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Overview

Operating Room Health Care Assistant (HCA)

 

The Operating Room Health Care Assistant (HCA) role offers a unique opportunity to be an essential member of the surgical team. Unlike traditional CNA positions focused on direct patient care, this role centers on supporting surgical operations, maintaining a safe and efficient environment, and contributing to outstanding patient outcomes.

 

Key Responsibilities:

• Transport patients to and from the operating room and procedural areas.
• Clean, prepare, and maintain operating room suites between surgical procedures.
• Set up, organize, and manage surgical tables, equipment, and supplies.
• Transport specimens, blood products, laboratory samples, and other critical materials.
• Clean, disinfect, and process endoscopes, bronchoscopes, and related equipment.
• Stock and organize operating room suites and supply areas to ensure procedural readiness.
• Assist the surgical team by retrieving supplies and equipment during procedures.
• Works closely with surgical nurses, surgical technologists and surgeons in a collaborative environment where teamwork, adapability, and attention to detail are essential.

 

 

As a patient-focused organization, University of Utah Health exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. University of Utah Health seeks staff that are committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, integrity, quality and trust that are integral to our mission. EO/AA

This position provides patient care at the direction of a Registered Nurse. The incumbent will have direct contact with patients and their families as well as perform indirect patient care activities necessary to support patients within their environment. This position provides direct patient care and may be required to access and administer medications within their scope of practice and according to state law.

Corporate Overview: The University of Utah is a Level 1 Trauma Center and is nationally ranked and recognized for our academic research, quality standards and overall patient experience. Our five hospitals and eleven clinics provide excellence in our comprehensive services, medical advancement, and overall patient outcomes.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Assists the patient with feeding, drinking, ambulating, grooming, toileting, dressing, socializing and unit specific technical skills.
• Reinforces or assists in educating and teaching patients/significant other(s) as delegated by the professional care provider.
• Collects, reports and documents data related to direct patient care activities.
• Assists with indirect patient care activities such as providing a clean, efficient and safe patient care environment, companion care, housekeeping, transporting of patients, and chaperoning the physician during patient examinations and procedures as needed.
• Performs unit specific duties and additional clerical duties as needed which may include stocking and maintaining clerical and patient supplies.
• Provides communication to hospital staff, physicians, patients, families, and visitors.
• Processes paper orders in the event of a downtime if working in the clerical role. Will enter "downtime occurrence order" and associated start and stop time in each patient record.
• May process electronic requests to order medical treatments and tests. May retrieve patient test and lab results.
• May schedule patient appointments.
• May maintain patient records and activity boards on unit as needed.
• May manage admits, discharges, and transfer functions per unit standard.
• May observe the cardiac monitor and notify the nursing and medical staff of any abnormal heart rhythm variances which indicate heart ischemia or an acute myocardial infarction.
• At the discretion of department operational and patient care needs, this position is required to work rotating schedules, which may include variable hours, weekends, nights, and holidays to meet the staffing and patient care demands of a 24/7 complex health system. Regular, reliable, and punctual attendance during assigned shifts is considered an essential function of the role.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Demonstrated availability to work variable and rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays, in a 24/7 patient care environment.

• Ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined above.

• Demonstrated human relation and effective communication skills.

• Demonstrated customer service skills. Ability to work in a busy environment.

• Demonstrated ability to use a multi-line phone system and utilize hospital paging system as needed.

• Ability to initiate appropriate action in emergency/crisis situations which require the incumbent to evaluate the crises and determine what the protocol is for each situation.

Qualifications

Required

• For those enrolled in a nursing program, incumbent has three months from completion of RN program to obtain an RN license. If an RN license is not obtained by the end of those three months, the incumbent must immediately obtain a current CNA certification.
• Individuals in this job code with an RN license must also have a CNA certification if they remain in it longer than three months.

Licenses Required

• Current RQI Healthcare Provider eCredential through the University of Utah Health RQI system. The eCredential is to be obtained within 30 days of hire.

• One of the following
  • Current certification as a Nursing Assistant with the State of Utah.
  • Completion of first round of clinical and current enrollment in approved nursing education program.

* Additional license requirements as determined by the hiring department.

Qualifications (Preferred)

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

Employee must be able to meet the following requirements with or without an accommodation.

• This position involves intermediate working conditions in a healthcare setting that may exert up to 100 pounds and may consistently require lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or otherwise moving patients or objects, such as medical equipment, while providing patient care. Workers in this position may be exposed to infectious diseases and may be required to function around prisoners or behavioral health patients.

Physical Requirements

Listening, Pulling and/or Pushing, Standing, Walking