Job Description

Come be a part of a state of the art Hospital focused on balancing a fully accessible clinic, skilled nursing facility, and acute care hospital services. We strive for employee satisfaction and concentrate on ensuring our employees maintain physical, financial, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. We are offering competitive pay based on experience and supplemental benefit packages.

NPVMC provides the most up to date medical campus in Southeastern Wyoming. In addition to a 24-hour emergency room, NPVMC will offer advanced imaging including ultrasound, X-Ray, digital mammography, CT, Dexa Scan, and mobile MRI capabilities. The CAH features an inpatient pharmacy, laboratory services, and physical/occupational therapy. Staffed with both full time physician and mid-level providers, the hospital will provide a healthcare solution that services the community and offers convenience to medical services.

The Town of Saratoga itself offers a family friendly, small-town community nestled between the beautiful Rocky and Sierra Madre Mountains. The Platte Valley area is highly known for its breathtaking scenery which offer hiking, camping, blue ribbon fishing, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing to name a few. Within 20 miles you can be floating down the river, driving up the gorgeous Snowy Range, soaking in our famous natural hot springs, or walking through and exploring the Grand Encampment Museum. You and your family will quickly fall in love with the Valley’s charm.

North Platte Valley Medical Center is looking for an energetic, enthusiastic individual to assist in the daily planning and organizing of activity programs for North Platte Valley Medical Center Residents. 

Position Complexities

This person assists in planning, organizing, implementing and evaluating all recreational, social, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual programs.  The Activity Assistant provides therapeutic activities to residents that are designed to meet their interests to improve the psychosocial well-being of each resident. 

Performance Requirements

• Assists in developing, implementing, and maintaining an ongoing quality assurance program for the activities department.
• Assists with obtaining necessary equipment and supplies and provides for their accessibility through organized storage. Maintains Activities space in a clean and orderly manner that appears “homelike” and is safe for the residents, including proper placement of furniture and orderly storage of equipment and supplies in drawers, cupboards, closets, etc.  Performs additional cleaning tasks as assigned by Activity Coordinator.
• Performs administrative requirements, such as completing necessary forms, reports, etc., and submitting such to the Activity Coordinator as required.
• Assists Activity Coordinator with preparation for state inspections.  Interacts with long-term state or federal surveyors as instructed by Activity Coordinator.
• Refers residents/families to appropriate social services personnel when indicated.
• Participates with the Activity Coordinator and Administrator in developing a budget.
• Contributes to the facility’s efforts to maintain and/or improve quality of care through participation in the following:
• Gathers data from assigned residents to complete and update Activities Assessments and Care Plans and attends Care Plan meetings as requested.
• Serves as a member of any specified Committee as requested.
• Attends mandatory in-services and completes all facility-required training and skills competency.

Essential Job Functions

• The Activities Assistant will assist the Activities Coordinator in creating a monthly calendar of activities written in large print and posted in a prominent location that is visible to residents and visitors.
• The Activities Assistant will ensure that a copy of the monthly calendar of activities is placed in a prominent spot in each resident’s room.
• The Activities Assistant will interview residents or family members to obtain activity preferences by identifying ways to support residents’ individual needs and preferences, customary routines, concerns, and choices.  Communicates this information to the immediate supervisor and other caregivers as appropriate.
• The Activities Assistant will coordinate and assist residents in getting to activity locations within the facility.
• The Activities Assistant will assist in conducting scheduled activities to promote the physical, social, and mental well-being of residents.  Carries out individual and group activities that meet the functional levels, needs, and interests including cultural and religious interests of each resident. Assist with conducting in-room activities for those residents who benefit from one-on-one visits, provide activities to bed-bound residents and other residents confined to their rooms that reflect life-long interests (such as music, reading, visits with people of shared interest, and in-room projects), and that are appropriate to the individual’s functional abilities and level of participation.  Assists residents with these activities as needed.
• The Activities Assistant will document resident activity program attendance and ensure that all charted activity progress notes are informative, descriptive of the services provided, and indicate the resident’s response to the service, per the facility’s policy and as instructed by the Activity Coordinator.
• The Activities Assistant will observe resident mood, behavior, and degree of involvement in facility activities and report any changes or concerns to the Activities Coordinator.
• The Activities Assistant will involve residents and families in planning activities programs when possible.
• The Activities Assistant will coordinate and arrange for offsite field trips and transportation needs when necessary.
• The Activities Assistant will coordinate activities needs and requests with other departments in a courteous and timely manner to assure those daily activities can be performed without interruption.
• The Activities Assistant will assist with Resident/Family Council meetings as indicated

Personal Skills and Traits Desired/Physical Requirements/Working Conditions

• Effective verbal and written communication skills and ability to exercise judgment.
• Resourcefulness.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Positive attitude.
• Ability to be organized and efficient.
• Ability to respond to change productively and to handle additional tasks/projects within the allotted time.
• Basic computer skills.
• CPR licensed and trained in first aid.
• Ability to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.
• Must be a supportive team member, contribute to and be an example of teamwork.
• Ability to make independent decisions when circumstances warrant such action.
• Ability to deal tactfully with personnel, residents, family members, visitors, government agencies/personnel, and the general public.
• Must have patience, tact, and willingness to deal with difficult residents, family, and staff.
• Must be able to relay information concerning a resident’s condition.
• Must not pose a threat to the health and safety of other individuals in the workplace.
• Must be able to move intermittently and multi-task throughout the workday.
• Meet general health requirements according to facility policy, including medical and physical exams and checking immunity status to various infectious diseases.
• Ability to work beyond normal working hours and on weekends and holidays when necessary.
• Able to arrive and begin work on time and to report for duty as scheduled on all shifts, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability to assist in the evacuation of residents during emergencies. Must be knowledgeable of the emergency and disaster procedures of the facility.  Able to locate the nearest exit, to understand and respond to written or oral instruction in case of emergency.
• Ability to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, perform overhead lifting, reaching and perform other common physical movements as needed for the position. Must have sufficient mobility and strength to move freely through the building, to always assure resident safety, and to assist, transfer, pushing residents in their wheelchairs, or otherwise move residents out of danger in case of emergency. Must be able to stand in one place for long periods.  Must be able to safely maneuver when decorating or assisting residents in or out of the facility van, including climbing and balancing.
• Must be able to adequately understand communications and understand when to use lower tones when speaking to hearing-disabled and when not to use high-pitched, loud tones.  Must be able to verbally communicate with residents, staff, and families. Must be able to recognize residents and their needs.
• Ability to maintain composure in stressful situations.  This job cannot be performed without exposure to the stresses associated with the intimate, 24-hour residential care environment that delivers care and services primarily to disabled and cognitively impaired residents.  Examples of these stresses include, but are not limited to shift rotation, weekend, and holiday duty, unusual or impaired behavior by residents, family reactions to having a loved one in the nursing home, death and dying, oversight of state surveyors, ombudsman, and federal officials, presence of consultants and attorneys, and variable involvement of medical staff.

Physical, and Ergonomic Requirements/Working Conditions

• Ability to lift up to 50+ pounds
• Ability to push residents in wheelchairs up to 50+ pounds
• Stooping/Bending: 200+ times a day for brief periods  
• Ability to stand for long periods of time.

 

• Education : High School Diploma or its equivalent
• Work Experience: One year of supervised experience in a health care setting providing therapeutic activities to individuals, either volunteer or paid staff, preferred. Previous experience preferable with knowledge of medical record terminology
• Certifications: CNA Certification Required, BLS Certification
• Job Type : Full-Time

North Platte Valley Medical Center benefits include:

• Simple IRA matching
• Dental insurance
• Disability insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid orientation
• Paid sick time
• Paid time off
• IRA Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Please Note

• Freedom from drugs and effects of the use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace.
• Persons who have been found guilty by a court of law of abusing, neglecting, or mistreating individuals in a health care-related setting, or who have been found guilty of embezzlement, are ineligible for employment in this position.
• All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a negative drug screen test*, criminal background check, reference checks, infection prevention procedures (TB test, Flu Shot, immunization records, etc.) and acknowledgement of policies.

Job Tags

Holiday work, Full time, Work experience placement, Immediate start, Shift work, Weekend work, All shifts,

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