$2500 sign-on bonus with commitment.
Summary
Provides direct
patient care to all patient populations.
Addresses the psychosocial, physical and general aspects of care related
to the surgical environment. Assists
with the maintenance of PACU equipment and inventory. Participates in performance improvement
activities. Responsible for monitoring
patient’s physiological status in the immediate postoperative environment. Communicates with surgeon and
anesthesiologist continuously, and as needed, about patient conditions;
receives direction for patient management. Intercedes to maintain optimum
homeostasis. Is able to respond quickly and accurately to changes in condition
or response to treatment. May be
required to perform in the charge nurse role.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Able to perform a head-to-toe assessment on all
patient populations and reassessments per facility policy. Provides care
appropriate to disease condition and age of the patient.
- Demonstrates knowledge of perioperative factors
that alter immediate postoperative phase.
- Identifies physical symptoms and changes and
takes appropriate action in a timely manner.
- Demonstrates knowledge of airway management and
procedures and the ability to use the equipment.
- Demonstrates ability to assess
cardio-respiratory systems for changes and provides appropriate treatment.
- Observes behavioral and physiologic changes due
to medications, takes appropriate actions and documents.
- Ability to adequately assess and reassess
pain. Utilizes appropriate pain
management techniques. Educates the
patient and family regarding pain management.
- Demonstrates an ability to assist physicians
with procedures. Carries out medical/surgical asepsis during treatments and
special procedures.
- Knowledge of medications and their correct
administration based on age of patient and clinical condition. Follows the five
medication rights and reduces the potential for medication errors.
- Carries out safety measures to prevent patient
from harming him/herself or others.
- Assesses level of consciousness and promotes
activity. Encourages turn, cough, and deep breathe by exercises and position
changes.
- Demonstrates knowledge of anesthetic drugs,
actions and side effects.
- Demonstrates knowledge of arterial lines,
spinal and epidural catheters and
documents pertinent clinical information per policy. Has knowledge of emergency medications.
- Demonstrates knowledge of peripheral nerve
block procedures and catheters; able to document pertinent clinical information
per policy.
- Ability to formulate an individualized plan of
care. Ability to revise plan of care as indicated by the patient’s response to
treatment and evaluate overall plan for effectiveness. Formulates a teaching plan with patient and
family based upon identified learning needs and evaluates effectiveness of
learning. Interacts professionally with
patient/family.
- Responds appropriately to patient in an emergency
or per ACLS or PALS protocol.
- Communicates effectively and thoroughly the
patient’s condition upon transfer from PACU to the receiving unit Registered
Nurse.
- Establishes and maintains effective
communication and good working relationships with co-workers and health care
team members for the patient’s benefit.
Consults other departments as appropriate to provide an interdisciplinary
approach to the patient’s needs.
- Orients new staff as needed.
- Maintains regulatory agency requirements,
hospital and nursing policies, procedures and standards.
- Demonstrates knowledge of cardiac monitoring,
identifies dysrhythmias, and treats appropriately based upon facility
protocol.
- Able to perform 12 lead EKG as indicated.
- Able to perform waived testing (point-of-care
testing) or moderate complexity testing per clinical laboratory guidelines and
unit policy and procedure. Able to interpret results of laboratory tests and
take appropriate action on test results.
Notifies physician of any abnormal lab/test results.
- Completes specially assigned duties
consistently and as schedule allows.
- Documentation meets current standards and
policies.
- Manages and operates equipment safely and
correctly.
- Treats patients and their families with respect
and dignity. Identifies and addresses
psychological, cultural, ethnic and religious/spiritual needs of patients and
their families. Functions as a liaison
between patients, their families and other departments and other healthcare
providers.
- Utilizes initiative; strives to maintain steady
level of productivity; self-motivated. Organizes and manages activities
reflecting due consideration for the needs of the department and staff.
Charge
Nurse Responsibilities:
- Makes daily patient assignments, monitors the
daily surgery schedule and daily unit progress, reports changes to involved
departments.
- Supports/oversees unit staff and monitors
staffing efficiency. Monitors late and
on call schedule. Staff's unit according
to nursing standards. Supervises staff
to ensure quality of nursing care, delegates’ specific duties and tasks. Monitors daily time sheets.
- Provides and controls supplies, and equipment
needed for successful operation of the department. Directs and delegates control of inventories
to ensure proper amounts available.
- Supervises care and cleanliness of equipment
and supplies to ensure good working conditions.
- Effectively communicates pertinent issues to OR
Director.
- Provides orientation to new staff members. Assists in the evaluation process.
- Promotes the hospital’s mission, values, and
goals.
- Utilizes initiative, strives to maintain a
steady level of productivity, completes assigned projects by due date.
- Knowledgeable of lab procedures and lab
equipment.
- Participates in QA/PI activities, communicates
results to staff.
- Completes other duties as assigned by Director.
- Communicates with OR Director regarding issues,
conflicts, or operational occurrences in the department and participates with
problem solving.
- Promotes professional growth of subordinates by
sharing knowledge and/or directing them to sources if information appropriate
to given situation. Utilizes journals, books, etc. to learn and/or improve new
techniques and equipment.
Core Competencies
Action
Orientation - Targets and achieves results, overcomes obstacles, accepts
responsibility, establishes standards and responsibilities, creates a
results-oriented environment, and follows through on actions.
Communications
- Communicates well both verbally and in writing. Effectively conveys and
shares information and ideas with others. Listens carefully and understands
various viewpoints. Presents ideas clearly and concisely and understands
relevant detail in presented information.
Creativity/Innovation
- Generates novel ideas and develops or improves existing and new systems that
challenge the status quo, takes risks, and encourages innovation.
Critical
Judgment - Possesses the ability to define issues and focus on achieving
workable solutions. Consistently does the right thing by performing with
reliability.
Customer
Orientation - Listens to customers, builds customer confidence, increases
customer satisfaction, sets appropriate customer expectations, and responds to
customer needs.
Interpersonal
Skills - Effectively and productively engages with others and establishes
trust, credibility, and confidence with others.
Leadership
- Motivates, empowers, inspires, collaborates with, and encourages others.
Builds consensus when appropriate. Focuses team members on common goals.
Teamwork
- Knows when and how to attract, develop, reward, and utilize teams to optimize
results. Acts to build trust, inspire enthusiasm, encourage others, and help
resolve conflicts and develop consensus in creating high-performance teams.
Professional Requirements
- Meets dress code standards; adheres to policy
dress code policy.
- Completes annual education requirements.
- Maintains regulatory requirements.
- Maintains patient confidentiality at all times.
- Reports to work on time and as scheduled,
completes work within designated time.
- Wears identification while on duty, uses
computerized punch time system correctly.
- Attends annual review and department in-services,
as scheduled.
- Attends monthly staff meetings or reads staff
meeting minutes.
- Represents the organization in a positive and
professional manner.
- Actively participates in performance
improvement and continuous quality improvement (CQI) activities.
- Complies with all organizational policies
regarding ethical business practices.
- Communicates the mission, ethics and goals of
the hospital, as well as the focus statement of the department.
- Assists other staff members in performing any
duty that enhances the delivery of patient care.
Advanced Orthopedic and Spine
Certification Requirements
(CR.1c) As part
of the Advanced Orthopedic and Spine Certification, at a minimum, the Program
direct-care staff, must have eight (8) hours of education specific to the
Program scope, initially, and at least annually thereafter.
(CR.1e) As part
of the Advanced Orthopedic and Spine Certification, staff possess adaptability
to processes as related to up-to-date best practices, collaboration between
departments, compliance with protocols/processes, communication, cooperation
and exceptional customer service.
Within 90 days
of hire or, if currently employed, within 90 days of signing the job
description, must adhere to:
- Orientation of Advanced Orthopedic and Spine
Certification
- In compliance with the Program education
requirements
- Completed department specific competencies
Regulatory Requirements
- Graduate of an accredited school of nursing
- Current state Registered Nurse licensure in the
state of Louisiana
- Current BLS, ACLS, and PALS certification
Skills
- Ability to communicate effectively in English,
both verbally and in writing.
- Basic
computer knowledge.
Physical Demands
The physical
demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an
employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While
performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk
and hear. This position is very active and requires repetitive motions, standing,
walking, bending, kneeling and stooping all day. The employee must frequently
lift or move items weighing over 100 pounds.
