Personal Care Assistant - North Star Nursing

Reports to: Qualified Professional

Description: The PCA is a worker who, under the supervision of appropriate professional staff, provides supportive services that assist the client in the achievement of physical and emotional comfort in their own home.

Qualifications:

• Be at least 18 years of age or 16-17 years of age with additional requirements
• Pass a Background Check
• Successfully complete the MN Department of Human Services’ online PCA Training Course
• Maintain a valid Driver’s License and automobile insurance

Job Duties:

• Maintains a clean, safe and healthy environment for the patient.
• Understands the physical, emotional and developmental needs of the populations served.
•  Provides respect for the client, his or her privacy and their property.
• Utilizes appropriate and safe techniques in performing personal hygiene and grooming tasks that include bathing, hair care, skin care, nail care (unless diabetic), oral hygiene, and toileting and elimination.
• Communicates effectively with all types of clients.
• Utilizes safe transfer techniques and ambulation.
• Assists with normal range of motion and body positioning.
• Provides client with adequate nutrition and fluid intake.
• Utilizes basic infection control procedures.
• Performs homemaking and other environmental services that facilitate receiving sanitary and safe care at home. 
• Accompany client to medical appointments or shopping, if necessary.
• Observes, reports and documents changes in client’s medical and social needs or expectations of service promptly to North Star Nursing.
• Adheres to North Star Nursing’s confidentiality policy in all situations.
• Attends in-services according to policy.
• Can be relied upon to be at work consistently and on time when scheduled.
• Demonstrates cooperation with scheduling requests to meet client and agency needs.
• Completes work, care and documentation with accuracy and within agency time frames.
• Is able to be self-directed within their scope of service.

Physical Requirements:

The following are physical requirements pertaining to the duties performed by RNs, LPNs, CNAs, PCAs and Home Health Aides assigned to home care clients. These requirements are essential functions of the job and are in addition to the necessary skills, certifications, years of experiences and/or other qualifications. Please consider the following carefully as you will be required to perform these functions safely:

You must be able to:

• Walk continuously
• Stand frequently
• Kneel and/or crouch on an occasional basis
• Forward bend and/or trunk rotation on a frequent basis
• Lift 8 pounds from a 10” height to a 46” eight frequently (Approximate weight of a food tray)
• Lift 18 pounds from a 20” height to a 34” height (Approximate weight of a soiled linen          bag)
• Exert 40 pounds of push force frequently (Approximate force required to push an individual in a wheelchair)
• Horizontally transfer lift 60 pounds at 20” height on an occasional basis
• Horizontally lift boost 100 pounds at the height of 30”
• Grip, grasp and/or twist hands and wrists regularly