Clinical Nurse, Surgery/OR - $10,000 Sign On

Clinical Nurse

The Clinical Nurse provides care for the Perioperative Patient. The nursing process includes assessment, formulation of nursing diagnoses, planning interventions, and evaluation of interventions per patient outcomes. The Operating Room clinical nurse is expected to circulate in all specialty areas. These may include Orthopedics, ENT, GYN/OB, General, Ophthalmology, and Dental. Obtaining Scrubbing experience is highly encouraged. May have to work varied, odd hours when on call; and prepare for emergency cases on very short notice.

Necessary Qualifications

Education:

• Associate or Bachelor's Degree in Nursing

License/Certification:

• A valid, current, full and unrestricted Professional Nursing License to practice nursing in any state of the United States of America, The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States
• Must maintain a current valid certification of the following throughout employment:
• Basic Life Support (BLS) from the American Heart Association
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) from the American Heart Association
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) from the American Heart Association within six (6) months of hire
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)-NIHSS-NIH stroke scale must be completed within 6 months of hire
• Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR) by the Competency and Credentialing Institute (CCI) must be completed within 1 year of hire
• Trauma Nurse Core Courses (TNCC) within two (2) years of hire

Experience:

One (1) year clinical nurse with prior operating room practical experience

Other Skills and Abilities:

A record of satisfactory performance in all prior and current employment as evidenced by positive employment references from previous and current employers. All employment references must address and indicate success in each one of the following areas:

• Positive working relationships with others; efficient team management skills
• Possession of high ethical standards and no history of complaints
• Reliable and dependable; reports to work as scheduled without excessive absences
• Competency in circulating skills
• Complete Patient Sitter Competency Training (upon hire)
• Completion of and, above-satisfactory scores on all job interviews, demonstrating to the satisfaction of the interviewees and TCRHCC that the applicant can perform the essential functions of the job
• Successful completion of and positive results from all background and reference checks, including positive employment references from authorized representatives of past and current employers demonstrating to the satisfaction of TCRHCC a record of satisfactory performance and that the applicant can perform the essential functions of the job
• Successful completion of fingerprint clearance requirements, physical examinations, and other screenings indicating that the applicant is qualified to be employed by TCRHCC and demonstrating to the satisfaction of TCRHCC that the applicant can perform the essential functions of the job
• Submission of all required employment-related documents, applications, resumes, references, and other required information free of false, misleading, or incomplete information, as determined by TCRHCC.

Mental and Physical Effort

Physical:

Work requires prolonged periods of standing; walking; talking or hearing; sitting watching, observing, concentrating on computer monitors and equipment; use of hands to finger, handle, feel; bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching; reaching with hands and arms; and taste or smell. Agility and the ability to lift, pull and bend are required to move patients to and from beds, wheelchairs, stretchers, et cetera, and in moving equipment and medical supplies. Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs frequently through entire shift. Most be able to move, pull/push, lift, maneuver more than 100 lbs. when caring for patients and must be able to use proper body mechanics and lifting equipment when available. Must be able to discern when working with over a hundred pounds when, how, and who to ask for assistance to protect and prevent self-injury. Must have the ability to hear and recognize alarms on equipment; client calls; instructions from physicians/department staff; and, hear overhead pages through loudspeaker. This position requires vision required to see close; distant; colored; peripheral; and depth perception. Must be able to adjust visual focus as needed. to ask for assistance. This position requires the ability to perform repetitive motion actions in both hands including prolonged grasping of simple/light action; intermittent grasping of firm/heavy action; and prolonged ability of fine dexterity.

Mental:

Contacts often require tact and sensitivity as those related to stressful situation such as death, dying, and catastrophic illnesses. Must be able to prioritize and use good judgment. Must be able to coordinate a variety of issues while being frequently interrupted. Must be able to work with the attitude of team building with other staff; collaborate with multiple departments and job positions. Must be willing to assist when able and as needed with other team players.

Environmental:

Will be working occasionally around fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; and, risk of electric shock. Typical environmental noise level is moderate. As with any area of a Health care setting, must be able to work around and with infectious diseases.

Essential Functions

1. Observe, interview, and assess surgery patients during perioperative phase.
2. Initiate treatments, medications, emergency, and resuscitative measures based on evidence-based information, and appropriate utilization of physicians' pre- and post-op orders, standing orders and post anesthesia protocol.
3. Utilize AORN Standards of Care to develop, implement, evaluate nursing plan of care for the peri-operative patient.
4. Demonstrate knowledge and skills in dealing with expectant mother/baby care for C-sections.
5. Record observations, nursing interventions, patient outcomes, and other data relevant to surgical patients.
6. Operate and monitor specialized OR equipment. Operate autoclaves as needed.
7. Monitor patients having surgical procedure under local anesthesia and moderate sedation by assessing cardiopulmonary, and hemodynamic status, level of consciousness and pain levels. Responsible for management of patients undergoing local anesthesia and moderate sedation under the direct supervision of the provider.
8. Collaborate with members of the surgical and multidisciplinary teams in assessing, planning, and implementing surgical intervention in management of patient's peri-operative health care.
9. Notify Surgeon and/or Anesthesia provider in case of any abnormal diagnostic or physical findings in the patient.
10. Communicate to the patient any ambulation/movement restrictions when applicable. Inform the patient that further education on ambulation/movement restrictions will be performed by Short Stay Surgery staff, or nursing unit RN's.
11. Functions as team leader and supervises on call team members when called in for emergencies.
12. Monitor supplies and instruments to assure a sterile product is delivered to the sterile field.
13. Correctly labels, handles, and processes all operative specimens.
14. Participate on hospital committees as assigned.
15. Participate in planning and conducting continuing education.
16. Identify, initiate, and participate in nursing studies.
17. Ensure quality patient care despite the situation encountered, be it routine or emergent.
18. Perform scrub duties as necessary.
19. Maintain supplies and monitor outdates.
20. Take OR Call as assigned by immediate supervisor.
21. Responsible for electronic health records data entry pertinent to patient service role.
22. Ensure proper PPE is always worn while on duty including but not limited to, face mask, gloves, gown, isolation gown, NIOSH-approved N95 filtering facepiece respirator or higher, if available), and eye or face shield.
23. Complete all donning and doffing tasks in a safe acceptable method and discard of used PPE accordingly. (see CDC website for most current updates)
24. Complete task training for all routine cleaning and decontamination processes for all surfaces contaminated by a communicable disease to ensure a high level of patient, visitor, employee and external customer satisfaction.
25. Performs other duties as assigned.