Inpatient Unit Clinical Nurse (45891)

Under the general supervision of the Inpatient Unit Nurse Manager, Inpatient Unit clinical nurses are accountable for the coordination of care for patients and their families including, direct patient care, patient education and discharge planning. Ensures adherence to established Inpatient Unit policies, protocols, regulations, and standards. Provides nursing care, within scope of practice, to patients in accordance with standards of nursing care and providers orders. Required to ensure efficient and effective delivery of patient care in the Acute Care/Inpatient environment. Upholds the principles of Winslow Indian Health Care Center, Inc. ("WIHCC") Vision, Mission, and Value Statements. Maintains confidentiality of all privileged information at all times.

This list of duties and responsibilities is illustrative only of the tasks performed by this position and is not all-inclusive.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Maintains regular attendance and punctuality.
• Provides safe, high quality patient centered care.
• Provides direct care to tribal members and service eligible patients in the Acute Care/Inpatient setting.
• Assesses and systemically collects, analyzes, and evaluates patient data related to the behavioral, physical, physiologic, and psychosocial status of the patient utilizing interview, observation, and physical examination. Works in collaboration with multidisciplinary team to implement nursing interventions and provide appropriate evidenced-based patient and family centered care.
• Executes nursing interventions, develops patient plan of care, and assists with coordination of patient care across the care continuum (i.e. inpatient, outpatient, home, skilled nursing facilities, schools) in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team; incorporating appropriate standards of care, practice, and patient outcomes.
• Delivers care in an organized and efficient manner while providing patient/family with complete information regarding typical events, common patient responses, along with any education related to plan of care to assure a timely discharge.
• Implements safe, competent, and efficient patient care within policies, procedures and standards, and interventions as noted on the multidisciplinary plan of care. Provides care that is ethical, patient- and family-centered, culturally congruent, and evidence-based.
• Evaluates patient's response to plan of care and research. Incorporates inpatient and discharge/home care in collaboration with the multidisciplinary plan of care.
• Utilizes data and sets priorities to continuously meet changing patient needs. Executes nursing interventions in response to data indicating urgent and/or emergent risk to patient and initiates action to reduce or correct risk.
• Assumes responsibility and accountability for effectively managing nursing care of individual patients and families.
• Documents nursing assessment and interventions in the electronic medical record in an accurate and timely manner to reflect a comprehensive and integrated approach to patient/family care and clinical research.
• Assesses patient/family's readiness and provides education to the patient/family accordingly. Identifies learning needs of patients/families and teaches by adapting standard information to provide individualized and comprehensive teaching-learning.
• Incorporates standards of practice and clinical practice protocols into practice to maximize clinical effectiveness. Facilitates cost control in use of material and human resources while effectively utilizing technology to support practice and efficiencies in care delivery and management of unit.
• Responds to, provides support for, and appropriately assists with multiple urgent and emergent patient care situations.
• Maintains and advocates for patient, family, visitor and personal safety.
• Works independently within scope of practice to achieve clinical outcomes, while executing delegation protocols.
• Leads through collaborative partnerships in accordance with WIHCC policies and procedures and PCMH model.
• Maintains a level of professional development through continuing education, quality improvement initiatives, obtaining and sharing department/organizational information/knowledge. Serves as a mentor and resource to others.
• Participates in meeting organizational strategic goals.
• Maintains a clean and safe patient environment.
• Requires completion of tasks or duties assigned by a supervisor.
• Upholds all principles of confidentiality and patient care to the fullest extent.
• Adheres to all professional and ethical behavior standards of the healthcare industry.
• Adheres to WIHCC's Personnel Policies and Procedures, departmental policies, rules, and regulations.
• Interacts in an honest, trustworthy and dependable manner with patients, employees, visitors, and vendors.
• Possesses cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Maintains compliance with all Human Resources requirements.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:


Bachelor of Science or Associate Degree in Nursing is required. For experienced registered nurses: one year or greater of adult inpatient, acute care, or related experience required. For new graduate registered nurses: recent graduation from an accredited nursing program and willingness to learn. Bilingual skills in English and Navajo language preferred. Current BLS/CPR required. Current ACLS certification required or attained within six months of hire. TNCC or ATCN strongly recommended. Basic dysrhythmia and 12-lead EKG interpretation training required within six months of hire.


For all positions, RNs must have passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). In addition, they must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a professional nurse from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.


Must maintain a valid unrestricted and insurable driver's license. Must successfully pass a background investigation and maintain suitable requirements for a Child Care position. This position is considered as a Child Care position, which requires a satisfactory background check investigation and is subject to the requirements of the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act, as amended (henceforth referred as the ICPFVP Act).

Knowledge, Skills, Ability:

• Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and practices of personal patient care, patient teaching and documentation.
• Knowledge of use of medical equipment and supplies for diagnostic and treatment procedures
• Knowledge of health related issues, medical terminology, and health and child care education.
• Knowledge of strong work ethics in the workplace.
• Knowledge of basic application of confidentiality.
• Knowledge of basic computer skills, e.g. Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Knowledge of and ability to independently assess the patient's educational need for the purpose of assisting the client toward his/her goal, preventing complications, and improving quality of life.
• Knowledge of documentation standards and ability to accurately and completely document clinical data relating to the patient and/or family.
• Knowledge of, and skill sufficient to recognize deviations from normal; sufficient to warrant immediate medication of the patient care plans, with delayed notification of the team leader for concurrence in the modification of the plan.
• Knowledge of clinic accreditation requirements (including patient education, GPRA standards) and other regulatory agencies.
• Knowledge of practices and procedures, medical equipment and supplies for the purpose of carrying out nursing care for patients.
• Knowledge of pharmacology and skill sufficient to administer prescribed medications and observed or the desired action, dosage and adversities of the medications.
• Knowledge of established professional nursing principles, practice and procedures.
• Ability to analyze situations and adopt appropriate courses of action.
• Ability to analyze situations and adopt appropriate courses of action.
• Ability to work independently and meet strict time lines.
• Ability to make solid decisions and exercise independent judgment.
• Ability to dress appropriately.
• Ability to be dependable in attendance and job performance.
• Ability to meet attendance, overtime (if necessary), and other reliability requirements of the job.
• Ability to accept and learn from feedback.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to provide exemplary customer service at all times.
• Ability to interact positively with others and possess great interpersonal skills.
• Ability to multitask and perform well under pressure.
• Ability to have self-confidence.
• Ability to be a great team player.
• Ability to accept and learn from supervisor/peer critique.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable to the changing needs of the organization.

Physical Demands:

While performing the essential functions of this position, the employee is regularly required to walk, sit, use hands and fingers, handle, or feel objects and equipment, reach with hands and arms, and communicate effectively by talking and hearing. The employee frequently must stand, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and may occasionally use taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move objects weighing up to 50 pounds.


Work Environment:

Work is performed in an office setting or outdoor work environment with moderate noise levels. Work environment may involve exposure to physical risks, such as blood borne pathogens, hazardous chemicals, or operating potential dangerous equipment, and requires adherence to all safety protocols. Required work schedules may include evening, weekend, overnight shifts, extended hours, or irregular schedules and rotation as operational needs dictate.


As required by P.L. 93-638, absolute preference will be given to qualified Navajo applicants. If there is no qualified Navajo applicant, preference will be given to qualified American Indian applicants.