RN - MS

Registered Nurse

The RN implements professional nursing practice centered on the patient as a whole person and the creation of a caring environment focused on healing and wellness. Nursing practices are based on evidence and current research as well as hospital and department policies and procedures, regulatory standards, and professional guidelines. Clinical decision-making incorporates all four phases of the nursing process, critical thinking, and creativity. Nursing excellence is promoted through helping relationships among nursing staff and across other disciplines. Coordinating, ensuring, and providing direct patient care activities on the unit through the provision of nursing rounds, assessments, and treatments. Facilitating admission, transfer, and discharge activities. Providing patient and family-centered education, care coordination, and individualized treatment planning as applicable. Performs and documents a comprehensive assessment in accordance with the RN's scope of practice and hospital policies/procedures. Considers the patient's culture, age, and developmental level. Identifies patient risk factors and presenting complaints. Obtains patient health information from family or others as necessary. Collects objective/quantitative and subjective/qualitative data. Verifies initial admission assessment, if obtained by other members of the healthcare team. Develops a problem list, prioritizing patient needs based on input from the inter-professional team as appropriate. Design actions and interventions relevant to the patient's culture and age. Determines desired outcomes in coordination with the patient and family in accordance with the medical plan of care. Fully implements patient care therapies and procedures with empowerment and clinical autonomy within the scope of practice in accordance with established policies and procedures. Explains procedures, treatments, and processes to the patient and family. Initiates actions to alleviate patient stress and discomfort. Recognizes, responds to, and communicates changes in patient condition appropriately. Conducts and documents ongoing assessment and response to procedures and therapies using the nursing process according to hospital policy and established standards. Delegates tasks appropriately and oversees team members in the performance of activities regarding patient care. Monitors the accuracy and completeness of delegated patient care provided by other team members in implementation of the plan of care. Identifies and addresses educational needs of patients related to prioritized problems according to the level of comprehension. Facilitates the patient discharge process by executing discharge orders in a timely manner, identifying potential discharges, assuring the performance of discharge teaching. Provides input into patient/nurse assignments in consideration of available staffing, unit activity, and patient acuity. Demonstrates active participation in unit-based activities in support of organizational values/priorities. Promotes a positive group dynamic and healing environment through words and actions. Assures nursing excellence in accordance with accepted standards, evidence-based practice, current research, and a caring philosophy. Actively participates in department and/or unit quality improvement activities and core measures, such as patient satisfaction, patient falls, pressure ulcers, and auditing and monitoring of documentation. Uses a holistic perspective regarding patient care.