Summary of Position:
The Perinatal Nurse provides professional nursing care to patients through the Labor and Delivery, Recovery, Postpartum and Nursery, by utilizing the established facility and AWHONN policies, procedures and guidelines, ensuring safe and effective care. The Nurse performs antenatal testing, monitors maternal and neonatal wellbeing during labor and provides individualized care structured to each patient’s unique situation and requests in order to achieve a safe and positive birthing experience for the family unit. The Nurse provides postpartum care and education based on individual needs and department standards. The Nurse provides newborn care based on individual needs and departmental standards. The Nurse participates in activities necessary in keeping the department in a state of readiness to provide patient care (included but not limited to restocking rooms, checking crash carts, quality control for point of care testing, participating in policy and procedure creation and revision, attending meetings, attending and/or providing in services, researching and championing ways to improve the patient experience).
Qualifications
Education:
● Completion of an accredited Nursing program.
● Bachelor’s degree in Nursing (BSN) preferred.
Experience:
● At least one year of recent Perinatal Nursing experience required; 5 years or greater preferred.
● Sufficient computer skills for electronic medical record documentation.
● In compliance with patient safety standards, must be able to effectively communicate in English; Bilingual abilities are preferred.
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
● Excellent skills to provide triage/medical screening exams to patients presenting to the unit.
● Ability to assess and provide care to patients who have complications of pregnancy requiring treatment and/or hospitalization.
● Ability to assess and provide care to patients through the labor and delivery process.
● Ability to assess and provide care to patients in the immediate recovery period of a cesarean or vaginal delivery.
● Ability to assess and provide care to patients in the postpartum period.
● Ability to assess and provide care for newborns.
● Ability to communicate well with patients, families, and other healthcare providers for proper care coordination.
● Perform duties in accordance with AWHONN guidelines and standards.
● Skilled in prioritizing patient needs and cope well with a fast-paced, sometimes stressful environment.
Certifications/Licensure:
● Current California RN license in good standing prior to start date
● Current ACLS and BLS for the Healthcare Provider by the American Heart Association or ability to obtain prior to start date
● Current NRP by the American Academy of Pediatrics or ability to obtain prior to start date
● Professional certifications including but not limited to NCC certification in Inpatient Obstetrics preferred
● Current validation of competency in Fetal Monitoring, as evidence by National Certification Corporation (NCC) certification or AWHONN Intermediate or Advanced Fetal Monitoring Course
● Current STABLE certification prior to start date or must enroll and complete the first Barton University available offering
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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
● While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to walk, stand, sit, and talk or hear.
● The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms.
● The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
● Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
● Lifts, positions, pushes and/or transfer patients.
● The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
Working Conditions
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
● Routine Hospital/Healthcare & Office/Administrative conditions.
● Contact with patients and guests under a wide variety of circumstances.
● Regularly exposed to the risk of bloodborne diseases.
● Exposure to infections and contagious disease.
● Exposed to hazardous anesthetic agents, body fluids and waste.
● Subject to hazards of flammable and explosive gases.
● Subject to varying and unpredictable situations, including the handling of emergency or crisis situations.
● Subject to pressure due to irregular hours, frequent interruptions and stressful situations due to multiple demands.
● Occasional travel to various health system locations.
Essential Functions
1. Provides consistently exceptional care at all times.
2. Provide patient care, anticipate and evaluate outcomes, consult with others as required and adjust care plan as necessary to ensure optimal care and outcomes.
3. Perform system assessments at intervals consistent with departmental standards of care and patient acuity, recognizing disturbed physiology and abnormal parameters.
a. Accurately interpret fetal heart tracings and immediately respond to non-reassuring rhythms according to established standards.
b. Ensure the wellbeing and safety of the neonate during transition.
4. Performs neonatal testing according to established policies and procedures.
a. Accurately interpret fetal heart rate tracings.
b. Determines reactivity according to defined criteria.
c. Responds to interpretation (Reactive vs Nonreactive) according to AWHONN Guidelines.
5. Assess pain level on all patients;
a. Upon initial assessment, determine patient’s goals for pain management during labor, educating patient in available options.
b. Reassess pain levels and readdress pain management goals according to departmental standards and patient’s response to intervention.
6. Assess psychosocial needs of patients, expressing interest in their progress, comfort and prepares for disposition.
7. Develops an individualized care plan for each patient based on findings from triage/medical screening exam.
8. Medication administration is safe, accurate and timely
a. Follows the five rights of medication safety and double check dosage accuracy if applicable.
b. Follows procedure when removing medication from floor stock (Pyxis).
c. Signs and ensures all narcotic wastage is witnessed.
d. Documents all medication interventions to include rationale for PRN and emergency medications.
e. Reports all Adverse Drug Reactions and Medication Errors according to policy.
9. Monitors patient reaction and compliance with care.
a. Reports any untoward change in patient condition to appropriate individual.
b. Immediately responds to situation where the wellbeing of the mother, fetus or neonate is determined in jeopardy.
10. Documents patient assessment findings, physical/psychosocial responses to nursing interventions and progress towards problem resolution.
11. Provides care in a non-judgmental, non-discriminatory manner that is sensitive to the patient and family’s diversity, preserving their autonomy, dignity and rights.
12. Functions as a team leader;
a. Communicates effectively with team members.
b. Completes assessments in a timely manner.
c. Supports team members by offering assistance and guidance.
d. When indicated, delegates activities to appropriate personnel. Utilize supportive personnel to perform duties within their abilities and scope of practice.
13. Effectively coordinates and prioritizes scheduled procedures and care activities.
14. Assist physicians with examinations, deliveries and other procedures and processes related to direct patient care. Assists anesthesiology with regional anesthesia.
15. Keeps family unit informed of progress, procedures, and disposition.
a. Focuses on family unit needs.
b. Promptly responds to patient call system.
16. Assess the patient and family’s learning needs, abilities, preferences, and readiness to learn. Effectively educate the family unit to
a. Medication use and safety
b. Nutritional interventions
c. Safe use of medical equipment
d. Management of pain
e. Rehabilitation techniques
f. Resources outside of the hospital
17. Monitor and ensure the accuracy of documentation in the patient’s electronic medical record. All aspects of patient care are accurately and completely documented.
18. Operates equipment and performs job related duties in a safe manner. Insures proper functioning of equipment and follows procedure when equipment malfunctions.
19. Orients, instructs and trains new nurses to the department.
20. Demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the population served, principles of growth and development over the lifespan, and possess the ability to identify each patient’s age specific needs.
21. Demonstrate a working knowledge of regulatory and licensing standards and ensure that practice is compliant with standards.
22. Maintains current competency to perinatal nursing and up to date with current practice guidelines.
23. Maintains confidentiality in matters related to patient and family.
24. Proactively participate in activities necessary to keep the department in a state of readiness as defined in the position summary.
25. Take an active role in Shared Governance.
26. Demonstrate flexibility in meeting departmental staffing needs.
27. Responds to the needs of the department by performing other duties, as necessary.
