Job DescriptionMental Health Associate is an individual who functions in both a support and collaborative role with the Registered Professional Nurse by providing direct care to individual and to groups of psychiatric patients within the Psychiatry Care Center.Responsibilities
- Assists the nursing staff in performing selected nursing procedures and functional tasks to specific patients
- Assists with the admissions, transfer and discharge of patients according to established policy and procedures.
- Provides direct physical care, and/or one to one observation to selected patients under supervision
- Carries out procedures as taught
- Assists with patients' examinations treatments and procedures
- Assists with lifting, positioning. moving and ambulating patients using body mechanics as instructed
- Transports patients by wheelchair, stretcher or bed
- Assists in preventive measures and crisis interventions (i. e. suicide, aggression, elopement self- harm and sexual risks).
- Assists in de-escalation of agitated patients and utilizes crisis prevention techniques as necessary for the management of potential destructive behaviors
- Escorts ambulatory patients
- Escorts patients outside of the hospital as necessary
- Goes on errands as necessary
- Aware of the need for safety devices; applies or assists with application as taught.
- Cares for patient's personal possessions and reports presence of valuables to the nurse or ward clerk
- Answers call lights, attends to the patient's needs and/or reports patient's concerns and requests to the nurse
- Reports pertinent information and observations regarding patients to the nurse
- Communicates information and basic instructions to patients, families and visitors
- Participates in exchange of patient daily report and nursing care conferences
- Obtains and records blood pressure, temperature, pulse and respiration rate in accordance with hospital policy.
- Attends staff and educational meetings
- Works safely and provides for the safety of patients and others
- Maintains neat and clean patient and service areas
- Organize and implement group activities in conjunction with the unit program and other staff and document patient participation and report to nurse.
- Facilitate the patient's transition toward discharge
- Demonstrate a basic knowledge of desired effects and side effects of psychotropic medication.
- Participate in Interdisciplinary Treatment Team meetings as assigned.
- Perform Q20 minute environmental/patient safety rounds and implement a higher level of observation in emergencies. Immediately reports any need for increased observation to the clinical nurse for further assessment.
- Establish and foster collegial, therapeutic relationships with peers, support staff and other disciplines.
- Is open and responsive to the diverse backgrounds and experience of other people and promotes an environment that is sensitive to cultural diversity.
- Demonstrate therapeutic skills in crisis intervention.
- Demonstrates safe use of equipment, safety precautions in all aspects of patient care activities (e.g.restraints applications, transportation).
- Recognizes changes in a patient's mental status, sharing findings with the primary nurse.
- Demonstrate basic knowledge of DSM-IV diagnoses.
- Assists with emergency interventions based on clinical manifestation (i.e. choking, respiratory arrest and cardiac arrest).
- Demonstrates awareness of the effect of the physiological changes (decrease vision, hearing and speaking) when utilizing verbal/written skills to communicate with the elderly.
- Selects toys and play room activities consistent with the age and developmental stage of the child/adolescent patient. Maintains cleanliness of toys
- Assists on restraining patients and providing monitoring and comfort of those patients in restraint.
- Perform phlebotomy/fingerstick procedures, as assigned.
- Perform EKG as assigned.
- Perform supplemental components of the nursing admission, i.e. tour of unit, orientation, patient and belonging search, as defined by RN.
- Participate in Clinical Specialty Performance Improvement Activities.
- Document care administered according to policy.
- Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care, based on physical, psychosocial, educational, safety, and related criteria, appropriate to the age of the patients served in assigned area
- Assist in supervision of volunteers assigned to the unit
Age Specific Competencies (Neonate/Infant, Pediatric, Adolescent, Adult, Geriatric)
- Identifies physical, behavioral and emotional characteristics typical for the age group
- Modifies approaches based on patient age-specific needs and responses to treatment
- Provides care for patients based on age-specific needs
- Uses communication techniques which are age appropriate
Organizational/Managerial
- Participates in the Department of Nursing Quality Improvement Program/activities
- Maintains patient/employee confidentiality in the management of information
Educational/Professional Development
- Participates in the development of other staff members
- Meets regulatory, licensure and annual health assessment requirements
Communication/Relationships
- Demonstrates a professional, courteous, and respectful attitude in dealing with patients, families and significant others.
- Displays courtesy, tact and patience during interactions with all members of the hospital staff and extended community.
- Maintains positive interpersonal skills with patients, visitors and staff
- Adheres to MSHS legal and ethical standards
- May be required to perform other duties as assigned
Items 1-41 are essential functions of this position under the Americans with Disabilities ActMount Sinai Health System is committed to the tenets of diversity and workforce that is strengthened by the inclusion of and respect for our differencesQualifications
- Associate Degree or equivalent with some college level courses preferred
- Satisfactory completion of a Basic Medical Assistants Skills Training Program or equivalent including EKG and Venipuncture skills.
- One (1) year of satisfactory work performance as a Nurses Aide or Patient Care Associate preferred
- Current Heart Saver Certification from American Heart Association. BCLS will also be accepted as an alternative.
- Successful completion of a Crisis Prevention and Intervention Course and updated according to policy.
- Ability to read, write, understand and speak English in a clear and concise manner. Visual and aural acuity to assess patient within parameters of job responsibilities. Communication and interpersonal skills to work effectively with a wide variety of individuals. Orientation toward consumer satisfaction. Physical stamina, manual dexterity and visual and aural acuity to perform duties. Trained on the job. Successful completion of on site preparation program.
- Prior healthcare experience with demonstrated competency in a psychiatric setting preferred.
Collective bargaining unit: SEIU 1199-MSWSEIU 1199 at Mount Sinai West, BDB - Nursing Emergency Services - WST, Mount Sinai WestAbout Us
Strength Through Diversity The Mount Sinai Health System believes that diversity, equity, and inclusion are key drivers for excellence. We share a common devotion to delivering exceptional patient care. When you join us, you become a part of Mount Sinai's unrivaled record of achievement, education, and advancement as we revolutionize medicine together. We invite you to participate actively as a part of the Mount Sinai Health System team by:
- Using a lens of equity in all aspects of patient care delivery, education, and research to promote policies and practices to allow opportunities for all to thrive and reach their potential.
- Serving as a role model confronting racist, sexist, or other inappropriate actions by speaking up, challenging exclusionary organizational practices, and standing side-by-side in support of colleagues who experience discrimination.
- Inspiring and fostering an environment of anti-racist behaviors among and between departments and co-workers.
At Mount Sinai, our leaders strive to learn, empower others, and embrace change to further advance equity and improve the well-being of staff, patients, and the organization. We expect our leaders to embrace anti-racism, create a collaborative and respectful environment, and constructively disrupt the status quo to improve the system and enhance care for our patients. We work hard to create an inclusive, welcoming and nurturing work environment where all feel they are valued, belong and are able to advance professionally. Explore more about this opportunity and how you can help us write a new chapter in our history!
About the Mount Sinai Health System: Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with more than 43,000 employees working across eight hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 300 labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time - discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it. Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients' medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 7,400 primary and specialty care physicians; 13 joint-venture outpatient surgery centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and more than 30 affiliated community health centers. We are consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals, receiving high Honor Roll status, and are highly ranked: No. 1 in Geriatrics and top 20 in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Neurology/Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology/Lung Surgery, Rehabilitation, and Urology. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked No. 12 in Ophthalmology. U.S. News & World Report's Best Children's Hospitals ranks Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital among the country's best in several pediatric specialties. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is ranked No. 14 nationwide in National Institutes of Health funding and in the 99th percentile in research dollars per investigator according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Newsweek's The World's Best Smart Hospitals ranks The Mount Sinai Hospital as No. 1 in New York and in the top five globally, and Mount Sinai Morningside in the top 20 globally. The Mount Sinai Health System is an equal opportunity employer. We comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude, or treat people differently on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We are passionately committed to addressing racism and its effects on our faculty, staff, students, trainees, patients, visitors, and the communities we serve. Our goal is for Mount Sinai to become an anti-racist health care and learning institution that intentionally addresses structural racism.
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