REGISTERED NURSE, RN - STEP DOWN UNIT

Registered Nurse

The RN assesses, plans, implements and evaluates the care for a designated group of patients. The RN coordinates, directs and actively participates as an effective member of the interdisciplinary health care team, contributing to the efficient operation of the unit and promoting positive patient outcomes.

Essential Job Functions

• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending education workshops, review professional publications, establish personal networks, and participate in professional societies.
• Assure quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards, measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards, making or recommending necessary adjustments, and following system/hospital and nursing division's philosophies and standards of care set by state board of nursing, state nurse practice act, and other governing agency regulations.
• Protect patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
• Document patient care services by charting in patient and department records.
• Maintain continuity among nursing teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs using Nurse Knowledge Exchange techniques.
• Maintain patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
• Identify patient care requirements by establishing personal rapport with potential and actual patients, and other persons in a position to understand care requirements.
• Establish a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.
• Promote patient's independence by establishing patient care goals, teaching patient/family to understand condition, medications, and self-care skills, and answering questions.
• Maintain safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules and regulations; calling for assistance from health care support personnel.
• Resolve patient problems and needs by utilizing multidisciplinary team strategies.
• Maintain a cooperative relationship among health care teams by communicating information, responding to requests, building rapport, and participating in team continuous quality improvement and problem-solving methods.
• Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
• Ensure operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements by following manufacturer's instructions, troubleshooting malfunctions, calling for repairs, maintaining equipment inventories, and evaluating new equipment and techniques.
• Maintain nursing supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level, anticipating needed supplies, placing and expediting orders for supplies, verifying receipt of supplies, and using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results.
• The Registered Nurse provides direct oversight of the GN, LPN, Technical Partner, ALS Technician, Nurse Extern and Unit Clerks. This oversight includes the Registered Nurse conducting the initial comprehensive assessment and interpreting the assessment to initiate the interprofessional plan of care. This oversight includes supervision of the delegation of duties that are within the scope and capability of the care team supervised.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Specialty Job Functions

• Demonstrates the ability to interpret and treat arrhythmias in ICU.
• Reviews rhythm strips.
• Demonstrates appropriate treatment of arrhythmia.
• Utilizes appropriate protocols for administration of drugs for treatment of arrhythmias.
• Demonstrates the ability to care for a patient requiring ventilator support.
• Demonstrates ability to care for patient receiving invasive monitoring, not limited to Swan Ganz catheters, but including A-lines and CVP monitoring

Required Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited Nursing Program required.

• Strong leadership ability, good organizational skills, independent and critical thinking skills, sound judgment, and knowledge of legal aspects and liability of nursing practice.
• Strong ability to communicate complex and/or controversial topics and concepts to a wide and diverse audience.
• A Nursing refresher course may be required if employee hasn't worked in an acute care setting for his / her most recent three consecutive years of professional employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Nursing preferred.
• Critical Care Experience
• Open Heart Experience
• One (1) year Med/Surg or PCU experience.

License, Certification & Clearances

• Current licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Pennsylvania required.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) approved curriculum of the American Heart Association (CPR and AED) program required.
• Act 33 with renewal
• Act 34 with renewal
• Act 73 FBI Clearance
• Current ACLS or completion within one (1) year of hire/transfer date into department
• NIH Stroke Scale – current or within six (6) months of hire/transfer into department.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities, but may serve as a coach and mentor for other positions in the department.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Incumbents will be scheduled based on operational need (rotate shifts, standby, on-call, etc.).
• Travel may be expected locally between Independence Health locations.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Independence Health and its affiliated companies are Equal Opportunity Employers. It is their policy to prohibit discrimination of any type and to afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, or genetic information, or any other classification protected by law. Independence Health and its affiliated companies will comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

Disclaimer

This job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Moreover, duties, responsibilities and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Work Environment

Effective March 2020 or during pandemic: goggles, face shield and mask are required according to CDC guidelines

When lift requirement is in excess of 50#, lift assistance (2 person) and/or transfer device is required.Essential – Absolute Necessity.Marginal – Minimal Necessity.Constantly – 5.5 to 8 hours or more or 200 reps/shift.Frequently – 2.5 to 5.5 hours or more or 32-200 reps/shift.Occasionally – 0.25 to 2.5 hours or 2-32 reps/shift.Rarely – Less than 0.25 hours or less than 2 reps/shift. - Physical Condition - Essential - Marginal - Constantly - Frequently - Occasionally - Rarely - Never

Extreme Heat - x

Extreme Cold - x

Heights - x

Confined Spaces - x

Extreme Noise(>85dB) - x

Mechanical Hazards - x

Use of Vibrating Tools - x

Operates Vehicle (Company) - x

Operates Heavy Equipment - x

Use of Lifting/Transfer Devices - x - x

Rotates All Shifts - x - x

8 Hours Shifts - x - x

10-12 Hours Shifts - x - x

On-Call - x - x

Overtime(+8/hrs/shift; 40/hrs/wk) - x - x

Travel Between Sites - x

Direct Patient Care - x - x

Respirator Protective Equipment - x - x

Eye Protection - x - x

Head Protection (hard hat) - x

Hearing Protection - x

Hand Protection - x - x

Feet, Toe Protection - x

Body Protection - x - x

Latex Exposure - x - x

Solvent Exposure - x

Paint (direct use) Exposure - x

Dust (sanding) Exposure - x