The following information is designed to outline the functions and position requirements of this job. It does not identify all tasks that may be expected, nor address the performance standards that must be maintained. Job functions may change based on organizational needs.
General Position Summary:
Registered nurses, regardless of specialty or work setting, utilize the Standards of Professional Nursing Practice and the listed competencies, in caring for the patients at the Summit Healthcare Association. The nursing process, critical thinking and problem solving skills are utilized to provide holistic care to individuals, families, groups, communities and populations across the life span.
Registered Nurse Seniors are high-performing employees who in addition to regular RN duties provide a specialty service or focus within a department or the organization. This specialty will require additional skills and experience than the RN position.
Essential Functions / Major Responsibilities:
Standard 1: Assessment
- Provides initial and ongoing assessment and interpretation of patients within the framework of holistic professional nursing practice, and in accordance with the principles of patient and family centered care.
- Integrates knowledge from environmental factors into the assessment process.
- Assesses and interprets information and data regarding the patient’s culture and values system, lifestyle, and interest and ability to participate in their care, and other factors impacting successful treatment outcomes.
- Recognizes the impact of one’s own attitudes, beliefs and values on the assessment process.
- Identifies barriers to effective communication based on psychosocial, literacy, economic, cultural and religious considerations.
- Assesses and interprets patient’s ability (physical, social and psychological) to manage their health in order to transition their care or discharge. In collaboration with the patient or family identifies patient or family needs based on analysis of data.
- Identifies and communicates patient or family needs to the interdisciplinary health care team and other providers of care as appropriate through accurate documentation and vocal communication.
- Provides ongoing monitoring of patient’s and / or their family’s response to intervention; identifies deviations from expected outcomes and assesses change in patient status.
Standard 2: Diagnosis
·Identifies risks to the patient’s health and safety including risk from interpersonal, systematic, cultural or environmental lifestyle.
·Uses assessment data and clinical decision support tools to identify and communicate actual or potential diagnoses, problems, and issues.
·Corroborates the diagnoses with the patient, family, group or community.
·Prioritize diagnoses based on mutually agreed goals to meet the healthcare needs of the patient, family, group or community.
·Documents diagnoses in a manner that facilitates the determination of the expected outcomes and plan.
Standard 3: Outcomes Identification
·Identifies expected outcomes for an individualized patient treatment plan, in collaboration with the interprofessional team,
·Creates culturally sensitive expected outcomes from assessment data in collaboration with the patient and their care partner that facilitate coordination of care.
·Documents expected outcomes as measurable goals.
·Evaluate the actual outcomes against the expected outcomes.
Standard 4: Planning
- Develops, coordinates and updates an individualized plan of care, based on evidence, in collaboration with the patient and their family, the interdisciplinary health care team and other providers of care promoting continuity of care across the continuum.
- Develops evidence-based strategies to address each of the identified diagnoses, problems, or issues including but not limited to the following: Promotion of health, prevention of illness or injury, healing, and supportive care.
- Prioritizes nursing interventions to achieve patient outcomes and goals.
- Modifies the plan according to the ongoing assessment of the patient’s response and other outcomes.
- Develops and coordinates a comprehensive discharge and education plan to meet the patient and their family’s needs, including health promotion, self-management, identifying and coordinating resources to promote continuity of care across the continuum.
Standard 5: Implementation
- Establishes and maintains a therapeutic relationship with patient or families.
- Identifies, initiates and coordinates therapeutic interventions consistent with the legislated scope of practice and level of competence.
- Implements prescribed interventions (e.g. diagnostic tests, medications) and performs independent nursing interventions (e.g. patient and family education).
- Ensures the implementation, coordination and ongoing evaluation of the patient care plan.
- Provides counseling that assists the patient in developing, improving, or regaining skills, social and community supports, promoting health and recovering from illness and disability.
- Consults with the interdisciplinary team and other care providers to discuss changes related to patient status, and modifies interventions.
- Provides information and instruction to assist patients and family members to understand health care practices and processes.
- Utilizes educational material to support patients understanding of their health care, health promotion, and or health maintenance, and the enhancement of their individual well-being.
- Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; following manufacturer's instructions; troubleshooting malfunctions; calling for repairs; maintaining equipment inventories; evaluating new equipment and techniques.
- Maintains patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
- Care is coordinated and delivered within the confines of available human, material and fiscal resources of the Association (Summit Healthcare Association).
Standard 6: Evaluation
- Utilizes data obtained from the patient and their family and other health care providers to evaluate the plan of care including the patient’s responses to interventions and achievement of expected outcomes.
- Supervises and evaluates care provided by direct care assistive and support staff.
- Uses data and evidence based best practice to evaluate and revised planned nursing activities and interventions.
- Documents complete accurate and relevant data for every patient according to Association policies and guidelines.
In addition the six standards above, the Association also integrates the following into the professional nursing of the association.
Advocacy:
- Provides a supportive environment for communications and decision making by patients and their families.
- Advocates for and supports the principles of patient and family centered care, and patient rights and wellbeing.
- Assists patient and families, to become aware of issues relevant to their health care needs and provides information on resources and services within the health care system.
- Recognizes trends in health care needs within patient groups served, and involves the patient in planning mutually expected outcomes where possible and appropriate.
- Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of legislation dealing with patient rights and responsibilities in health care.
- Demonstrates knowledge of the roles, responsibilities and rights of other nurses and other health care professionals.
- Establishes a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.
Professional Development and Accountability:
- Practices within professional, legal and ethical standards and is accountable for his or her own actions and decisions at all times.
- Demonstrates professionalism in attitude, dress and behavior.
- Contributes to positive team functioning and supporting one another.
- Develops cultural competence in order to provide culturally competent care.
- Actively participates in developing and evaluating professional goals and performance at regular intervals.
- Role models the principles of continuous quality improvement by critical reflection of own practice, seeking meaningful feedback from peers, clients and supervisors.
- Accountable for reporting professional practice issues to the appropriate person, agency or professional body.
- Maintains a cooperative relationship among health care teams by communicating information; responding to requests; building rapport; participating in team problem-solving methods.
·Displays proper etiquette and mannerisms that reflect the SHINE Behavior Standards.
·Promotes the patient safety standards as a core value and part of the strategic plan of the organization.
Professional Leadership, Education and Research:
- Supports the philosophy, vision and mission of the Association.
- Participates in the development and revision of standards of care, policies and procedures.
- Participates in and supports organizational or professional committees and in activities related to professional practice, quality improvement and patient safety.
- Promotes a safe work environment by identifying and resolving potential risk issues.
- Demonstrates an awareness of organizational and unit needs by participating in the establishment of priorities, the management of resources, and in modifying the environment to meet changing needs.
- Functions as a change agent by thinking reflectively, questioning assumptions, assessing alternatives, and supporting change.
- Identifies and participates in problem or conflict resolution utilizing appropriate strategies, processes and procedures.
- Guides clinical learning experiences as a preceptor for students and staff as assigned and supports the orientation of new staff and students.
- Accepts responsibility for continuing competencies through ongoing professional development including participation in education programs, research and continuous quality programs.
Secondary Functions:
·Participates in departmental and association wide informational meetings and inservices, including staff meetings, association wide forums, and seminars.
·Reviews department and association wide policies and procedures annually as pertinent to the department.
·All other duties as assigned.
Additional Responsibilities:
Completes all tasks as expressed in the Skills Delineation List.
Job Scope:
- Recurring work situations with occasional variations from the norm.
- Will assist other nursing units within scope of training.
- A moderate to high level of complexity.
- Operation from established and well-known procedures.
- Performance of duties under moderate supervision.
- Assigned to be “On-Call” for emergency backup as needed.
- Must be available to share in weekend and holiday rotation for scheduling shifts.
Supervisory Responsibility:
·None.
Specific Job Skills & Mental Activities:
This position requires general nursing skills and knowledge of general office equipment (including the nurse call system, telephone system, fax machine, copy machine, computer, and commonly used hospital programs).
This position requires excellent computer, communication, critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, supervisory, interpersonal skills, basic math skills, and be able to exercise independent judgment skills when necessary.
This position also requires knowledge of hospital equipment and programs, including all Hospital Information Systems and department specific equipment.
This position requires self-direction and self-motivation.
Must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English.
Education, Licensures, and/or Experience:
·Current AZ RN License (required).
·CPR/BLS certification (required within 30 days of hire date).
·ACLS certification*/& (required within 6 months of hire date)
- NIOSH Certification
- Minimum 2-3 years RN experience in an acute care setting (required).
* - Renewal may take up to 30 days after expiration of original certification.
& - Certification required within six months of employment, or at completion of orientation.
Physical Demands & Job Conditions:
Exert up to 100 lbs. of force occasionally, and/or up to 50 lbs. of force frequently, and/or up to 20 lbs. of force constantly to move objects. The worker is subject to on-call status, contact with chemicals, contact with infectious fluids, heavy lifting, constant standing, and encounters with upset/disturbed individuals.
Physical motions include finger dexterity, standing, walking, stooping, crawling, talking, reaching, feeling, sitting, bending, kneeling, climbing, grasping, listening/hearing, handling, lifting up to 50-100 pounds with assistance, and repetitive motions of the hands, wrists, and feet.
This is considered a safety sensitive position.
OSHA Exposure Category:
Involves exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissues.
Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice. 3 Edition. American Nurses Association. Published by Nursesbooks.org. 2015.
