MA - Gardner, MA - Registered Nurse, ICU, 36-hour, Day, 7:00 am - 7:30 pm, every 3rd weekend and holiday, Monday - Sunday schedule

Intensive Care / Coronary Nurse (ICU)

Essential Functions:

Assess and reassess, plan, implement, and evaluate nursing interventions/plans of care/patient goals. Provide patient care based on standards of care, standards of practice, protocols, and established policies and procedures. Respect each patient as an individual; provide care that fosters the patient's sense of dignity and positive self-regard. Provide patient/family teaching based on identified learning needs, readiness to learn, and barriers to learning. Collaboratively plan and prepare patient/family for discharge incorporating support systems/resources as necessary. Appropriately delegate and supervise nursing interventions performed by others. Appropriately prioritize patient care (e.g. seek assistance as needed from appropriate resources, reassign personnel as necessary, recognize need for emergency intervention, etc.). Provide thorough, timely, and accurate documentation of all pertinent data, therapeutic interventions and patient responses according to established standards. Provide timely and thorough report on assigned patients to other health care team members to ensure integration of services and continuity of patient care. Promote learning for colleagues and self (e.g. functions as preceptor, instructor, trainer, attends professional development programs, etc.). Proactively identify risk to patient safety and identify opportunities to reduce medical/health care errors (i.e. appropriate reporting of errors/incidents). Identify ethical issues in care and develop plan to address. Safely administer medications and intravenous therapy in accordance with physician's orders, protocols, policies and procedures. Assess patient pain level upon admission and as necessary, depending upon diagnosis utilizing the numerical pain scale. Reassess effectiveness of pain control and notify physicians as needed, as well as, document assessment and patients' response to medication. Perform accurate and timely identification of cardiac arrhythmias. Perform accurate and timely interpretation of EKG configuration changes (i.e. PR interval, ST segment). Institute, monitor, and document thrombolytic and anticoagulation therapy standards and protocols. Demonstrate knowledge of mechanical ventilation (e.g. modes, settings, and adjuncts associated with mechanical ventilation. Demonstrate skills associated with initiation, maintenance, and care of the intubated patient including, suctioning, troubleshooting, and weaning. Accurately interpret arterial blood gases, pulse oximetry, and clinical features of impaired gas exchange and/or airway clearance. Demonstrate understanding of hemodynamic monitoring procedures, set up equipment, assist with arterial artery and central vein cannulation. Safely administer vasoactive medications demonstrating understanding of dosage, action, use, side effects, and titration parameters associated with maintenance of critical drips. Provide ongoing assessment and monitoring of the patient in the immediate post-operative phase according to established standards and protocols. Demonstrate appropriate interventions related to potential problems/complications during the recovery phase of general, regional, spinal, or conscious sedation. Responsible for obtaining supporting information and completing required documentation related to medication reconciliation for use by the Attending MD. Responsible for implementing components of the VAP bundle consistently and per protocol. Responsible for alerting the Nurse Manager/Director/Nursing Supervisor if there is a deviation from VAP bundle by Attending MD for case review and follow up as indication. Participate actively in daily multi-disciplinary rounds for planning, coordinating, implementing and evaluating patient care.

Job Requirements:

Minimum Education: Graduate of accredited school of nursing

Minimum Experience: 1 yr med-sug experience preferred, Previous telemetry experience required, ICU experience preferred

Minimum Licenses and Certifications: Current MA RN License, ACLS upon hire OR must hold an active BLS card and obtain AHA ACLS within 60 days of hire, CCRN preferred

Functional Demands:

Physical Requirements: Exerts 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Frequently reaches (extending hands and arms in any direction), handles (seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or working with hands), and feels (perceiving attributes of items such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by means of fingertips). Occasionally stoops (bending the body downward and forward by bending the spine at the waist), and kneels (bending the legs at knee to come to rest on knee or knees).

Behavioral Attributes: The following behavioral attributes are required: achievement motivation, concern for order, flexibility, initiative, self-confidence, customer service oriented, interpersonal effectiveness, teamwork, analytical thinking and information seeking.