PreOp PACU Registered Nurse

Pre-op/PACU Registered Nurse

Delivers patient care utilizing the nursing process through data collection and assessment, identifies and determines the priority of patient's problems/needs, and evaluates the process and outcome of nursing care. Provides nursing care to meet patient needs related to surgical condition and type of anesthesia administered, monitoring patient and informing surgeon or anesthesiologist of observed complications.

Philosophy:

• Supports the facility's ideology, mission, goals, and objectives
• Performs in accordance with the facility's policies and procedures
• Follows the facility's standards for ethical business conduct
• Conducts self in a professional manner, and as a positive role model and team member
• Recognizes patients' rights and responsibilities and supports them in performance of job duties
• Respects patient rights to privacy, dignity, and confidentiality
• Participates in facility committees, meetings, in-services, inventory and activities
• Maintains professional relationships with management and medical staff

Communication:

• Communicates effectively and professionally with patients, visitors, physicians, and coworkers
• Interacts with others in a positive, respectful, and considerate manner

Financial practices:

• Uses facility resources appropriately and avoids wasteful practices
• Reports wasteful practices
• Analyzes work area and makes recommendations for potential cost-effective improvements

Compliance program:

• Contributes to the progress and development of the organization's adopted compliance program
• Performs according to established compliance policies and procedures

Performance-improvement program:

• Contributes to the progress and development of the organization's adopted performance-improvement program
• Performs according to established performance-improvement policies and procedures
• Objectively evaluates suggestions, grievances, and processes to identify opportunities to improve performance and quality of care
• Participates in data collection activities to support the performance-improvement program

Safety/Risk-management program:

• Adheres to safety policies and procedures in performing job duties and responsibilities
• Reports observed or suspected safety violations, hazards, and policy/procedure noncompliance to safety officer or other designated person

Professional competence:

• Participates in continuing education and other learning experiences
• Shares knowledge gained in continuing education with staff
• Maintains membership in relevant professional organizations
• Seeks new learning experiences by accepting challenging opportunities and responsibilities
• Welcomes suggestions and recommendations

Duties:

• Performs plan of care intervention, including medication administration, specimen collection, clinical treatments, as well as other medical care treatment.
• Documents patient care given. Monitors, records, and communicates patient condition as appropriate to care team, physician, patient, and family.
• Assists patients with performing activities of daily living, including personal hygiene, elimination, nutrition, and ambulation.
• Collaborates as needed across disciplines to coordinate patient care, including patient transfer, discharge, referral and spiritual/psychosocial support needs.
• Evaluates learning needs of patient and/or family and provides patient/family education appropriate to age, culture, condition, and circumstances throughout the perioperative process.
• Works as an advocate for the physical and emotional well-being of the patient.
• Assesses and cares for the surgical patient throughout the perioperative process by performing preadmission testing, preparing the patient day of surgery and providing care for Phase I, Phase II and Extended Level of Care after surgery.
• Uses equipment effectively by anticipating patient needs and providing appropriate care
• Confirms that proper techniques and procedures are used according to accepted standards of practice
• Assists in managing inventory of supplies, drugs, and equipment to maintain availability and stock levels
• Maintains order and cleanliness of the pre/post-operative area
• Performs safe and individualized nursing care for the patient in pre-op and immediate post-operative/post-anesthesia period
• Assesses and documents the patient's physical and emotional status upon arrival in the recovery room
• Documents post-anesthesia care and identity of second person in the recovery room during the patient's recovery from anesthesia/sedation according to approved policies and procedures
• Provides nursing care to meet patient needs related to surgical condition and type of anesthesia administered
• Monitors patients and informs surgeon or anesthetist of observed complications
• Performs thorough post-operative patient assessment prior to discharge of the patient
• Assists in assessing the physical and emotional status of the patient in preparation for discharge
• Develops a plan of care for the patient based on the assessment data
• Reviews post-operative instructions and prescriptions from the surgeon with patient and significant other and documents in the patient's medical record
• Informs patient and family about appropriate care and procedure to follow upon returning home
• Determines that patient and significant other understand conditions that require immediate care/method to obtain immediate care
• Provides comfort and reassurance to the patient and promotes privacy and dignity

Qualifications:

Cooperative work attitude toward co-employees, management, patients, visitors, and physicians

Ability to promote favorable facility image with physicians, patients, insurance companies, and general public

Ability to make decisions and solve problems

Requirements:

1. Graduate of accredited school of nursing
2. Registered Nurse with active license in the state of Kentucky
3. CPR, ACLS and PALS certification
4. Evidence of leadership qualities
5. Strong ethical and moral character references
6. Language skills adequate for high-level written, interpersonal and telephone communication

Preferred:

1. ASC experience
2. EPIC experience

Job quality requirements:

1. Accuracy
2. Attention to detail
3. Timeliness
4. Organization
5. Little supervision needed to accomplish tasks

Dependability:

1. Attendance
2. Punctuality
3. Ability to follow instructions
4. Ability to meet deadlines

Physical/mental requirements:

1. Ability to sit/stand for long periods; ability to walk
2. Capability for occasional overhead and low reaching
3. Physical strength for equipment needs and patient-care activities
4. Visual and auditory acuity for timely responsiveness and patient-care assessment activities
5. Ability to move quickly in response to patient needs
6. Ability to make frequent judgments and respond to routine problems
7. Ability to make occasional judgments and respond to disasters or emergencies, actual events, or drills

Working conditions (environmental):

1. Well lit and ventilated, with non-hazardous and hazardous equipment
2. Category III: involves occupational exposure to blood and other potentially infectious body fluids and materials

Reports to:

Clinical Director

Contacts:

1. Patients
2. Patients' family/significant others
3. Physicians and physician office personnel
4. Facility personnel
5. Vendors
6. Medical Director
7. Clinical Director