Critical Care RN

Job TitleDutiesSurgical Services include: Cardiovascular, Thoracic, Transplant, Peripheral Vascular, Neurosurgical, Orthopedic, General Surgery, Urology, ENT and Plastics. Additional conditions include myocardial infarction, unstable angina/arrhythmias, post PTCA, pacemaker placement, subdural hematoma, post-op cardiothoracic surgery, pre/post heart/liver/lung transplant, LVAD implant, post arrest hypothermia, carotid artery and femoral popliteal bypass surgery. Nursing care is provided on a 24-hour basis by registered nurses and nursing assistants. The nursing process of assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation is applied in an ongoing, systematic manner to all patients. The ICU provides acute level nursing and RNs are intricately involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of interdisciplinary care. This requires nursing staff to participate with an interdisciplinary approach in meeting Veteran health care needs, including being an active participant in Interdisciplinary rounds consisting of the entire team of Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Nutrition Service/Dietician, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Social Work, Pharmacy, and other specialty groups as needed; coordinating care of all patients. This systematic process is applied to all patients with a goal of care to restore the Veteran to maximum function, prevent further decline, maximize independence, and/or provide comfort as necessary. Discharge planning is an essential component of our nursing practice and an interdisciplinary approach for teaching and discharge planning assures continuity of care for the Veterans we serve. RNs respond to Code Blue emergencies and inpatient Rapid Response Calls and recover patients directly from the OR on off tours. RNs are required to complete the basic critical care course and/or successfully pass a competency exam (Basic Knowledge Assessment Test). Each RN must complete a period of supervised practice in the ICU. The length of the orientation will be individualized based on assessments of the new employee's experience and nursing education as well as preceptor and nurse manager's evaluations. No nurse assumes full patient care responsibility or functions as charge nurse until authorized by the nurse manager and completion of the charge nurse classes.