State of Maryland

DIRECT CARE TRAINEE (#004001)

- Hourly / - BiWeekly /
- Monthly / $37,112.00-$60,878.00 Yearly


GRADE

ASTD9

CLASS ATTRIBUTES

SKILLED SERVICE     BARGAINING UNIT: D       OVERTIME ELIGIBLE     NCP  

NATURE OF WORK

A Direct Care Trainee is the entry level of work assisting in the care, treatment, habilitation or rehabilitation of mentally or physically ill patients, or developmentally disabled clients in State treatment facilities or community based programs.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from nursing staff or another designated healthcare administrator.  Employees may be assigned to day, evening, night or rotating shifts which may include holidays and weekends.  Employees are subject to call-in and overtime based on staffing needs.  The work involves the lifting and positioning of patients or clients and the lifting of wheelchairs and other heavy objects.

Positions in this classification are evaluated using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Direct Care Trainee, Direct Care Assistant I and Direct Care Assistant II levels are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Direct Care Trainee learns to perform duties under close supervision.  The Direct Care Assistant I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The Direct Care Assistant II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

EXAMPLES OF WORK

Participates in training programs designed to develop the skills, knowledge, abilities, and attitudes necessary for the treatment and care of patients or clients in State facilities;

Learns to observe, report, and record information related to patient or client behaviors and appearances into clinical records;

Learns to provide activities of daily living including nourishment, personal hygiene, and grooming;

Learns the techniques for lifting and positioning patients/clients;

Learns to carry out procedures for the safety of oneself and patients or clients who may pose a danger to themselves and others;

Learns to interact with and encourage patients or clients to participate in prescribed activities;

Learns to participate in team meetings where individual program plans (IPP), goals and treatment strategies are set or modified;

Learns the procedures for attending to client infections and disposing of infectious waste;

Learns to drive or escort patients or clients to daily activities;

Learns to collect patient specimens, charts, x-rays and other data and delivers them to appropriate locations on and off the facility;

Learns to take and record vital signs, dispose of soiled laundry and clean accidental spillage;

Learns to assists licensed staff in carrying out prescribed treatment programs;

Performs other related duties.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Ability to learn and understand medical terminology, procedures, practices and notation;

Ability to learn techniques used in teaching self-help skills and the application of goal planning principles;

Ability to learn the provisions and applications of patient or client Bill of Rights;

Ability to comprehend and follow instructions and maintain confidential information;

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide and work with fractions;

Ability to make and clearly describe observations;

Ability to learn how to carry out safety procedures;

Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with patients and clients and their family members, supervisors, and staff;

Ability to communicate effectively with patients, clients, supervisors, co-workers and the general public.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: None.

Notes:

1. Applicants may substitute experience in patient/client direct care for the required education on a year-for-year basis for up to four years of the required education.

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in Hospital Corpsman classifications or Health Care Specialist and Medical Services specialty codes in the health related field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.  

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

1. Candidates for positions in this classification must possess and maintain a current certificate as a Nursing Assistant from the Maryland State Board of Nursing OR within sixty days from the date of hire and prior to performing delegated nursing tasks, must have successfully completed a Board of Nursing approved Nursing Assistant training program and received certification as a Nursing Assistant from the Board of Nursing.

2. Employees in this classification located in facilities that provide long term care for the aged may be required to possess or obtain a Geriatric Aide certificate.

3. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator's license valid in the State of Maryland.

4. Some employees in this classification may be required to operate vans which require a specific motor vehicle operator's license valid in the State of Maryland. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess the appropriate motor vehicle operator's license.

5. Employees in this classification may be required to successfully complete training in and maintain a current cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Employees in this classification must successfully complete an in-service training program approved by the hiring facility prior to permanent appointment to a position in this classification.

2. Employees in this classification are subject to call-in and, therefore, will be required to provide the facility with a telephone number at which they can be reached.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit D, Health and Human Service Nonprofessionals classes.  As provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.   An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification. 

Date Revised

1/1/2015 

Approved By

Director, Division of Classification and Salary

CLASS: 004001; REV: 7/1/2020;

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