Our team members are the heart of what makes us better.

At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives — and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It’s also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community.

Together, we keep getting better - advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change.

The Patient Care Associate functions as a caregiver for a specific patient population to achieve desired outcomes. This position focuses on expanding knowledge and skills and provides effective direct and indirect care as part of the interdisciplinary team to a variety of complex patients. Under the direction and supervision of the registered nurse, promotes patient satisfaction, comfort, and safety. Assists with a variety of patient, unit, and environment-related tasks. Participates in patient safety initiatives. This role also serves as Unit Services Representative for this patient population. The Unit Services Representative acts as a welcome ambassador to facilitate and maintain positive guest relations with our patients, family members, visitors, and physicians by welcoming and explaining hospital and unit policies and procedures and addressing problems and concerns. The Representative also performs clerical support for the unit and Nurse Manager. Assumes responsibility and accountability for patient care as a team member to achieve established departmental outcomes.

A day in the life of a Patient Care Associate at Hackensack Meridian Health includes:

• Provide patient care, based on physical, psychosocial, education, safety, and related criteria that is appropriate to the age of the patients served in assigned service.
• Provides effective and safe patient outcomes through practice, judgment, and critical actions.
• Provides ongoing communication with patients, Nurses, and other members of the health care team regarding patient status and care rendered.
• Takes self-directed or self-motivated initiative to ensure patient satisfaction.
• Participate in interdisciplinary collaboration of our patient's plan of care from admission to discharge to ensure safe transitioning and continuum of care.
• Participate in Unit and Departmental Quality and Safety initiatives and activities.
• Welcomes patients and checks for proper identification bracelets.
• Prepares patients for assessment/admission, physical examination, and procedures.
• Takes vital signs under the direction of the RN and documents electronically according to the Medical Center policy, reporting abnormal results immediately to the RN. 10. Performs and documents glucose finger stick/heel stick and collects other specimens including stool, urine, and sputum when directed by the RN.
• Observe and document patient intake and output. 
• Provides hygiene and comfort care to patients including bathing, toileting/diapering, feeding, and bed making.
• Provides a safe patient environment by answering call lights/ phone calls from patients promptly, and communicating with the RN immediately for any changes in patient condition.
• Identifies delivering parent/significant other and infant accurately.
• Obtains and documents patient weight, height/length, and head circumference as appropriate to the patient population.
• Assists with preparation as necessary assuring the patient is assisted with meals or fed as needed.
• Downloads Glucometer and TcB information per established policies.
• Demonstrates the knowledge and skill necessary to provide age-appropriate care to patients and families.
• Recognizes and responds to opportunities to enhance patient satisfaction.
• Maintains BLS certification and initiates interventions in emergent situations.
• Assists with patient transport to and from the unit/department as needed.
• Acts as a patient sitter when needed.
• Assists patients and families with any non-clinical questions, concerns, and/or personal needs (i.e. belongings, delays, support departments, etc.).
• Provides clerical support in completing Advance Directives including documentation, informing the physician, and collaborating with The Office of Patient Experience.
• Creates awareness of patient satisfaction in the unit by managing public displays with this information, i.e. communication boards. 
• Orients families to the unit and room and reviews the welcome information and what to expect including instructions for the television, the telephone, meal ordering, visiting policy, parking, discharge options, and other non-clinical needs. 
• Acts as a service recovery champion by handling, and routing inquiries/issues to appropriate individuals. Proactively seeks out issues and addresses them.
• Assures the environment is in appropriate condition and free of safety concerns. Reports safety concerns to the manager or designee. 
• Initiates help desk tickets to resolve any IT and equipment issues as they occur. 
• Monitors inventory, orders supplies, and equipment, and procures all items as needed using established channels. 
• Performs A/D/T functions and patient charge entries that include: makes bed assignments and/or moves in EPIC and inputs patient charges ( billing ) for unit-specific procedures in Epic.
• Initiates, and maintains patient medical records by established policies. 
• Identifies the needs of the patient population served and assists the professional nurse to modify and deliver care that is specific to those needs (i.e.: age, culture, language, hearing, and/or visually impaired).
• Communicate with patients and primary caregivers at their level of understanding.
• Adheres to HMH organizational standards, competencies, and standards of behavior.
• Performs other appropriate duties or projects of the department as assigned.

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• High School diploma, general equivalency diploma (GED), and/or GED equivalent programs.
• Completion of one of the following: Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA, or Medical Assistant (CMA), or Patient Care Technician program (PCT), or Fundamentals of Nursing program from an accredited school of nursing, or HMH PCT Apprenticeship Program, or have equivalent patient-facing healthcare experience.

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Preferred:

• Experienced in checking EKG, vital signs, and blood sugar preferred.

Licenses and Certifications Required:

• AHA Basic Health Care Life Support HCP Certification. 

If you feel that the above description speaks directly to your strengths and capabilities, then please apply today!