Critical Care Transport Clinical Nurse Specialist (RN)

General Summary of Position
Delivers expert nursing care in helicopters and ambulances to patient and family whose needs range from uncomplicated to highly complex. Receives direct supervision from the Operations Managers, May at times receive functional supervision from the VP Director, AVP Clinical Operations, and Medical Director.
Must maintain a weight not to exceed 250 pounds in gear. Required to work in confined space with exposure to extreme temperatures, vibration and altitude; and to stand for extended periods of time. Required to physically lift and transfer patients, and lift and move equipment used for patient care and other sensory facility to provide patient care. Communicates directly and uses aircraft headsets, radios and telephones with patients, physicians, and other staff in emergency and daily patient care activities. May be exposed to personal safety hazards in both air and ground transport.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Delivers expert patient care in helicopters and ambulances to multiple patient types including scene work, adult subspecialties, pediatrics, and high-risk obstetrics. Assesses patient care needs, establishes priorities and delegates tasks to peers and ancillary support staff as appropriate.
• Assesses the needs of patients with highly complex problems. Identifies current and potential complex problems, critically analyzes trends and changes in patient status, and plans appropriate interventions directly or indirectly through other nurses and paramedics
• Performs basic and advanced airway techniques and treatment modalities, including oxygen therapy, airway maintenance, assisted ventilation, insertion of supraglottic airways, nasal and orotracheal intubation, rapid sequence pharmacological induction to facilitate intubation, surgical cricothyroidotomy, and needle thoracostomy.
• Administers and maintains pharmacologic agents and intravenous fluids at the scene and during inter-hospital transfer.
• Monitors and evaluates invasive and non-invasive techniques/procedures and their therapeutic effects, including the monitoring and operation of the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD), and intracranial monitoring devices during transport. Troubleshoots these devices, recognizes problems, and makes necessary corrections. Recognition and intervention of abnormal parameters includes potentially lethal cardiac dysrhythmias requiring electric cardioversion and defibrillation.
• Performs a variety of clinical duties including, but not limited to: insertion of nasal and oral gastric tubes and management of autologous blood transfusion systems. Initiates and maintains venous access and intraosseous lines.
• Obtains patient information, including detailed reports, when appropriate, and disseminates all necessary information to appropriate medical staff, per protocol.
• Responsible for monitoring and recording all patient data and completion of all appropriate clinical documentation in a timely manner.
• Maintains program readiness and ensure cleanliness and appropriate par levels of supplies used by MedSTAR Transport. Ensures helicopter or ambulance readiness with daily review of equipment and supplies and records findings on daily vehicle checklists.
• Ensures system readiness post-transport. Ensures that par stock levels of equipment at remote bases are maintained and informs MedSTAR leadership of supply needs, as necessary.
• Establishes and maintains professional radio communications with MedSTAR Communications Center and all other agencies, adhering to all FCC protocols.
• Supports regulatory requirements, inspection readiness (e.g., DC Health, TJC, MIEMSS, CAMTS, etc.) and other identified quality metrics.
• Ensures safe operations during transport-related activities. Assists with helicopter safety training as directed by pilot in command. Also ensures safe operations during ambulance related activities in coordination with Emergency Vehicle Operator.
• Evaluates and documents risks and hazards on all transports and in in daily operations in conjunction with current risk assessment and reporting tools as part of the Safety Management System.
• Acts as safety officer for specialty team flights, including neonatal transports, organ recovery transports, etc.
• Assists in the orientation of new Critical Care Transport Specialists to their role during air and ground transport.
• Participates in ongoing education, marketing, statistical and quality assurance tasks, projects, and committees as assigned.
• Provides input to the ongoing clinical evaluation of staff, including peer-to-peer evaluation of clinical care and documentation.
• Participates in the formulation, implementation, maintenance and evaluation of unit goals, objectives, policies and procedures as appropriate, and assumes responsibility for the achievement of unit goals.
• Chairs and or participates in at least one unit-based committee or project.
• Participates in the implementation of unit assessments and audits, including quality assurance and patient classification, product evaluation and product utilization.
• Demonstrates the initiative to seek out current and new evidence based practices that address patient care issues, and communicates relevant research findings to staff.
• Participates in data research process on unit-based research projects as appropriate.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Nursing (BSN) required
• Waiver may be obtained with a plan to achieve BSN within five years and approval of the Chief Nurse Executive.

Experience

• Three years adult critical care experience defined as no less than 4,000 hours in an ICU or an emergency department that is part of an academic or tertiary care center required
• Recognition of pediatric ICU and community ED experience will be considered at the discretion of the department leadership.
• For internal transfers only, up to one year (1,300 hours) of experience as a critical care paramedic may be credited toward the RN critical care experience.

Licenses and Certifications

• RN - Registered Nurse - State Licensure and/or Compact State Licensure in the District of Columbia within 60 Days required
• RN - Registered Nurse - State Licensure and/or Compact State Licensure in Maryland required
• EMT - Emergency Medical Tech in Virginia preferred or
• Paramedic - Licensed in Virginia preferred
• CPR - Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation (includes BLS and NRP) for healthcare providers from either the American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross within 90 Days required
• Additional unit/specialty certifications may vary by department or business unit.
• ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support Certification required
• PALS - Pediatric Advanced Life Support Certification required
• NRP Advanced - Neonatal Resuscitation Program Certification Advanced within 90 Days required
• STABLE - Neonatal Certification Certification within 90 Days required
• Health Services\ATLS - Advanced Trauma Life Support within 180 Days required or
• Health Services \ Transport Prof Adv Trauma Crse - TPATC within 180 Days required or
• PHTLS - Prehospital Trauma Life Support within 180 Days required
• Health Services\ATCN - Advanced Trauma Care Nurse within 180 Days required
• NIH Stroke Scale - NIHSS within 180 Days required
• FEMA ICS 100 Course (Federal Emergency Management Agency - Incident Command System) within 90 Days required
• FEMA ICS 200 Course (Federal Emergency Management Agency - Incident Command System) within 90 Days required
• Specialty Transport Certification from a nationally recognized nursing organization (CFRN or CTRM) within 2 years required

This position has a hiring range of $46.64 - $71.119