Attender

Role Overview

Attender at NMC Healthcare. The role assists in the delivery of patient care under the direction of the registered nurse and contributes to the hospital environment and the well-being of patients, families, and team members as a member of the nursing team.

Role Purpose

To support nursing staff in the delivery of safe, compassionate patient care and to maintain a clean, safe, and organized hospital environment that prioritizes patient safety and satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

Patient Care Support

• Assist patients with non-medical care and ward-related duties as directed and under supervision of the nurse.
• Respond quickly to patient or family requests for assistance, prioritizing patient safety and satisfaction.
• Attend call bells in the department and alarms in patient rooms, reporting promptly to the nurse.
• Conduct hourly patient rounding to follow up on patient comfort and any assistance needed.
• Assist the nurse with patient hygiene, elimination, mobility, physical comfort, eating and drinking needs while observing and reporting any changes to the licensed nurse.
• Assist nurses in obtaining patient height and weight measurements.
• Effectively assist nurses in maintaining patient elimination.
• Escort stable patients by wheelchair or assist nurses with bed transport to and from the Radiology Department and other departments.
• Assist nurse to transport patients to the operation theatre.
• Accompany discharged patients to the exit point and assist them safely into their cars; transport maternity patients by wheelchair.

Room and Environment Management

• Prepare and clean patient rooms for admission and discharge, ensuring all needed supplies such as tissue papers and water are provided.
• Report to the nurse or In-charge any lost or broken items or equipment when cleaning the room after discharge.
• Ensure biomedical equipment is cleaned after discharge, returned in good condition to the equipment room, and plugged in.
• Assist in maintaining cleanliness in all areas including patient rooms and nursing stations; ensure surfaces, computers, and phones are cleaned daily and regularly throughout the shift.
• Complete the daily environment checklist for all department rooms.
• Maintain cleanliness of the pantry and collaborate with the nurse and dietary team to ensure no extra trays are kept if not needed.
• Ensure curtains in the department are well maintained and sent for wash as indicated by hospital policy; maintain a record and ensure extra curtains are available for replacement.

Cleaning, Disinfection, and Equipment Management

• Clean trolleys used before and after patient care and replace all consumables used.
• Know hospital-approved disinfectants and their indications for usage in the department.
• Clean biomedical equipment in accordance with NMC RH Khalifa City policy.
• Make sure Oxygen cylinders are arranged properly, fixed in their stand, and report to nurses when empty.
• Check monthly CSSD sets for expiry date and report any damage to packaging.

Collaboration and Housekeeping

• Collaborate with the housekeeping team to maintain department cleanliness and the children's play area.
• Check hand sanitizers at the beginning of the shift and inform housekeeping when replacement is needed.
• Ensure cleanliness of the soiled utility room and collaborate with the laundry department when hampers are full; maintain a record of all linen in hampers by type and quantity.
• Collect clean linen from laundry.

Supply, Storage, and Inventory Management

• Assist in maintenance of supply and storage areas with regular cleaning of supply boxes based on department routine or at least once per month when checking stock.
• Maintain a record of all borrowed items and follow up with concerned departments to return items when finished to prevent loss.
• Collect general and stationary items from store and medications from pharmacy.
• Work together with nurses for the completion of departmental inventories.

Waste and Specimen Management

• Transport specimens to laboratory.
• Replace sharp containers when two-thirds filled or when the expiry date is due per hospital policy.
• Comply with waste management and transmission-based precautions policies and procedures.
• Transport instruments for sterilization to CSSD following item count by nurses and collect sterilized items back to areas from CSSD.

Outpatient Department Support

• Liaise with nurses and patients in the OPD setting to support patient satisfaction, provide updates on bed availability and waiting times.

Safety, Compliance, and Professional Development

• Comply with patient confidentiality as per hospital policy.
• Comply with all occupational safety and health (OSH) and infection control policies, standards, and procedures and cooperate with hospital management to meet those requirements.
• Work in accordance with documented OSH procedures, instructions, and specific responsibilities.
• Be familiar with emergency and evacuation procedures.
• Be familiar with patient safety goals applicable to daily activities.
• Notify nurses of OSH hazards, incidents, near misses, or any concerns.
• Use appropriate personal protective equipment and safety systems.
• Attend applicable OSH and infection control training programs, mock drills, and awareness programs.
• Participate in any scheduled educational activities.

Additional Duties

• Act as a messenger as required.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Demonstrated motivation to work in a healthcare environment.

Skills & Competencies

• Intermediate English skills preferred.
• Spoken Arabic advantageous.