Registered Nurse - Critical Care Unit

Job Description:

JOB DESCRIPTION

The position description is a guide to the critical duties and essential functions of the job, not an all-inclusive list of responsibilities, qualifications, physical demands, and work environment conditions. Position descriptions are reviewed and revised to meet the changing needs of the organization.

TITLE: Registered Nurse

JOB OVERVIEW: The staff RN is a licensed professional who assumes responsibility and accountability for a group of patients for a designated time frame. This individual provides safe, quality care to these patients utilizing the nursing process as the basis for clinical practice.

DEPARTMENT: Any patient care area.

WORK HOURS: Assigned tour of duty hours.

REPORTS TO: NurseManager/Assistant Nurse Manager

PREREQUISITES:

• BSN preferred.

• Current licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in the state of Washington.

• Successful completion of a graduate nurse residency program orientation or six months' experience as a Registered Nurse.

• Current BLS certification through American Heart Association or American Red Cross.

• Preferred for advancement to charge nurse role:

• BSN

• Experience-Two years' practice in clinical nursing/leadership in area of responsibility preferred

• Unit specific prerequisites-see addendum.

GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• Demonstrates leadership skills with ability to lead and manage a team, utilize clinical judgment, clinical inquiry, innovation, and systems thinking.

• Able to communicate effectively in oral and written form.

• Adheres to the Professional Appearance Policy.

• Demonstrates effective interpersonal skills that are community-centered, compassionate, and meets the needs of diverse and vulnerable populations.

• Ability to communicate and work effectively with the physical and emotional development of all age groups.

• Practices in a caring environment with excellent customer service skills.

• Functions within ANA Standards and Nurse Practice Act.

• Ability to access information and communicate in an electronic environment including but not limited to the use of order entry, e-mail, and computer documentation skills.

• Self-directed in advancing professional practice through continuing education and research.

UNIQUE PHYSICAL/MENTAL DEMANDS, ENVIRONMENT AND WORKING CONDITIONS:

Must be able to provide safe patient handling as defined in VMC's Safe Patient Handling guidelines and policies to safely and appropriately transfer or move patients (or objects) of varying abilities, weights, and amounts of staff assistance. Must be able to lift from the floor to overhead levels and carry items at waist level weight up to 40 pounds. Requires ability to participate in team lifting. Must be able to operate patient lifting equipment and patient handling devices accurately and safely. Requires the ability to stoop, bend, reach, crouch, and squat. Requires standing and walking for extensive periods of time as required for patient care, moving patients or supplies to other units, hourly rounding, bedside shift report and other nursing duties. Requires full body range of motion including ability to reach from floor to overhead levels, manual and finger dexterity and eye-hand coordination. Requires corrected vision, hearing to normal range, and ability to distinguish colors.

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Generic Job Functions:See Generic Job Description for Clinical Partner.

• Essential Responsibilities and Competencies:

• Assesses, guides, directs, and facilitates workflow on the unit. Recognizes when it is necessary for the charge nurse to assume a patient assignment and assumes that role.

• Make staff assignments that reflect patient acuity, continuity of patient care, staff competency and the necessity of admit, transfer and discharge activity inherent on all clinical units.

• Mentors staff, float, and agency personnel regarding unit/department/hospital policies, procedures/standards and annual goals and objectives.

• Integrates new staff and agency staff into the culture of the unit.

• Functions as a leader and role model for clinical staff.

• Acts as clinical resource to unit staff. Demonstrates safe use of patient care equipment and can teach others to use equipment safely.

• Identifies as a resource for other care teams as necessary.

• Monitors and evaluates nursing care given to each patient, by direct observation, consultation, and patient rounds.

• Assesses unit/environmental safety during patient rounds and reports/corrects deficiencies.

• Maintains awareness of Joint Commission standards, state codes, and practice acts. Routinely monitors documentation, compliance with standards, and facilitates rapid turn-around cycles.

• Demonstrates excellent customer service skills.

• Responds to patient and family concerns/complaints.

• Reports significant events (patient/staff/physician/visitor) to administrative supervisors/manager and activates the chain of command per policy.

• Provides input into performance appraisal of clinical staff on assigned shift by documenting feedback and/or communicating concerns to manager/supervisor.

• Evaluates and provides adequate coverage for breaks.

• Maintains fiscal responsibility by monitoring and adjusting staffing during shift and determines staffing needs for the following shift by utilizing sound clinical judgment.

• Accepts personal responsibility to maintain competencies for direct patient care and team leadership.

• Communicates and collaborates with bed placement and the clinical resource to ensure clinical placement is expedited.

DEPARTMENT OF PATIENT CARE SERVICES

CLINICAL PARTNER-REGISTERED NURSE

Created: 4/15/98

Revised: 1/09, 1/10, 1/12, 1/13, 10/15, 5/21, 8/21, 3/22, 9/22, 6/25, 2/26

FLSA: NE

CLINICAL PARTNER ADDENDUM - Registered Nurse

Unit Specific Requirements

• Admit and Discharge

  ACLS & PALS within 3 months of hire

  Preferred experience in perianesthesia, admit & discharge or 1 year med/surg nursing experience

• CCU/ED Float Pool RN

• ACLS & PALS within 3 months of hire

• NIHSS certification within 3 months of hire

• TNCC within 12 months of hire

• ENPC certification within 12 months of hire

• One year of experience in Emergency and/or Critical Care nursing experience required

• Clinical Administrative Resource (CAR)

• ACLS & PALS within 3 months of hire

• NIHSS certification within 3 months of hire

• Minimum of one, but prefer two, years of experience in Critical Care, PACU, or Emergency Services

• Critical Care/Resident

• ACLS within 3 months of hire

• NIHSS certification within 3 months of hire

• Minimum of one year of experience in Emergency/Critical Care nursing required

• Electrophysiology

• Two years of EP Lab and/or Cath Lab experience preferred

• Registered Cardiac Electrophysiology Specialist preferred

• Emergency Department RN/Resident

• ACLS & PALS within 3 months of hire

• NIHSS certification within 3 months of hire

• TNCC within 12 months of hire

• ENPC certification within 12 months of hire

• One year of experience in Emergency nursing preferred or successful completion of ED residency

• Endoscopy

• ACLS within 3 months of hire

• Preferred 6 months of previous experience in endoscopy, or 1 year med/surg nursing experience

• General Medicine

• Chemotherapy Certification obtained within 12 months of hire (Not a requirement for General Medicine Per Diems)

• Labor & Delivery/Resident

• NRP within 3 months of hire

• ACLS within 3 months of hire

• Intermediate or Advanced Fetal Monitoring Certification (AWHONN) or C-EFM certification

• Six months of labor and delivery experience as an RN or successful completion of residency

• Main OR Perioperative

• Successful completion of OR nurse residency or 1 year minimum previous OR experience

• Maternal Child Float Pool

• NRP within 3 months of hire

• Minimum 1 year of experience in mother baby, level II NICU including CPAP

• Must be competent to perform patient assignments in mother baby care, and level II NICU including CPAP within 6 months of hire

• Medical-Surgical

• 3 months of Med/Surg RN experience or successful completion of a residency program

• Medical-Surgical Float Pool

• ECG interpretation course within 6 months of hire

• 1 year experience of Med/Surg nursing

• Medical-Surgical Neurology/Stroke Unit

• ECG interpretation course within 6 months of hire

• NIHSS certification within 3 months of hire

• 8 hours of Neuro education within 12 months of hire and annually thereafter

• Mother Baby/Resident

  NRP within 3 months of hire

  Six months of mother baby experience as a Registered Nurse or successful completion of residency

• Neonatal Intensive Care RN/Resident

• NRP within 3 months of hire

• Six months' Level II NICU experience or successful completion of a NICU residency program

• Oncology RN

• Successful completion of The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Oncology Fundamentals course within 3 months of hire

• Successful completion of The ONS Chemotherapy Biotherapy course and VMC clinical chemotherapy competencies within 3 months of hire

• Oncology Certification (OCN) for all RNs who administer chemotherapy within 3 years of hire

• Perioperative Resource Team

• ACLS & PALS within 3 months of hire

• Completion of PRT orientation within 12 months of hire

• Preferred PACU nursing experience

• Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)

• ACLS & PALS within 3 months of hire

• Preferred ED, PACU, ICU or 2 years med/surg nursing experience with cardiac telemetry

• SPCU RN

• ACLS within 3 months of hire

• Experience in Interventional Radiology and/or procedural setting preferred

• Experience in Emergency, Cardiac, and/or Critical Care, preferred

• STAT RN

• ACLS & PALS within 3 months of hire

• Minimum of one, but prefer two, years of experience in Critical Care or Emergency Services

• NIHSS certification within 3 months of hire

• Surgical Joint/Spine

• Orthopedic certification within 3 years of hire

• Minimum of one year of medical-surgical experience preferred

Job Qualifications:

PREREQUISITES:

• BSN preferred.

• Current licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in the state of Washington.

• Successful completion of a graduate nurse residency program orientation or six months' experience as a Registered Nurse.

• Current BLS certification through American Heart Association or American Red Cross.

• Preferred for advancement to charge nurse role:

• BSN

• Experience-Two years' practice in clinical nursing/leadership in area of responsibility preferred

• Unit specific prerequisites-see addendum.

GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• Demonstrates leadership skills with ability to lead and manage a team, utilize clinical judgment, clinical inquiry, innovation, and systems thinking.

• Able to communicate effectively in oral and written form.

• Adheres to the Professional Appearance Policy.

• Demonstrates effective interpersonal skills that are community-centered, compassionate, and meets the needs of diverse and vulnerable populations.

• Ability to communicate and work effectively with the physical and emotional development of all age groups.

• Practices in a caring environment with excellent customer service skills.

• Functions within ANA Standards and Nurse Practice Act.

• Ability to access information and communicate in an electronic environment including but not limited to the use of order entry, e-mail, and computer documentation skills.

• Self-directed in advancing professional practice through continuing education and research.