equipment
• Assisting in developing an environment which is pleasant to patients being treated, visitors and staff
• Assisting in maintaining patient medication records (dosage and time).

Patient Care Assistant Job Description for Resume

If you have worked before as a patient care assistant or are presently working in that role and are making a new resume or CV, then you can make an effective Professional Experience for your resume by applying the patient care assistant job description example provided above.

You can highlight the duties and responsibilities you have performed or are presently performing as a patient care assistant in your resume’s Professional Experience by utilizing the ones in the above patient care assistant job description.

This will show to the employer/recruiter that you have been successful working as a patient care assistant, which can greatly enhance your chances of being hired, especially if the new position that you are seeking requires someone with some patient care assistant work description.

Patient Care Assistant Requirements: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for a Successful Career

If you are seeking the patient care assistant role, here are important requirements you may be expected to fulfill to be hired for the position:

• A minimum of a high school diploma, as well as completion of a training program or comparable job experience.

Ability to:

• Communicate orally, in writing and through electronic media, as well as read, analyze and interpret information from various sources, such as print media, technical manuals/pamphlets, diagrams, charts and graphs/technical reports
• Learn how to process patient’s records according to hospital policy; follow professional standards; write accurate patient records in a clear professional style
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with patients, family members, physicians, other health care providers, administrators and other professionals
• Learn new procedures on the job and apply them successfully in patient care settings
• Function effectively under time pressure and at unexpected times without disrupting or harming the patient or the abilities of other people working in the hospital setting
• Work under emergency and crisis conditions
• Handle disputes, arguments and disagreements with dignity and respect for patients’ and other care providers’ beliefs and values
• Work in a stressful environment under adverse conditions and protect patients’ safety, medical confidentiality, privacy and dignity, taking precautions against infection or injury by discharges of bodily fluids, blood or other hazardous materials
• Learn how to use the computer that is used in the hospital setting; learn how to use current hospital procedures; follow professional standards; write accurate patient records in a clear professional style
• Participate in self-development training as it applies specifically in the healthcare industry.

Patient Care Assistant Salary

According to Glassdoor, the annual total compensation for a patient care assistant in the United States is $54,620, with an average income of $35,352 each year.

Conclusion

This post is useful to individuals interested in the patient care assistant career.

They will be able to learn all they need to know about the duties and responsibilities typically performed by patient care assistants to enable them decide correctly if that is what they want to do

It is also helpful to recruiters/employers in making a detailed job description for the patient care assistant position in their organizations for use in hiring for the role.