Humboldt County Memorial Hospital Employee Job Description

Job Title: Paramedics in the Emergency Room

Primary Function and Relationship to Total Organization:

Paramedics will assist in the Emergency Room at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital under the direction of the Medical Director and the Registered Nursing staff.

Reports to: ER Director and Emergency Room Nurse

Supervises: None

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Assists the ER Nursing Staff. Certified Paramedics will be permitted to perform duties as defined in the Iowa Emergency Medical Care Provider Scope of Practice and as defined under the certification of Paramedic.

In addition to the defined Scope of Practice, Paramedics working in the Emergency Room will, under the direction of the Medical Director and Registered Nursing Staff, be allowed to perform the following:

• Access, removal and administration of all drugs contained within the medication dispensing station located in the Emergency Room. Administration includes IV, IM, and SQ injections.

1. Paramedics will demonstrate competency in IV pump operation as part of their orientation process.

2. Paramedics will be educated in Antibiotic Therapy by the Pharmacy Director as part of their orientation process.

3. Medication administration by a Paramedic will be supervised and considered operating under the license of the attending Registered Nurse and the ER Provider

• Other duties that may be delegated by the nursing staff to Paramedics, include but are not limited to the following:

1. Cleaning and restocking of the Emergency Department.

2. Transporting patients to x-ray, inpatient rooms, and throughout the hospital as needed,

3. Clerical duties such as answering the phones, logging patients, and discharge phone calls.

4. Assist patients with Activities of Daily Living.

5. Assist physical moving of patients: lifting and transferring.

6. Assist Practitioner with minor surgical procedures and laceration repairs.

7. Assist with simple orthopedic procedures, application of elastic bandages, etc.

8. Triage and Register emergency room patients and obtain vitals, medications, allergies and document these along with primary assessments in the Electronic Medical Record. All entries will be reviewed and co-signed by the Registered Nurse on duty.

9. Perform IV insertion/removal.

10. While the Paramedic is on duty in the ER at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital they will be first call for ambulance pages. They will go to the scene for patient triage and transport back to Humboldt County Memorial Hospital ER. It will be up to the discretion of the on-call ER physician and the on-call Nursing staff and dependent on the current need for additional staff in the ER as to the availability of the Paramedic to take transfers from Humboldt County Memorial Hospital ER to other facilities.

Physical & Mental Requirements:

PHYSICAL/MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS REQUIRED BY ESSENTIAL AND MARGINAL TASKS

RELATED WORK SITE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

Minimum educational requirements:

Must have current State of Iowa Paramedic License. Have current or obtain within 3 months of hire BCLS and ACLS.

Work environment: Works in well-lighted, air-conditioned nursing unit. Noise levels vary. May come in contact with hazardous chemicals or treatment modalities.

General Subjects of Concern:

1. Maintains a courteous and professional manner in dealing with patients, visitors, physicians and co-workers, as applicable.

2. Shows a positive attitude toward work schedules, department and hospital changes, assignments and other personnel.

3. Presents professional appearance in dress and grooming, complies with departmental dress requirements and wears hospital identification badge.

4. Conforms to hospital policy regarding use of sick time, personal days, notification of absence or tardiness.

5. Is cost effective in utilization of time, equipment and supplies.

6. Willingly cooperates with co-workers and other departments.

Employment variables/approximate hours*/misc. information:

• Schedules are subject to change as needed