Patient Education

Are you a teacher at heart? Empower our patients to understand their care!

Purpose & Impact of Position: Provide patient education, support, and referral resources to patients as recommended by provider(s)

Qualifications/Requirements: 

• 1+ days/month 9:30 a.m. -3:30 p.m. 
• RN, LPN, or trained with clinical knowledge in another capacity (license unneeded)
• Basic computer skills 

Location(s): On-site clinics (Athens, Crab Orchard, Decatur, Gatlinburg, Rutledge, Washburn) and/or remote if telehealth
# Volunteers in this position at each clinic: 1

Location of Needed Items: patient educational handouts in drawers, printing of educational documents from Athena, and resource binder in cabinet

Position Details:

• Most important for every position is treating each person with dignity and respect and establishing a compassionate environment by providing emotional and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families as needed
• Builds rapport with each patient to help him/her feel comfortable coming to the clinic, while also respecting each patient’s time and that the clinic needs to maintain patient flow
• Maintains and ensures patient privacy
• Arrives before beginning of clinic for announcements and group prayer
• Upon arrival at the site obtains needed items, sets up station, and logs into Athena
• Greets and introduces self to the patient and completes the following (more details on Athena training page):
  • Asks patient to state his/her DOB to confirm correct chart
  • Reviews, offers, and documents patient education, support, and referral resources as recommended by provider (this may be verbal from provider or on checkout screen - educational materials are dependent upon patient diagnosis, medications, and/or risk factors)
  • Ensures that the patients understand how/when to take medications and possible side effects  
  • Facilitates resources to other supplemental patient services (I.e. KAPA for imaging/specialists or Lion's Club for vision checks and/or new glasses)
• When needed, assists in dispensing medications (confirm right patient, right medication, right dose, review allergies, etc.), patient signs form, and places form in 3-ring binder located in lab area
• Schedules follow-up appointments and gives appointment reminder cards
  • Note: Telehealth is scheduled only on Wednesdays and Fridays (except first Wednesday of the month) and only 1 telehealth appointment per time slot (max of 7 telehealth appointments per day). When telehealth is for a Spanish-speaking patient, please schedule both translator and patient together and include this in the schedule notes.
• Prints patient care summary when requested by patients
• Completes check-out process
• Provides other assistance or support when needed
• Coordinates with Site Manager and Nurse Manager regarding any concerns, issues, and/or needs throughout clinic day
• At end of shift: 
  • Cleans/reorders and helps reload clinic
  • Records any needed supplies on restocking sheet and/or makes needs list (when necessary) and gives to Nurse Manager or Site Manager
  • Signs Volunteer Service Hours log and returns badge

All St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic volunteers must complete the Volunteer Application, attend a Volunteer Orientation, and complete the Safe Environment training.