Outpatient Clinic

Registered Nurse

The registered nurse adheres to the rules and regulations of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. The role encompasses nursing assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention, evaluation, and coordination of care for patients and their families across the health care continuum. The registered nurse is accountable for clinical, educational, quality, and fiscal patient care outcomes using the model of care designed by the nursing department and in accordance with established agency policies, procedures, protocols, guidelines, and standards of practice.

Position: Registered Nurse

Department: General Internal Medicine (Adult Primary Care)

Schedule: Per Diem - Days/Evenings

Job Responsibilities

• Experience with durable medical equipment (DMEs)
• Ability to function in a high-paced outpatient clinic.
• Experience with telephone triage preferred
• Triages the effectiveness of the care given by the interdisciplinary care team, identify problems, and guides the patient to solutions.
• Knowledge of adult vaccines
• Basic computer proficiency inclusive of ability to access, enters, and interpret computerized data/information.
• Effective interpersonal skills to facilitate communication with various members of the health care team, patients, and families.
• Performs assessment data collection and documents subjective and objective data. Reviews basic health history information for patients.
• Organizational skills to set priorities and efficiently complete assigned work. Multilingual skills (beyond that of English) in languages appropriate to the patient populations served by the medical center preferred.
• Analytical ability to solve clinical nursing issues and conduct quality improvement research utilization projects.
• Ability to effectively delegate appropriate patient care activities.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills appropriate to the patient populations served.
• Physical ability to meet the core job responsibilities in accordance with practice setting demands for the patient populations regularly served.
• Ability to effectively manage stress due to critical issues related to patient care, changing organizational climate and personnel issues.
• Ordering, administering, and documenting physician approved medication treatments
• Provide education about health conditions to patients and their families.
• In emergency/crisis situations, demonstrates effective decision making in accordance with standards of clinical nursing practice, re-prioritizes patient care needs, initiates appropriate response actions, and directs other team members to ensure a complete and coordinated response.
• Documents patient's response to interventions as well as revisions in diagnoses, outcomes, and plan of care according to departmental policy.

Standards of Professional Performance

• Systematically evaluates the quality, cost, and effectiveness of nursing practice.
• Participates/leads quality improvement and/or research activities as appropriate to the individual's position, education, skills, and practice environment.
• Uses the results of patient satisfaction, quality improvement, and/or research data to initiate changes in practice.
• Accounts for completing daily patient classification data and incident reports in a timely manner.
• Participates in cost containment initiatives and practices.
• When two or more practice options exist that achieve the same quality of expected patient outcome, evaluates factors related to safety, effectiveness, and cost when selecting the appropriate option.
• Acts in a professional manner relative to practice standards, statutes, and regulations.
• Practices in compliance with established practice standards, policies, procedures, protocols, guidelines, statutes, and regulations (example: DPH, JCAHO, Fire Code, OSHA, and DEA).
• Functions without supervision in a manner appropriate for level of experience and education.
• Responsible for seeing things through to completion and for informing appropriate staff of outcomes.
• Offers, seeks out, and acts upon constructive feedback regarding professional practice to improve daily practice and to achieve goals identified during performance appraisal.
• Takes appropriate steps to effectively resolve peer conflicts or investigate questionable activities. Discusses such with individuals involved and seeks assistance from nurse manager when appropriate.
• Maintains accurate annual professional development record.
• Demonstrates flexibility and ability to positively adapt to changing staffing/clinical/patient census needs including but not limited to offering assistance to others, adjusting patient assignments, floating to other areas/units, etc.
• Demonstrates reliability in regard to attendance and punctuality standards.
• Maintains a presentable appearance in accordance with dress code requirements including wearing a visible identification badge that identifies one's self as a registered staff nurse.
• The nurse acquires and maintains current knowledge in nursing practice.
• To maintain clinical competence in appropriate practice area, participates in ongoing educational activities to enhance clinical knowledge and update requisite skills.
• Independently identifies need for in-service/educational sessions and seeks experience to meet such needs and to maintain clinical skills.
• Completes the following mandatory requirements: annual BLS certification, institutional mandatory education, e.g., safety regulations, infection control standards, etc., and departmental/unit specific competencies.
• Actively participates on unit or departmental based task forces, councils, or committees.
• The nurse contributes to the professional development of peers, colleagues, and others.
• Takes initiative to share knowledge and skills willingly with colleagues, students, and novice practitioners in a collegial manner.
• Provides peers with constructive feedback regarding their practice and professional skills.
• Acts as a resource for new employees, float staff, and other unit team members.
• Assists in the orientation and/or acts as preceptor for new employees and/or nursing students.
• The nurse's decisions and actions on behalf of patients are determined in an ethical manner.
• Delivers care in a manner that preserves/protects client autonomy, dignity, confidentiality, and rights.
• Acts as a patient advocate in order to facilitate meeting identified patient needs.
• Delivers care in a non-judgmental and nondiscriminatory manner that is sensitive to and demonstrates respect for patient diversity.
• Seeks available resources to help formulate ethical decisions.
• The nurse collaborates with client, significant others, and health care providers in delivering client care.
• Communicates and consults with client, significant others, and members of the health care team regarding required patient care.
• Works cooperatively and constructively with all departments and health care team members to establish an environment that supports the process of collaboration.
• Participates as an integral member of the health team during family/staff meetings, formal/informal shift rounds/reports, and medical/grand rounds.
• Coordinates appropriate internal and external referrals to assist patients to gain access to services, pre-approvals, etc.
• Coordinates discharge activities including arranging for home/agency referrals when necessary.
• Interprets/translates for patient/family/visitors when conversant in their native language as needed
• Acts as a shift charge nurse when requested/needed and oriented to charge.
• Performs all other related duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

Education:

• Graduate of an accredited school of nursing with an Associate's degree or Baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN). BSN preferred.
• Nursing degree: Diploma, ASN or BSN (preferred); ability to obtain BSN within the first 4 years of employment

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations Required:

• Registration and current RN licensure in the state of MA in good standing required.
• Licensed to practice professional nursing as a registered nurse in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
• Requires current basic life support (BLS) certification.

Experience:

• Outpatient experience strongly preferred.