Patient Sitter

Inpatient Float Pool  
Part Time
Night Shift 
11p-7a

Consistently named best hospital, Lexington Medical Center dedicates itself to providing quality health services that meet the needs of its communities. Ranked #1 in the Columbia metro area by U.S. News & World Report, Lexington Medical Center is the only hospital named one of the Best Places to Work in South Carolina.

The 607-bed teaching hospital anchors a health care network that includes six community medical centers and employs more than 8,700 health care professionals. The network includes a cardiovascular program recognized by the American College of Cardiology as South Carolina’s first HeartCARE CenterTM and an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence affiliated with MUSC Hollings Cancer Center for research and education. The network also features an occupational health center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, an Alzheimer’s care center and nearly 80 physician practices.  Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year.

 

 

 

 

Job Summary

Under the direction of the Float Nurse Manager/Clinical Supervisor/Unit Charge Nurse/professional nurse, the Sitter provides continuous observation and basic support with the activities of daily living for inpatients at risk for accidental or intentional self-harm due to suicidal thoughts, or those patients with signed commitment papers

Minimum Qualifications

•Minimum Education: High School Diploma or Equivalent
•Minimum Years of Experience: None
•Substitutable Education & Experience: None
•Required Certifications/Licensure: Certified Nursing Assistant (Or successful completion of nursing assistant training)
•Required Training: None

Essential Functions

•Participates in Plan of Care interventions.

•Observes the patient at all times, even when in the bathroom.

•Calls for clinical assistance as needed if the patient’s actions put them at risk for harm.

•Remains in the room with the patient at all times.

•Maintains the patient’s door open at all times.

•Instructs family or visitors to check in at the nurse’s station before bringing any items into the room.

•Documents legibly on the nurses not every one-hour, 1:1 observation.

•Accompany the patient at all times, even for test and treatments.

•Reports to nurse changes in patient condition and observations relevant to patient’s needs.

•Obtains and records vital signs both manually and with electronic devices, and reports abnormal findings to nurse.

•Assists in the care of the patient receiving oxygen therapy by maintaining integrity of delivery source and reporting abnormal observations to nurse.

•Obtains and records patient’s weight (bed scales and/or standing scales and reports to nurse as directed.

•Encourages or limits PO intake as directed.

•Performs perineal care and assists with elimination needs i.e., assisting to bathroom, placing on bedpan, recording output, and using cleansing products and moisture barriers to safely care for skin during episodes of incontinence.

•Demonstrates ability to provide comfort measures in accordance with unit standards:  
◦Changes linen and makes bed, organizes the patient’s environment, and performs  other personalized services within prescribed limits.      

◦Gives bed bath or assists patient with bathing, dressing, oral hygiene and other personal care. Shaves male patients as part of daily bath.
•Demonstrates ability to provide safety measures in accordance with unit standards:  
◦Recognizes need for safety measures and takes appropriate action to prevent injury i.e., fall prevention, skin breakdown prevention, suicide precautions, aspiration  precautions, bleeding precautions, seizure precautions and transmission-based  precautions.            

◦Follows policies and procedures for lifting/transfer.      

◦Properly uses minimal lift equipment.        

◦Follows appropriate infection control policies and procedures.
•Shares knowledge/expertise with co-workers and promotes a positive working environment.

Duties & Responsibilities

•Accepts work assignments readily.

•Abides by LMC’s Code of Conduct.

•Demonstrates knowledge of area and organizational activities by attending or reading minutes of staff meetings, and other communications.

•Supports and participates actively in change processes/performance improvement activities by willingly adopting new methods.

•Functions as a role model for students and staff and displays positive problem solving behavior.

•Demonstrates timely communication of patient events/issues to appropriate persons

•Uses time and supplies/equipment in an efficien