Registered Nurse - Outpatient

Job Description

General Statement of Job:


This position provides safe and effective nursing care and treatment to patients.? Employees are part of a managed care team and works collaboratively with ancillary personnel in the provision of proper medical services and treatment.? This position is responsible for assessing the patient, planning the care and evaluating the effectiveness of nursing interventions in accordance with established regulations, policies, nursing standards and medical instructions.


Essential Functions:


Provides nursing care to meet the needs of the patient population served as qualified; i.e., infant, child, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients.

Delivers patient care within defined clinic and emergency care standards for assessment, care planning, interventions, and reassessment, and delegates care appropriately to other team members and support staff.

Performs nursing care within the guidelines of the Relationship and Results Oriented Healthcare Model utilizing the recommended bundles of best practice.

Demonstrates understanding and commitment to mission, philosophy, standards, policies and procedures.? Recognizes all staff, physicians and visitors, as well as, patients as customers and provides courteous and respectful service.

Participates in the orientation and mentoring of new staff members recognizing importance of bringing new staff into a friendly and supportive work environment.

Provides mentoring and training to staff members as needed.

Maintains competencies and participates in required training and in-services for unit.


Ensures completion of continuing education requirements in subjects pertinent to nursing or position related information.

Assists manager and other staff members to maintain competence and skills for procedures assigned and assists in validation of skills and competence of new staff members prior to delegation of patient care.

Participates with team members and manager to identify opportunities for improvement in patient care processes.

Utilizes and ensures staff uses supplies efficiently, following infection control procedures, avoiding waste and follows patient charging procedures.

Serves as an example for team members in cost saving practices.

Follows the Universal Protocol for prevention of wrong site, wrong procedure and wrong person surgery.

Provides informed consent for procedures and aspects of care in accordance with policies, procedures and regulatory guidelines.

Utilizes patient care equipment safely, following clinic policy and procedure.? Reports any identified equipment breakdown or malfunction by clinic policy.? Maintains cleanliness of equipment after use.

Serves as a leader for change, positively promoting new systems and changes implemented which improves the clinic and the service provided to its patients.

Documents and reports any complaints from patients, physicians and visitors to supervisor as guided by clinic policies and procedures.?


Verifies that no medication discrepancies are present at the end of the shift.

Follows and adheres to EMTALA guidelines in arranging for transfer of a patient to another healthcare facility.

Screens all patients for the appropriate acuity and priority level in a timely manner.

Assesses each patient for potential abuse, suicidal or exploitation.? Reports to proper authority any concerns of abuse, neglect, suicide or exploitation.

Evaluates emotional needs of the patients with appropriate referrals.

Performs age appropriate initial assessment of all patients seen in the department.

Performs specialized patient assessments as needed.

Explains all procedures and care plans to patients, and as appropriate to family.? Ensures patient and/or family are educated for appropriate health maintenance.

Performs home medication reconciliation with the appropriate documentation.

Orders initial lab tests and x-rays by established protocols or per physician orders.? Ensures patients are appropriately prepared for tests.

Obtains and transcribes physician?s orders in a timely and accurate manner ensuring all tests are ordered appropriately and efficiently.

Completes assessments and documentation of all patients.

Assesses lung sound in patients to evaluate pulmonary status by auscultation.

Evaluates clinical/diagnostic reports and reports variances to the Physician and documents same.

Develops plan of care and patient focused goals with the patient and family as appropriate, ensuring patient understanding and involvement in their care.

Verifies any patient allergies prior to administration of medications.

Communicates effectively with other patient care providers and team members for efficiencies and safety of care through appropriate ordering procedures, preparing patients for surgery and other procedures, communicating fall potential and other risk identifiers.

Assesses each patients? pain and documents utilizing the approved pain scale.? Reviews with the Physician all critical lab values and documents patient?s plan of care.

Documents and maintains all patient care records and related required documentation.? Maintains records and communications with respect to patient?s privacy.

Maintains accurate and current record of patient?s care and response to care following the guidelines for appropriate electronic documentation.

Follows policies for administration of patient identification, documentation and taking telephone orders with read back and communication of critical values/diagnostic results.

Documents the administration of medicines including dosage, medicine route, medicine site, and patient's response as required in the documentation system.

Communicates and completes documentation for effective handoff of patients care (SBAR) for admission or transfer of patient to another health care facility.

Utilizes good communication skills, critical thinking and checkpoints for teamwork.? Provides patient information timely and effectively during shift report and with patient?s hand-offs.

Provides nursing care to patients with either hard or soft splinting devices; assesses circulation, mobility, and neurological status of patients.? Applies splints and bandages per physician?s orders.

Performs waived testing per policy and completes associated documentation.

Follows proper aseptic techniques in all medication preparation and administration.

Utilizes needle-less system in providing patient care as appropriate in accordance with policies, procedures and regulatory standards.

Collects specimens following clinic policy and procedure.

Utilizes personal protective equipment in performing duties where actual or potential exposure to hazardous conditions may be present.

Reports variances in care and/or medication administration for quality improvement.

Performs duties in accordance with pathogen transmission practices; i.e., follows hand washing procedures and utilizes protective equipment effectively.

Participates in the cleanliness of the work environment.

Follows the cleaning and disposal policies and procedures for all hazardous waste.

Follows guidelines for performance improvement and demonstrates understanding of participation in the Core Measures for the clinic and for documentation review and restraint review process.

Participates in department?s QI activities on a daily basis.

Ensures availability of age appropriate supplies and equipment.

Responsible for service delivery and outreach to migrant and/or homeless populations in Palm Beach County at the existing health centers, along with other community sites, as directed by the Clinic Administration.

Emergency duty may be required of the incumbent that includes working in Red Cross shelters or to perform other emergency duties including, but not limited to, responses to threats or disasters, man-made or natural. Additionally, incumbents are required to perform emergency response and management duties for Palm Beach County as required.

Customer Service:?

Every employee knows and understands his/her customers and focuses on delivering to them the highest quality services(s) in the context of the overall mission.


Demonstrates the ability to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction by meeting expectations; builds and maintains positive relationships with customers and colleagues; interacts with all customers in a polite, friendly, and courteous manner; actively listens to assess customer needs; promotes a positive public image for the organization.


Communication: ?

The ability to express ideas effectively face-to-face, as well as in writing, in individual and group situations, adjusting language and terminology to the needs of the audience, and the ability to synthesize information received verbally and in writing.

Demonstrates the ability to share information in an organized, clear, and timely manner, both verbally and in writing; keeps co-workers, colleagues, staff, and supervisor appropriately informed; exhibits interpersonal skills and is an active and participative listener; uses appropriate style and language for audience; processes information in a productive manner.

Teamwork: ?


Creates effective working relationships within and across organizational boundaries.

Demonstrates the ability to maintain a positive, achievement-oriented attitude that influences others to do the same; demonstrates willingness to work through conflict in a productive manner; invites information, constructive criticism, and cooperation from others; demonstrates integrity through respecting confidentiality and exhibiting high standards of personal conduct.

Initiative and Ingenuity: ?

The capacity for self-motivation that is manifested by innovation and creativity.

Possesses the ability to focus on improving outcomes by encouraging innovation; demonstrates the ability to anticipate obstacles and develop plans to overcome them; possesses knowledge in a particular area of trends and uses knowledge to modify existing processes; demonstratives creativity and the ability to make decisions that demonstrate a broad and creative range of options with a view toward long-term solutions; demonstrates openness to new information and approaches so as to stimulate in others the use of non-linear thinking; demonstrates initiative by performing duties without required prompting and close supervision; readily accepts responsibility and follows through to completion independently; accepts and adjusts to changes in work environment and/or assignments by demonstrating flexibility.

Commitment to Quality: ?

Consistently maintains a high level of quality that meets specific standard operating practices and procedures, consistent with organizational goals.

Possesses the abilities to identify quality processes in order to meet organizational standards and minimum standard operating practices and procedures; demonstrates an understanding of the organizational goals and priorities in order to apply quality processes to the work; stays abreast of current techniques, methods and skills appropriate to standard operating procedures and practices; demonstrates abilities in planning for quality evaluation and measurement activities.

Productivity:

Employee makes use of work time in an efficient and productive manner.

Possesses the knowledge, skills and abilities for the position in order to meet facility and departmental requirements; demonstrates the ability to provide services, appropriate to the job description, to better serve our customers; demonstrates the ability to seek assistance from supervisor or other team members to assure good customer service; possesses the ability to seek assistance from supervisor or colleagues to assure good customer service; ability to multi-task and set priorities, according to schedules and guidelines.

Leadership/Creating a Shared Vision:

Demonstrates leadership in keeping with the District?s overall mission, vision, and values.

Promoting Quality, Customer Service and Productivity:?

Utilizes continuous quality assurance processes to ensure quality, appropriate services are rendered to the customer in order to meet or surpass established goals and objectives

Demonstrates the ability to develop and communicate performance objectives, delegate assignments, and monitor customer service, quality and productivity; possesses a thorough knowledge of the needs of the customer necessary to lead others; and develops quality evaluation mechanisms to link customer feedback to performance assessment; demonstrates excellent verbal and written communication skills, including supportive assurances to staff, gathering feedback, mentoring and the ability to lead staff to meet customer needs; maintains compliance with federal, state and local regulations.

Meeting Strategic Goals and Objectives: ?

Plans actions to accomplish designated and desired outcomes.

Diversity Competencies:

In the interest of ensuring continued workforce diversity at the Health Care District every staff member is required to:

• Promote team building among a diverse workforce, model a positive attitude regarding diversity, create and maintain a work environment that is respectful and accepting of diversity, and demonstrate recognition of the value of individual and cultural differences. Ensure that service delivery is provided in a culturally competent way and consistently treat customers, partners, and coworkers with dignity and respect

Additional Duties:


This job description reflects the general duties considered necessary to describe the principal functions of the job as identified and shall not be considered as a complete description of all the work requirements and expectations that may be inherent in the position. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position.? Management of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County reserves the right to assign duties not listed herein as necessary to accomplish the goals of the organization.

Qualifications

Education:


Nursing degree from an accredited nursing school required.

Experience:


One (1) year of acute care nursing experience as an RN preferred.

Certification:


Current? ACLS or BLS certification required.

Licensure:


State of Florida, Registered Nurse license required.

Registrations:


N/A

About Us

The Health Care District of Palm Beach County is an independent special taxing district that has served as a healthcare safety net for more than 36 years to fill in gaps in access to healthcare services. This unique healthcare system covers the entire county and provides a wide range of services such as nine community health centers (Federally Qualified Health Centers) which serve everyone regardless of ability to pay; school health teams in 172 public schools; a lifesaving Trauma Hawk aeromedical helicopter program; a rural, public teaching hospital, Lakeside Medical Center; an award-winning skilled nursing center; a ground ambulance program for Health Care District patients needing a higher level of care and the county's Trauma Agency, which ensures quality outcomes within the county's trauma system and leads initiatives to prevent traumatic injury.


We are committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, military or veteran status, age, sex, pregnancy status, genetic information, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation or identification status, or any other legally recognized category protected by jurisdictional, state or federal law. The information collected by this application is solely to determine suitability for employment, verify identity and maintain employment statistics on applicants.

We are also committed to maintaining a safe, healthy, and productive work environment for all employees. As such, we are a Drug-Free Workplace.


This role may require Agency of Health Care Administration (AHCA) background screening and clearance. As required under House Bill 531, applicants may review AHCA's education and awareness information at the following link: