FT Registered Nurse RN - Nights

FT Registered Nurse RN - Nights

LifeCare Hospitals of North Texas - Carrollton, TX 75010

Job Description

General Summary: The Registered Nurse (RN) assesses, plans, implements, evaluates, and provides nursing care to assigned patients utilizing the nursing process to facilitate the patient's progression toward optimal health. The RN provides, directs, and guides patient/family teaching and readiness for discharge to prepare the patient for self, home, or further professional care. The RN is actively involved in department activities, transdisciplinary team activities, and LifeCare activities to ensure individualized, patient-centered health care for all patient populations admitted to LifeCare Hospital.

Patient Population: Has contact with patients in a clinical setting; understands and demonstrates appropriate behavior when interacting with patients in the adult (18-65 years of age) and geriatric (65 and older) populations.

Supervision: Oversees and directs delegated functions of LPNs/LVNs, CNAs, Patient Care Technicians, Mental Health Assistants, Monitor Technicians, and Unit Clerks.

Standard Essential Functions

1. The knowledge and skills necessary to perform the position requirements are demonstrated through the successful completion of competencies established for the position, to include the population served and other special needs of patients or customers served by the department.
2. Adheres to LifeCare policies, procedures, all safety plans, and all standards imposed by regulatory organizations.
3. Regular attendance and timeliness are required.

Job-Specific Essential Functions

1. Assesses the needs of patients in basic and complex situations, identifies potential or actual needs, and communicates changes in patient status, needs, or condition to the supervisor and physician when applicable and documents in the patient chart.
2. Plans the care of patients and their families in response to identified needs, throughout the continuum of care, in collaboration with the transdisciplinary team. Documents the plan and revisions.
3. Implements the plan of care by providing nursing interventions directly and/or appropriately delegating care to others, demonstrating competent and proficient nursing practice. Responds appropriately and assists others in responding to emergencies calmly and effectively.
4. Initiates and coordinates the evaluation of the care provided and documents the patient's response to care provided by nursing and other transdisciplinary team members.
5. Facilitates the identification and resolution of patients' admission, transfer, and discharge needs throughout the course of care in collaboration with the transdisciplinary team. Identifies individual learning needs of patients and families and provides education in a manner that meets their special needs.
6. Communicates with the Charge Nurse or Nursing Supervisor on changing patient needs or acuity for appropriate staffing. Facilitates the admission and transfer of patients, including appropriate patient placement.

Additional duties if acting as Charge RN:

• In collaboration with nursing management, coordinates management activities for the nursing staff to ensure that optimum, achievable care is delivered. Acts as a resource person.
• As requested, reviews schedules to ensure adequate staffing on all shifts, adjusts staff as necessary by transferring individual staff members from one unit to another, arranges and approves necessary overtime and/or unscheduled shifts, and calls in relief staff.
• Makes rounds on all patients to determine adequacy of planning and implementation of care in collaboration with other team leaders.
• Reports all unusual occurrences, problems, and facts of occurrence through proper channels, and conducts a thorough investigation to provide a written report for nursing administration.

Values

• We COLLABORATE: We develop our treatment plans in collaboration with physicians, clinicians, and the patient's families.
• We ADVOCATE: We advocate on behalf of every patient and family.
• We RESPECT: We recognize and value the dignity, rights, and resources of each patient.
• We EDUCATE: We educate our team members and families with purpose and compassion.
• We SERVE: We serve as a TEAM with integrity at all levels, focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for our patients.

Qualifications

Experience: Two (2) years of experience in an acute or LTACH setting is preferred.

Education: Graduate of an approved Registered Nurse program is required.

Licensure/Certification: Current Registered Nurse license in the state where practicing is required. Current BLS certification is required upon hire. ACLS certification is required within six (6) months of hire for ICU/high-ops nurses. ACLS is optional for all non-ICU/high-ops nurses. All Registered Nurses must maintain required licensure/certification while employed.

Physical Requirements:

1. Ability to lift, move, transport, and position patients, equipment, or supplies/materials up to fifty (50) pounds without assistance; or over fifty (50) pounds with the aid of mechanical assistance or assistance of personnel.
2. Range of motion and mobility of self by positioning or moving around the hospital to include sitting, standing, walking, bending, squatting, stooping, kneeling, crawling, climbing, and reaching.
3. Ability to communicate with patients, families, physicians, co-workers, and visitors to be able to exchange accurate information regarding patient condition and health status. Ability to exchange and express information using language and communicate information effectively.
4. Ability to hear the nature of sounds. Ability to detect clinical alarms and conversations. Ability to give full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
5. Ability to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
6. Ability to monitor/assess performance of yourself or other individuals to make improvements or take corrective action.
7. Ability to see things at close range and match and/or detect differences between colors, including color and brightness.
8. Ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble small objects.
9. Ability to keep your hand steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
10. Ability to understand the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. Ability to use scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
11. Ability to identify problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
12. Ability to respond and/or resolve an emergency or crisis calmly and professionally as a team member or team leader.
13. Ability to work independently and perform routine and detail-oriented tasks. Ability to manage one's own time and the time of others.
14. Ability to consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
15. Ability to collect and analyze numerical, written data, and verbal communication to reach logical conclusions, and ability to determine the time, place, and sequence of operations or actions.
16. Ability to review, assess, record, or type data quickly and accurately.
17. Ability to observe and recognize or identify changes in a patient's health status or condition.
18. Ability to perform mathematical equations.
19. Ability to view and operate the required equipment.
20. Ability to determine resources needed to provide quality patient care.
21. Ability to make independent judgments and decisions.
22. Ability to respond or adjust a modality of therapy when a deviation from routine care is required.
23. Ability to manage physically aggressive patients if working in a behavioral setting.
24. Ability to motivate, develop, and direct people as they work.

Environmental/Working Conditions:

1. Category 1 - Infection exposure due to required tasks which routinely involve a potential for mucous membrane or skin contact with blood, body fluid tissues, or potential spills or splashes.
2. Ability to work alone or with minimal supervision.
3. Contact with patients, families, co-workers, physicians, and visitors.
4. Ability to work under and appropriately manage stress.
5. Ability to manage multiple tasks.
6. Ability to work long hours between breaks and meals may be required.
7. Exposure to high, medium, or low noise intensity.

Machinery/Tools/Equipment Requirements: Ability to operate nursing call system, telephone, fax machine, copy machine, computer, printer, and calculator.

LifeCare Hospitals of North Texas