Senior Registered Nurse - Emergency

Work schedule: Full-time Nights (36 hours/week), 7:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m., with rotating weekends and holidays.

Primary Purpose

A Registered Nurse with > 2 years of experience. The RN is a licensed professional who uses the Parkland nursing professional practice model to coordinate patient care delivery, that focuses on a particular patient population(s)/specific health condition, by the health care team. Using the nursing process, the RN assesses the patient, identifies nursing diagnoses based on responses to health problems, develops and implements an individualized plan of care, and evaluates the patient's response. The RN utilizes knowledge of patient needs and the healthcare environment to assist patients to transition through the healthcare encounter without any preventable complications or delays. The RN delegates interventions to health care personnel based on the Texas Nursing Practice Act, each patient's condition and the competencies of the employee.

Minimum Specifications:

Education

• Must be a graduate from an accredited school of nursing.

Experience

• Must have two (2) years of nursing experience.
• Highly prefer Emergency Room/Department experience providing direct bedside, patient care in a high-acuity, fast-paced hospital environment (excluding Med/Surg; ED Observation/Clinical Decision Units; Clinical Rotations as part of degree program, and/or LVN experience).

Certification/Registration/Licensure:

*Please Note: All certification cards must provide an expiration date. The expiration date must be more than 30 days from date of hire. Completion of course certificates will not substitute this requirement.

• Current/Valid State of TX RN license or temporary RN license or Compact RN license in good standing.
• Current/Valid Basic Life Support (BLS) healthcare provider certification card at time of hire, and the ability to maintain thereafter from one of the following: American Heart Association; American Red Cross; or Military Training Network.
• Current/Valid American Heart Association Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) or Advanced Life Support (ALS) certification card at time hire, and the ability to maintain thereafter from one of the following: American Heart Association; American Red Cross; or Military Training Network.
• Current/Valid Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) or Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC) certification card at time of hire, and the ability to maintain thereafter.
• Current/Valid Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC) or Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN) at time of interview, and the ability to maintain thereafter (Please be prepared to upload this certification at time of application submission).

Skills or Special Abilities

• Provides care for assigned patient population in accordance with the current State of Texas Nurse Practice Act, established protocols, multidisciplinary plan of care, and clinical area specific standards.
• Provides continuous assessment, consults with other team members as required and provides nursing care which demonstrates patient centered/patient valued care.
• Exercises independent judgment in providing nursing care.
• Must be able to demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and possess good oral and written communication skills.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with patients, families, and hospital staff in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Must be able to demonstrate the ability to provide direction to non-nursing staff, serve as a preceptor, and serve on rotation as a Charge Nurse.
• Must be able to prepare and conduct in-service educational programs.
• Must be able to demonstrate patient centered/patient valued behaviors.
• As applicable, will be required to demonstrate acceptable knowledge of nursing standards of care for specialty care areas.

Responsibilities

• Serves as a patient advocate, by focusing on patient needs, patient rights, confidentiality, and religious and cultural preferences. Maintains positive working relationships with all Parkland internal and external customers, employees, etc. Serves as a resource for patients and other healthcare team members. Utilizes effective verbal and non-verbal communication facilitating development of a therapeutic relationship and environment that promotes wellness. Provides patient care educational information and training to patient and family members. May serve as a resource for specific clinical patient care issues.
• Maintains and implements knowledge of applicable rules, regulations, policies, laws and guidelines that impact or govern nursing practice, and ensures the hospital and Parkland are in compliance. Develops effective internal controls that promote adherence to applicable state/federal laws and the program requirements of accreditation agencies and federal, state, and private health plans. Maintains and updates knowledge of sanitation, infection control, safety, supplies, equipment, appropriate utilization of supplies and materials.
• Performs appropriate patient assessments including continuous surveillance as indicated. Recognizes changes in patient's condition and provides appropriate interventions as necessary. Consults with other team members as required, notified providers to report changes in patient condition and implement orders in a timely manner. Exercises independent judgment in providing safe nursing care to the stable, critically unstable, and critically stable patients.
• Manage patients with Cardiovascular, Dental, Ear, Nose, Throat, Endocrine, Environmental, Facial, Genitourinary, Hematologic, Communicable and Infectious Disease, Ocular, Orthopedic, Respiratory, Toxicological and Trauma related injuries. Provides thorough assessments of these body systems and documents appropriately. Provides safe medication administration using the patient's six (6) rights, provides maintenance and management of intra-venous (IV) access, performs Point of Care (POC) testing, demonstrates safe infection control practices, invasive hemodynamic monitoring and provides emergency resuscitation management of patient.
• Completes appropriate documentation. Maintains accurate and timely entries and notations in patient care records and hospital documents. Ensures all records and documents meet the standards, goals, and objectives of the Emergency Department and Parkland.
• Works with other staff in providing directions to non-nursing staff. Participates in information exchanges with nursing and other Parkland staff that support the standards, missions, goals and objectives of the department and Parkland. Seeks and utilizes direction from more experience staff and team members as needed. Serves as Charge Nurse on rotation as necessary.
• Serves as a preceptor or trainer to newer nursing staff members.
• Prepares and conducts an in-service educational program for the Emergency Department at least once per year.
• Identifies ways to improve work process and improve patient and customer satisfaction. Makes recommendations to supervisor, implements and monitors results as appropriate in support of the overall goals of the Emergency Department and Parkland. May serve on various interdisciplinary committees as assigned.
• Stays abreast of the latest developments, advancements and trends in nursing practice by attending seminars/workshops, reading professional journals and actively participating in professional organizations. Maintains State of Texas Licensure as a Registered Nurse, plus any additional required licensures/certifications. Integrates knowledge gained into current work practices.