Registered Nurse (RN)

JOB SUMMARY:

· Provides quality patient care based on the documented assessment of the patient’s needs

· Performs nursing procedures according to physician’s orders, following the department policies and procedures with the knowledge and understanding of differences in the care required for a pediatric, adolescent or geriatric patient as compared to an adult

· Adheres to, demonstrates, and supports the Mission, Vision, and Values of Columbus Community Hospital

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE NEEDED:

· Staff - None

TRAINING & EDUCATION NEEDED:

· Graduate from an accredited school of Registered Nursing

· Current Nebraska licensure

· Current BLS Certification or the ability to obtain within 3 months of hire

· ACLS, PALS, ENPC, TNCC, NRP and MOAB certification training per Department Requirement as listed in the Employee Education policy

· Valid Driver’s License per Department Requirement

FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

· Able to communicate in the English language and make assessments by speaking, hearing, seeing, feeling, reading, and writing

· Works primarily in hospital setting, including clinical/patient care areas and office or classroom/ meeting areas

· Considerable walking, standing, stooping, bending, lifting (occasionally in excess of 25 pounds)

· Mental effort required to assess, plan, and make recommended decisions in complex environment

· Potential to be exposed to blood/body fluids, including infectious diseases

· Must be able to maneuver throughout halls, stairways, and patient rooms in response to hospital emergencies

· Interpretation of environmental input requires visual and auditory skills

· In the event there is a need to evacuate the building, lifting will be required to transport patients to safety

· Significant amount of keyboarding and writing is required

· Wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks, gowns and goggles may be required

· Fine motor skills

· Long periods of intense concentration

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Key: Occasional (1-3 hours per day or <33%)

Frequent (3-7 hours per day or 33-66%)

Constant (7 or more hours per day or >66%)

· Lifting:

Must be able to lift 20 lbs. from shoulder height to waist/cart on frequent basis

Must be able to lift 30 lbs. from floor to shoulder height on occ. basis

Must be able to lift 35 lbs. from floor to waist/cart on occ. basis

· Push/Pull:

Must be able to push/pull 30 lbs. at shoulder height/extended reach on occ. basis with awkward weight distribution and twisting/turning

Must be able to push/pull 22 lbs. at waist level on frequent basis

Must be able to push/pull 40 lbs. at waist level on occ. basis

Must be able to lift/carry 35-40 lbs. at waist level on occ. basis

Must be able to push/pull 75 lbs. at waist level on occ. basis while maneuvering patient beds

(75 lbs. required to initiate move and 35 lbs. to maintain movement of bed)

· Standing/Walking/Sitting:

Must be able to stand from 5-8 hours

Must be able to walk from 5-8 hours

· Lower Extremities:

Must be able to kneel and squat on occ. basis

· Upper Extremities:

Must be able to grip/grasp/pinch of instruments on frequent basis

· Equipment:

Must be able to use computer and perform keyboarding on frequent basis

· Environmental Factors:

May be required to work on slippery surface

May be required to work with noisy equipment during certain operative procedures

May be required to work extended hours beyond 8-12 hours on occ. basis

Will work in environmental temperatures of 67°- 80° F

POPULATION SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES:

1. Interprets the appropriate life span needs of patients, provides appropriate population-based care according to the department skills checklist for identified populations, and could include age groups as below:

· Neonate: Birth to 27 days of age

· Pediatric: Greater than 27 days of age to 13 years of age

· Adult: Greater than 13 years of age to 65 years of age

· Geriatric: >65 years of age

· No daily direct patient care contact

2. Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span of patients/families and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient’s life span

JOB DUTIES:

· Assuming responsibility and accountability for nursing actions to include, but not limited to:

o Assessing human responses to actual or potential health conditions

o Establishing nursing diagnoses

o Establishing goals and outcomes to meet identified health care needs

o Establishing and maintain a plan of care

o Update the plan of care utilizing nursing diagnosis, appropriate nursing interventions, and documentation of the patient’s response with consideration to age and culture-specific needs

o Prescribing nursing interventions to for the plan of care and implementing the plan of care

o Delegating, directing, or assigning nursing interventions that may be performed by others and that do not conflict with the Nurse Practice Act

o Maintaining safe and effective nursing care rendered directly or indirectly

o Evaluating response to interventions, including, but not limited to, performing physical and psychological assessments of patients & assess and reassesses the patient within the time frames of the department policy

o Document observations and data related to the patient and nursing care provided for high quality documentation

§ High quality documentation is: accurate, valid, clear concise, and complete, legible/readable, thoughtful, timely, contemporaneous, sequential, and reflective of the nursing process

§ Maintain efficiency of the use of the “downtime” system for documentation when the available electronic systems do not function

o Administering, managing, and supervision the practice of nursing

o Collaborating with the interdisciplinary team in the management of healthcare

· Ability to utilize the nursing process in the provision of nursing care including, but not limited to administering treatments and medications in compliance with the physician’s orders and hospital policy and interpreting diagnostic tests

· Safely administer medications to patients as per hospital policy & care is to meet or exceed accepted standards of care

· Provide education to patients and/or patient designated family or friend, and participate in meeting discharge-planning needs starting on admission

· Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and ability necessary to provide care appropriate to patients of all age groups

· Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development through the life span

· Possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient’s status, and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient’s needs in relation to age

· Coordinates and prioritizes care and patient care activities for patient assignment, utilizing resources available

· Performs patient testing of moderate complexity and/or waived testing on hospital Point of Care devices, if identified by manager

· Conscientiously practice to improve processes in the delivery of high quality, safe patient care

· Carry out the protocols and standards of care shown by evidence to improve the quality and safety of patient care

· Participate as requested in selective quality improvement activities, teams, or programs

· Take ownership to follow evidence-based practice, taking into consideration, but not limited to core measures

· Utilize skills to make effective decisions and solve problems involving both clinical and operational issues

· Initiates or assists in hospital code situations and handle emergencies for all ages of patients appropriately

· Maintain open communications and cooperate with coworkers, physicians, and other departments

· Responsible and accountable for maintain competence through continually reassessing their competence and identify needs for additional knowledge, skills, personal growth, and integrative learning experiences through the process of lifelong learning

· Participate in hospital educational programs as requested

· Participate in the orientation of new personnel as requested - if assigned to Charge Nurse: Assign and delegate nursing care in accordance with individual (including age-specific) patient needs and staff member’s qualifications and capabilities - supervise and evaluate competence of nursing staff adjusting staffing needs as appropriate

· If cross-trained to another department, complete orientation, and demonstrates competency within that department’s requirements

· See individual department competency/orientation/evaluation skill checklist for specific duties

· Demonstrates appropriate competencies in the department with initial orientation competency due within 90 days of hire and annual competencies to be completed by September 30th

· Maintains competency through completing education assigned on Elsevier or other learning management systems as well as mandatory in person education

· Complies with Attendance Management Policy in regards to attendance and timeliness, understanding the expectation of maintaining as absence percentage of 3% or less

· Accepts other duties within scope of practice at the direction of the person-in-charge