Patient Companion

Job Description

Weston, FL

Join the Cleveland Clinic team, where you will work alongside passionate caregivers and provide patient-first healthcare. Our Weston Hospital continues to expand, which allows us to treat complex cases at a higher volume. And our new 30-bed Intensive/Intermediate Care Unit expansion will provide additional care for our patients at Cleveland Clinic Florida, the No. 1 hospital in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area.

We are looking for a future caregiver to take on the role as an Patient Companion within our world-class team of caregivers. Within this role, you will participate in the delivery of patient care in an effective and efficient manner. You will also assist with direct and indirect patient care for one to two patients as assigned and maintain personal growth and development through the on-going process of formal and informal education.

Cleveland Clinic provides what matters most: career growth, delivering world-class care to our patients, continuous learning, exceptional benefits and working for an organization that offers many long-term career paths. Join us and experience a culture where opportunities to advance and the support to get there go hand-in-hand.

Responsibilities:

• Assures basic patient safety by monitoring patients to make certain that catheters, tubes, or other medical equipment are not inadvertently removed or disconnected.
• Assists with putting assigned patients in rooms, taking vital signs, weights, pulse oximetry.
• Assists/accompanies the patient at all times including transport, tests, transfers, ambulation; remains with patient.
• Collects patient specimens for laboratory testing.
• Identifies and reports changes in patient status to Registered Nurse or physician as appropriate.
• Follows protocols and initiates CPR and other emergency measures as required.
• Acknowledges patient concerns/needs and notifies appropriate staff for assistance when necessary.
• Provides hand-off communication regarding patient information and activities to the nurse responsible for the patient as well as the next patient companion assigned.
• Participates in hand-off report at the beginning and end of each shift; as well as at the time of any meals, breaks or change in caregiver.
• Performs environmental/safety check as required.
• Collaborates with members of the health care team to promote the delivery of patient care and the overall functioning of the unit.
• Collaborates with personnel in nursing and supportive services in assuring a safe and clean patient environment.
• Demonstrates ability to empathize with patients suffering from physical or emotional difficulties.
• Interacts with patients, visitors and all personnel in a courteous manner.
• Participates in the resolution of conflicts in a healthy and constructive manner.
• Maintains confidentiality of information regarding patients and co-workers.
• Demonstrates respect for individuals’ cultural and social differences.
• Completes all documentation on the Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP) flow sheet as directed by the assigned RN.
• Contributes to the positive atmosphere of the workplace.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education:

• High school graduate or GED.

Languages:

Certifications:

• Heartsaver Level of Basic Life Support (BLS) through American Heart Association (AHA) for healthcare providers must be obtained within the 3 months of hire.

Complexity of Work:

• Within scope of job, requires critical thinking skills, decisive judgment and the ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Must be able to work in a stressful environment.

Work Experience:

• Completion of a hospital based patient companion training program or equivalent experience.
• In lieu of experience, candidates may also be currently enrolled at an accredited school of nursing, with completion of a nursing fundamentals course or have completed hospital based NA/PC orientation or equivalent.
• Knowledge and understanding of basic patient care activities to include basic hygiene, skin care, normal vital signs and other general hands-on patient care functions.

Physical Requirements:

• Requires full body motion to move and lift patients, manual finger dexterity with good eye-hand coordination; involves extensive standing and walking.
• Medium Work – Exerting 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.
• Physical Demand requirements are in excess of those for Light Work.

Personal Protective Equipment:

• Follows standard precautions using personal protective equipment as required.

Nursing Support