REGISTERED NURSE

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

FULL-TIME & PART-TIME DAY SHIFT 

Position Title: Registered Nurse

Department: Nursing

Reports To: Director(s) of Nursing

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

About Us: 

Sonoma Specialty Hospital, as the county’s only Long-Term Acute Care Hospital, is dedicated to caring for patients that require an extended acute care stay due to severe illness or catastrophic injury. We accept patients from the ICU, Step-Down and Telemetry units of partner hospitals and continue their care for as long as 45 days. This care focuses on the challenges of getting patients off of ventilator support, healing severe wounds, aiding their recovery following surgical procedures, and providing rehabilitation to speed their return to daily life. Our Hospital provides ICU, Surgical, and Step-Down care with dialysis, multi-specialty therapies and ongoing planning for the patient’s transition back home or into a lower level of care. Please contact us with any questions, and welcome to Sonoma Specialty Hospital. 

Duties and Responsibilities (including, but are not limited to the following) :

Responsibilities to the Patient: 

1. Participates in an on-going systematic assessment of the physical, emotional, social, educational, and functional needs of the patient/family through interview, observation, and physical examination.
2. Provides plans, coordinates or manages nursing care, nursing services, and health education to patients/ residents.
3. Interprets assessment data and information to develop a nursing care plan which contains problem identification, nursing diagnosis, nursing orders, approaches, interventions, short/long term goals, and discharge planning.
4. Develops nursing care plan utilizing nursing diagnosis
5. Assesses safety and fall risk levels for patient.
6. Assures that medical orders are transcribed and processed accurately and integrates the medical care plan into the provision of nursing care.
7. Assures that medication is correct and according to the established nursing policies and procedures.
8. Looks up unfamiliar medications
9. Process medication orders
10. Administers medications as ordered
11. Evaluates effectiveness of PRN medications
12. Verbalizes process for self-administered medications
13. Provides for personal and environmental safety in accordance with hospital and nursing policies and procedures.
14. Demonstrates skills in handling emergencies and life-threatening situations.
15. Locates and uses crash cart items
16. Calls Code Blue and Medical Emergency
17. Follows P&P and POLST
18. Initiates CPR
19. Assures that documents in the medical record are complete, factual, accurate and timely.
20. Documents materials and equipment used.
21. Verbalizes method to noting orders.
22. Documents discharge notes in chart.
23. Initiates and updates care plan as appropriate.
24. Provides discharge instructions.
25. Completes interagency transfer form.
26. Provides nursing care to meet patient needs: Performs a complete head-to-toe assessment of each assigned patient per shift using proper documentation tools. 
27. Acts promptly on changes in patient condition, utilizing SBAR method
28. Reviews lab and test results, notifying physician of abnormal and critical results
29. Perform wound care in accordance with policy, utilizing proper documentation tools. 
30. Performs basic ventilator management and troubleshooting.

Responsibilities to Unit Staff:

A. Provides direction and leadership in patient care to assigned personnel.

1. Acts as a team leader and provides guidance to unlicensed personnel.

2. Make assignments for team.

B. Prioritizes activities and plans for effective use of time for patient needs.

C. Communicates the plan of nursing care for each patient through reports, conferences, rounds, and patient care records.

1. Shift to shift report and shift huddle with aides

2. Delegates tasks to aides; monitors to make sure delegated tasks are completed appropriately.

D. Demonstrates responsibility for the teaching of nursing assistants in areas of new techniques, policies and procedures.

1. Preceptor

E. Participates in the quality improvement activities of nursing.

1. Attends appropriate meetings.

F. Communicates identified learning needs of self and others to the DON.

G. Assists the DON in the orientation of new staff.

H. Adheres to established policies and procedures of the hospital and Nursing Department.

I. Actively participates on nursing committees.

J. Performs other duties as assigned or requested.

Responsibilities to Self:

A. Evaluates own performance and seeks opportunities for growth and expansion of skills

B. Takes initiative in upgrading and maintaining skills necessary to provide quality care to provide quality care to patients and leadership to assigned staff.

C. Acquires sufficient continuing education to maintain licensure and certification:

1. Maintains current nursing licensure

2. Provides Human Resources and DON with a copy of current nursing license.

3. Maintains required competencies

4. Completes assigned program tracks assigned by DON/DSD.

5. Completes appropriate level of Clinical Advancement within established timeframes

D. Membership in appropriate professional organizations.

E. Assumes responsibility for maintaining/enhancing physical health and alleviating stress

1. Attendance

F. Demonstrates competency in a variety of nursing skills as demonstrated and evaluated on at least an annual basis.

1. Attends annual skills fair

G. Displays a “customer service” attitude toward patients, visitors, and other staff members at all times.

1. Demonstrates basic telephone skills (how to answer, place on hold, and transfer a call.)

2. Utilizes intercom

3. Demonstrates how to page physicians or others on call.

H. Abides by all safety, infection control, and other guidelines as required.

1. Follows guidelines for caring for patients in isolation

2. Utilizes hand-washing techniques

3. Cleans equipment between patient usages.

4. Reports personal symptoms of suspected illness or contagious disease to Employee Health.

5. Demonstrated knowledge of universal blood and body fluid precautions      

I. Promotes an ethic of continuous quality improvement in all matters associated with the position, and documents specific quality improvement implementation.

J. Performs all other tasks and duties as may be assigned.

K. Provides a level of competency to treat patients 18 and older.

1. Adults:

a. Involves them with care planning by meeting any needs they identify during assessment

b. Identifies their normal patterns of living and strives to attain them

2. Geriatric:

a. Strives to obtain understanding by speaking distinctly and moving slowly.

b. Involves family as much as possible.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

Initiative in organizing work and completing assignments. Cooperates with staff to maintain well organized department. Professional decorum at all times. Willing to accept direction from supervisor. Maintains tactful and cheerful relationship with patients, visitors, and staff. Must speak, read, write, and comprehend English. Must respect patient confidentiality. Math knowledge including basic algebra and ability to adjust drug dosages. Participates in in-service education programs. Cardiac rhythm recognition required. 

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.  

NOC SHIFT ONLY

Education, Training and Licenses Required:

• Current California RN license 
• BLS and ACLS Certified 

Experience Required:

• One-year sub/post-acute care experience.
• One-year acute care experience preferred.

Equipment Knowledge Required:

Ability to learn function of machines utilized in patient care, various traction equipment and drainage tubes. Ability to assist MD/RN with procedures. Competency with the electronic documentation system must be obtained within 30 days of hire with full proficiency by 90 days of hire.

Safety Requirements:

Employees are responsible for all aspects of the hospital safety and health program including compliance with safety rules and regulations, remedying unsafe working conditions, and for continuously practicing safety while performing duties. Sonoma Specialty Hospital policy prohibits employees with patient contact or those who prepare products for patient use from wearing artificial nails.  

Physical Requirements:

While performing the duties of this job, the position is frequently required to do the following:

• Stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, and stand for sustained period of time.
• Walk, push, pull, lift, carry objects from a lower to higher position or horizontally from position to position or otherwise move objects.
• Feel sizes, shapes, temperatures, and textures by touching with skin, particularly that of the fingertips.
• Express or exchange ideas orally and potentially loudly, accurately, or quickly.
• Perceive the nature of sound with no less than a 40 db loss @ 1000 Hz and 2000 Hz with or without correction.
• Exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently.
• Minimum standard of visual acuity with or without correction.
• While worker may possibly be subjected to temperature changes, the worker is generally not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions as the work is predominantly inside.

Supervisory Requirements (if applicable): None