Covenant Health

Patient Care Assistant, Nephrology Unit

Full Time, 72 Hours Per Pay Period, Day Shift 

(2 weekends per 6 week schedule)

Kidney disease is the 9^th leading cause of death in the USA.  There is approximately 850 million people who suffer from some sort of kidney disease.  At Fort Sanders Regional we take an important role in caring for these patients in the acute stages of kidney failure and helping with other complications that occur because of chronic kidney failure.  On this unit we focus on patients who have hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, urinary infections, and other urological conditions. Our unit cares for patients with other medical and cardiac issues as well.

The Nephrology Unit (3 West) at Fort Sanders Regional is a 17-bed telemetry unit serving a wide variety of medical patients. Our primary population consists of patients with acute or chronic renal failure, diabetes and cardiac issues. We focus on patients who have hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, urinary infections, and other urological conditions. 

We specialize in the treatment of the kidney patient including those who are newly diagnosed with a kidney issue, as well as individuals who are long term dialysis patients. Cardiac overflow.

As an RN on our nephrology unit, you will perform a variety of tasks. Nurses on 3 West are specially trained in performing peritoneal dialysis and managing select cardiac drips. Our goal is to provide excellent patient-centered care and prepare our patients and their families for care after discharge. Great basic nursing skills such as lines, drains, and tubing practices are used on this unit every day as well as cutting edge dialysis therapies. In addition to having excellent critical thinking skills, our ideal candidate will also possess outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.

You will participate in team nursing, with the RN as Team Leader. Our staff consists of RNs, LPNs, CNA/PCAs, and HUCs who work together to provide exceptional care. We work in close collaboration with one another, our physicians and interdisciplinary team. We have a supportive environment and an orientation tailored to your needs. If you are looking for a work “home”, then you have found the right floor!

As an organization, we want to grow our employees by promoting a culture of excellence and professionalism. Because of this, nurses on 3 west are encouraged to become certified in Med/Surg nursing. If you choose to become certified, our organization can help with the cost of your testing, as well as pay you a yearly bonus for taking the next step in your career.

If you are passionate about putting patients first apply for our Nephrology unit today!

Position Summary: 

Functions as a direct patient caregiver performing tasks to assist registered nurses. Performs hands-on care, assistance with ADL’s and specified technical tasks for a group of patients under the supervision of the Team Leader.

Recruiter: Jennifer Gordon || jgordon2@covhlth.com || 865-374-8107

• Take and record temperature, pulse, respiration rates, blood pressures, weights, heights, and intake-output measurements.
• Encourage patients to turn, cough, and take deep breaths and to use incentive spirometry as specified by Plan of Care.
• Ambulate, and assist patients in and out of bed, into wheelchairs and transport when necessary.
• Attends to nutritional needs of patient which may include distributing meal trays, feeding, filling and passing out water pitchers,
• 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.
• Empty drains, canisters, urine bags, bedpans and emesis basins and record intake and output.
• Assists in maintaining a safe environment, which may include reporting equipment that is out of order, appropriate handling of linen and storing of supplies.
• Provides general care such as positioning, lifting or turning patients; assisting in use of bedpan, urinal or commode; preoperative supportive care; and application/removal of abdominal binders or anti-embolism stockings and sequential compression devices.
• Empty & clean ostomy bag, per procedure.
• Collect urine, stool and sputum specimen as ordered.
• Perform tasks such as ROM, assist with ambulatory devices as specified by the patients' plan of care.
• Perform phlebotomy (requires additional training). To include correct labeling using two patient identifiers, maintenance of lab-draw supplies, rotating and restocking.
• Perform EKG (requires special training).
• Promptly answer patient call lights and respond to patient requests.
• Report significant changes in patients' condition to RN.
• Help to maintain clean and orderly patient and work environment.
• Employ all established infection control policies including standard precautions, transmission-based isolation precautions, OSHA standards, safety measures and proper body mechanics in performance of job.
• Document/maintain patient record as appropriate.
• Gathers equipment for O2 set up. Checks O2 for connection and proper placement.
• Checks for proper functioning of equipment at patient bedside
• Ambulate patients with oxygen.
• Set up suction equipment and check for proper function.
• Demonstrates knowledge and competency in providing for age-specific needs of the population served.
• Demonstrates ability to perform skills on the Nursing Assistant checklist.
• 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 other duties as assigned.

Minimum Education:

None specified; will accept any combination of formal education and/or prior work experience sufficient to demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skill and ability needed to perform the essential tasks of the job, typically such as would be equivalent to a high school diploma or GED. Preference may be given to individuals possessing a HS diploma or GED.

Minimum Experience:

None.

Licensure Requirement:

CPR required.