Registered Nurse

Registered Nurse

Basic Purpose:

Positions in this job family are assigned responsibilities for providing direct or indirect professional nursing services in a variety of settings. This includes providing nursing assessments, planning, interventions, evaluations, health related education, case management, and execution of the medical regime including administering medications and treatments prescribed by any person authorized to prescribe by state law.

Typical Functions:

• Assesses health status of individuals, families, and communities; develops plans and implements appropriate nursing interventions.
• Evaluates and determines health resources necessary to meet individual, family and community health needs.
• Delivers professional nursing care in an assigned unit, clinic, home, or other setting.
• Educates individuals, families, communities, and members of the health care team about the principles of disease prevention and health promotion.
• Provides supervision to other professional or paraprofessional personnel; collaborates with other professionals in the management of health care.
• Delegates tasks as may safely be performed by others, consistent with educational preparation and that do not conflict with the provisions of the Oklahoma Nursing Practice Act.
• Assures quality health care through use of various measures such as record review, peer review, direct observation, and assessment of individual, family, and community for the desired outcome.
• Performs specialized nursing functions as educationally prepared.

Level Descriptor:

Level I

This is the basic level of this job family where employees are assigned responsibility for performing basic level professional nursing care. Assignments are generally well defined and may include direct and indirect nursing care. This may include monitoring and assessing the health status of individuals, planning the nursing care of the individual, putting interventions in place, and evaluating the outcome.

Level II

This is the career level of the Registered Nurse job family where employees are assigned responsibilities for performing professional nursing duties at the full performance level. This will involve performing a full range of duties in monitoring and assessing the health status of individuals, families, and population as well as defining a plan of care and providing nurse case management and health education when necessary. It may also include some limited responsibilities for providing direction, guidance, or training to other personnel, in providing care and treatment to patients or clients.

Level III

This is the senior level of this job family where employees are assigned more advanced responsibility in an assigned work unit or in an assigned geographic area and may be assigned responsibility for direct supervision. Employees at this level will have complex assignments and a substantial degree of responsibility and independence in planning, organizing, and completing work. Employees at this level develop and present educational programs relevant to nursing practices and standards or care and follow-up with evaluation of learning. This position may include completing special assignments such as quality improvement, mentoring, and surveillance of potential patient care incidents of quality indicators for individuals who may be at risk for rapid status change. Responsibilities may include scheduling work assignments, evaluating health care and performance of assigned staff, providing training, and otherwise insuring quality. Administrative responsibilities may include approving leave and initiating disciplinary actions. Positions which are assigned independent responsibility for coordinating health services or providing nursing care in an assigned county or geographic area or as the only nurse in that location may also be included in this level. Employees at this level deal with complex health issues and may act for nurse managers in their absence.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Competencies:

Level I

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required to perform duties at this level include knowledge of the principles and practices of professional nursing, of health promotion, and of disease prevention.

Ability is required to perform assessments and nursing functions as acquired in the basic nursing preparation program.

Level II

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required at this level include knowledge of professional nursing theory, practices, and techniques; of health promotion and disease prevention; of nursing management of available health care resources; of nutrition and diet therapy; and of the functions of various clinical departments.

Ability is required to assist in the development, organization, and implementation of an effective nursing care plan; to provide education and training; to assess condition and needs of patients, families and communities appropriate to the care setting; to take appropriate intervention; to counsel and teach patients and families; and to provide direction or guidance to non-licensed personnel in assigned area of responsibility to ensure quality care.

Level III

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required at this level include knowledge of professional nursing theory, practices, and techniques; of health promotion and disease prevention; of nursing management of available health care resources; of nutrition and diet therapy; of the functions of various clinical departments; of available health programs and resources; of federal and state rules and regulations concerning health services; of accreditation, certification and licensure standards; of preventive health practices; of principles and methods of teaching; of nursing standards; and of nursing policies and procedures.

Ability is required to assist in the development, organization, and implementation of an effective nursing care plan; to provide education and training; to assess condition and needs of patients, families and communities appropriate to the care setting; to take appropriate intervention; to counsel and teach patients and families; to provide direction or guidance to non-licensed personnel in assigned area of responsibility to ensure quality care; to develop, plan, and implement an effective nursing care program; and to provide education and training.

Education and Experience:

Level I

Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of possession of a valid Oklahoma license as a registered nurse as approved by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing; or Registered Nurse License recognized by the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC).

Level II

Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of possession of a valid Oklahoma license as a registered nurse as approved by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing and one year of professional nursing experience; or Registered Nurse License recognized by the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) and one year of professional nursing experience.

Level III

Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of possession of a valid Oklahoma license as a registered nurse as approved by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing and two years of professional nursing experience in a field of nursing appropriate to the health care setting; or Registered Nurse License recognized by the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) and two years of professional nursing experience in a field of nursing appropriate to the health care setting.

Special Requirements:

Applicants with the Department of Corrections must be willing and able to work any assigned shift or day of the week, and additional shifts as required.

Some agencies may have determined positions in this job family to be safety sensitive as defined by 63 O.S. § 427.8.