Health Care Aide

CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT

4B01
HEALTH CARE AIDE

Specialties
( Bilingual ) ( Clinic ) ( Institutional )

GENERAL DEFINITION

This is general health care work providing patient and/or resident care in either a municipal health facility or residential care institution. An employee in this class performs routine nursing support and housekeeping tasks. Work includes weighing and measuring patients, taking blood pressures, and keeping rooms clean and neat. The work has some disagreeable aspects. Moderate to strenuous physical effort is required. Work is performed under the supervision of a higher level medical superior.

ALLOCATING FACTORS:
(The following conditions must be met for a position to be approved for this class.)

The position must be located in the Health Department or the Department of Human Services.
The position must be located in either a municipal health facility or institutional setting.

TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF WORK (ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY)

BILINGUAL SPECIALTY

Performs the duties described below with members of a designated non-English language speaking community.

BOTH SPECIALTIES

Performs routine nursing duties such as weighing and measuring patients or residents, and taking and recording temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respiration.
Cleans and sterilizes equipment and supplies; cleans, dusts and spot mops rooms; prepares lists and orders supplies as needed; gathers and deposits soiled laundry items; distributes fresh supplies.
Transports equipment, specimens, and/or patients to various locations when requested.

CLINIC SPECIALTY

Administers vision and hearing tests recording all results; conducts electrocardiograph studies; cuts and mounts electrocardiograph readings for review by the physician; takes blood samples using fingerstick method; centrifuges blood samples and removes plasma for analysis by lab personnel; assists in urinalysis and urine culture studies by adding proper preservatives to samples to prepare for analysis by laboratory; may collect specimens for drug testing; records results.
Collects slides and culture plates from the examining rooms; places slides in slide box, and plates in incubator; processes all related paper work.
Remains present during the examination of patients at the request of the physicians providing assistance as needed.
May testify in court if necessary.

INSTITUTIONAL SPECIALTY

Attends and cares for aged, infirm, and/or dependent individuals; observes precautions to prevent patients or residents for injuring themselves; communicates with residents and participants in their recreational activities; conforms and attends to their personal needs; participates in the rehabilitative programs of the facility by reinforcing new behaviors learned by residents; monitors the activities of residents to ensure their safety and compliance with residential rules and regulations.
Serves food trays and nourishments and feeds those who cannot feed themselves; reports when residents are not eating; refills water pitchers; bathes, shaves, and dresses residents; gives bedpan and urinal services; moves patients or residents who are heavy and/or helpless; transports individuals on stretchers or in wheelchairs to other services of the facility and returns them after examination and treatment.
Performs related work as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

KNOWLEDGE OF:

principles and techniques of patient and/or resident care.
housekeeping and sanitary requirements in a medical facility.

Institutional Specialty Only

personal hygiene requirements of adult patients and/or residents.

ABILITY TO:

weigh patients, employees and/or residents.
take temperature, pulse and blood pressure readings.
do routine housekeeping and maintain cleanliness of clinic rooms and area.
establish and maintain effective relationships with patients and/or, residents, other medical employees, and the general public.

Clinical Specialty Only

learn the operation of centrifuge and autoclave equipment.
learn to take blood samples using the fingerstick method.
learn to conduct urostick tests and to interpret test results.
learn audio/visual testing.
learn EKG administration and mounting.

Institutional Specialty Only

perform patient and/or resident care activities with respect to feeding, bathing, and dressing the seriously ill, aged, or infirm.
attend to and provide care for the aged, infirm and dependent individuals at the facility.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

(The following statement represents the minimum training and experience standards which will be used to admit or reject applicants for tests. Applications submitted by candidates for this class will be reviewed based on training and experience requirements as approved on 3/93.)

EDUCATION:

Education equivalent to be completion of the eighth school grade.

Institutional Specialty Only

AND

Successful completion of an approved course in geriatric and/or nursing care. AND
GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Bilingual Specialty Only

Sufficient training and/or experience to be able to understand and speak fluently and clearly in English and a designated non-English language.

Clinic Specialty Only

One year of experience in a health care setting performing facilitating medical tasks of limited scope.

Or any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Personnel Department that has included the specific experience described above.

NOTE:
Successful completion of a nursing aide training and competency evaluation program approved by the state of Pennsylvania is required prior to appointment in Institutional Specialty. PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS, AND/OR CERTIFICATES

Institutional Specialty Only

Certification of attendance at an approved school of nursing aides and eligibility for state registration.

PAY RANGE: 6
Class Established:
CSC - 2/1993 ; Ad Board - 3/1993

RJ/ps/sb

END OF JOB CLASS SPECIFICATION - 4B01

4B01HEALTH CARE AIDE

4B01
HEALTH CARE AIDE