Department Overview

Medicine (14C) is a 31 bed acute care unit that provides services to adult patient populations that include: cystic fibrosis; chronic cardiac conditions including heart failure, endocarditis, NSTEMI and atrial rhythm disturbances; liver and renal injury and/or failure; cellulitis; EtOH withdrawal; and delirium management.

Patients require acute medical and nursing intervention such as intravenous fluids, nutritional support, and pain management; respiratory care including tracheostomy and stable ventilator management; and education to optimize self-care.

14C admits behavioral/psychiatric patients with medical issues that may have suicidal ideation or other behavioral risks that necessitate a court hold. Creating a therapeutic environment for this population includes establishing a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship that facilitates gathering critical patient data and implementing the interdisciplinary plan of care.

Function/Duties of Position

The Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) assists care providers in the care of patients at a medical facility by performing simple procedures and treatments and maintaining a safe, clean, efficiently stocked environment. Work is performed in various locations throughout a medical facility such as examination rooms, emergency rooms, patient rooms and wards, and treatment rooms.

This is the first classification of a two level series. The CNA is differentiated from the second level by years of experience or CNA 2 licensure.

Patient Care.

• Assists in admission process by recording patient's name, address, phone number, age, and other personal information
• Takes and records vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration rate, and temperature
• Makes appointment for patient or refers patient to medical staff for immediate examination or treatment
• Records a list of patient's personal property and secures property if appropriate
• Transports patient to examination or treatment room with use of wheelchair or gurney or assists patient to walk; assists patient in undressing
• Assists physician or nurse with treatment or examination by passing instruments, applying or removing bandages and dressings, holding patient in proper position for x-rays or electrocardiograph, or collecting specimens
• Provides basic care such as feeding, grooming, bathing, and ambulating patients who are confined to bed; checks food trays for proper diet; records food and liquid intake and output; gives enemas; administers non-injectable medication under close supervision of physician or nurse; observes and reports changes in patient's conditions
• Assists physician and nurse in emergency procedures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Facility Maintenance.

• Unlocks doors at start of day
• Removes used and un-sterile supplies and instruments from examination or treatment rooms; stocks rooms with sterile supplies and instruments
• Washes and sterilizes instruments or sends to central supply for sterilization
• Cleans patient rooms, wards, examination rooms, and laboratories by mopping floors, scrubbing counters, sinks, and examination tables with disinfectant; changes linen and makes beds
• Troubleshoots equipment for malfunctions; makes minor repairs or refers to repairperson
• Takes inventory of supplies, equipment, and instruments; orders supplies or requisitions them through unit superior
• Prepares for emergency or special treatments by assembling surgical trays, draping rooms for isolation procedures or setting up room with equipment such as oxygen tanks or cardiac defibrillator

Miscellaneous.

• Answers phones and responds to non-medical questions
• Files and retrieves patient's records
• Runs errands such as delivering specimens to labs, picking up x-rays or lab reports, or picking up medication at pharmacy
• Transports equipment such as oxygen tanks to other locations within facility
• Assists in postmortem care by bathing and dressing deceased patients and occasionally transports body to morgue
• Engraves unit identification on instruments
• Assists security personnel in restraining combative patients
• Trains new aides

Required Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED
• Oregon CNA I Certification at time of hire
• BLS required at time of hire, issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) or Military Training Network branch of AHA
• Basic medical terminology
• Ability to read, write and communicate appropriately and effectively
• Basic math skills
• Exposure to cleaning chemicals
• Possible exposure to body substances
• Frequent assignments with tight time frames
• Frequent assignment changes from shift to shift, day to day
• Occasional exposure to angry individuals
• Ability to repetitively lift, bend, stoop, stand and walk throughout the shift
• Ability to lift and transfer patients with assistance
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without accommodation

Preferred Qualifications

• Some college
• One year in acute or long term care OR two years in a patient contact position at OHSU

All are welcome

Oregon Health & Science University values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. To request reasonable accommodation contact the Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Department at 503-494-5148 or aaeo@ohsu.edu. As an organization devoted to the health and well-being of people in Oregon and beyond, OHSU requires its employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.