Patient Observation Technician

At Houston Methodist, the Patient Observation Tech position is responsible for demonstrating basic knowledge and skills necessary to communicate appropriately and provide continuous, electronic observation and surveillance of assigned age-specific, diverse patient population, assisting in the delivery of patient care and services. This position verbally redirects the patient from engaging in at-risk behaviors and summoning nursing staff when patient requires assistance, and reports observations and patient problems to the licensed nurse. The Patient Observation Tech position practices Patient and Family-Centered Care in concert with Houston Methodist ICARE values.

FLSA STATUS
Non-exempt

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.)

EXPERIENCE

• Six months of direct patient care experience or enrolled in a school of nursing program with a completed first clinical rotation

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required

• BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
• Demonstrates understanding and proficiency of the use of the AvaSys TeleSitter Solution software and navigates a windows-based environment
• Demonstrate ability to maintain poise under stress
• Completes required continuous training and education, including department-specific requirements

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Promotes a positive work environment with the interprofessional care team. Participates in teamwork by responding positively to requests for assistance. Works well with others to make contributions to the work effort as a whole and facilitates problem resolution.
• Interacts with peers, staff and patients in a supportive and respectful manner. Encourages open communication to achieve mutual understanding. Communication is positive and professional. Collaborates with all members of the interprofessional team by actively communicating and reporting pertinent patient care information in a clear and timely manner.
• Provides contributions towards improvement of department scores for turnover/retention/employee satisfaction on unit-based scorecard, i.e. peer-to-peer accountability.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Functions as a liaison between patients, families and staff to troubleshoot and resolve telesitter issues.
• Responds quickly, logically and patiently to questions or requests from patients and hospital staff. Organizes daily work flow, problem-solves basic and routine matters, and prioritizes simultaneous situations, seeking guidance and assistance from preceptor, licensed nurse, or management when needed.
• Maintains visual observation of assigned patients at all times and verbally redirects patients over digital 2-way audio device.
• Delivers AvaSys Mobile Carts to patient rooms, sets up the unit, and assists with testing of the unit’s position, camera, and audio speaker.
• Contributes towards improving department scores for patient satisfaction on unit-based scorecard through peer-to-peer accountability, i.e. shift handoff/report.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Communicates with interdisciplinary team and responds quickly to patient behavioral changes Reports observations, conditions and problems of patients to licensed personnel to achieve desired patient outcomes. Provides for the privacy of patients and families, keeping the safety of the patient in mind.
• Provides appropriate hand-off at change of shift at patient bedside to communicate and collaborate, promoting patient-centered care.
• Seeks help and/or advice as soon as possible when patient appears to pose a threat to themselves or others. Participates in a collaborative identification and reporting of patient safety issues.
• Contributes towards improving quality and safety scores on the unit-based scorecard, through peer-to-peer accountability.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Uses resources efficiently; does not waste supplies. Self-motivated to independently manage time effectively and prioritize daily tasks, minimizing incidental overtime. Utilizes time between heavy workloads efficiently and helps other team members.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Seeks guidance and validation of knowledge base, skill level and decision making as necessary, especially in areas of question, from preceptor and assigned licensed personnel. Completes and updates the individual development plan (IDP) on an on-going basis.
• Offers innovative solutions through participation in performance improvement projects and shared governance activities.

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform: No
• Scrubs: Yes
• Business professional: No
• Other (department approved): Yes

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. Disaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* No

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area No
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.)

EXPERIENCE

• Six months of direct patient care experience or enrolled in a school of nursing program with a completed first clinical rotation

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required

• BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association