PURPOSE OF ROLE

At MBHS, a Nurse Assistant works under direct supervision and guidance of the Registered Nurse to provide hands-on care to patients in a variety of areas (i.e. inpatient, outpatient, triage, occupational health etc.

All MBHS Nurse Assistants must provide patient-centered, compassionate, competent and quality care.  They must adhere to the Mary Begg Code of Conduct and must practice safe, ethical and evidence based patient care at all times as dictated by the MBHS Healthcare Standards.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintain a hygienic and safe work environment in accordance with the MBHS Healthcare Standards and all associated policies and procedures.
• Assist with cleaning and organizing the ward to ensure it is clear of dust and items are easily accessible.
• Make patient beds and clean the patient’s room as directed by the nurse in charge.
• Ensure a clean and tidy bedside environment.
• Escort patients to and from the ward for tests (i.e. blood tests, x-ray scans).
• Assist the qualified nurse in taking and collecting patients from the operating theatre.
• Assist the registered nurse to care for clinically ill patients with bed bathing, pressure sore care, ambulating patients, monitoring fluid intake and output.
• Maintain routine patient checks, as ordered by the nurse in charge and report anything unusual.
• Assist the registered nurse in wound care dressings, if required.
• Assist with serving meals, feeding patients as necessary and providing fluids between meals.
  Inform the nurse in charge/ allocated registered nurse of any concerns relating to appetite or reduced fluid intake.
• Provide patients’ personal hygiene by giving bedpans, urinals, baths, backrubs, shampoos, and shaves; assist with travel to the bathroom; and help with showers and baths.
• Assist with oral hygiene as required.
• Answer patients’ call lights and requests; decide if any additional help is required and call a registered nurse.
• Report on any patient change in the patient’s physical or mental health to the registered nurse or unit leader immediately.
• Follow proper procedure of lifting, turning and ambulating patients in and out of the bed or chair, as directed by the registered nurse and according to the patient’s current level of activity.
• Ensure patients have adequate fluids as directed by the registered nurse.
• Inform the unit leader/registered nurse immediately if there are any urgent or emergency patient cases.
• Follow patient isolation policies and standards at all times.
• Continually demonstrate adherence to the Infection Control Policy, especially maintaining proper hand washing technique.
• Use and maintain correct personal protective equipment (PPE) such as eye protection, masks, gowns and gloves where appropriate.
• Carry out any other duties assigned by the Unit Leader or Registered Nurse within your scope of practice.

Qualification and Experience

• Grade 12 Certificate
• Care Giver Certificate a must
• 1 to 2 years experience preferably in a health institution
• Customer service experience is added advantage