Summary of Position:
The Emergency Department Staff Nurse provides professional nursing care to patients within the Emergency Department, utilizing established policies and procedures, ensuring safe and effective care. The Emergency Department RN assesses, plans, implements and evaluates care in collaboration with the multidisciplinary care team.
Qualifications
Education:
● Completion of an accredited nursing program
● Bachelor’s degree in Nursing (BSN) preferred
Experience:
● Minimum two year recent ER experience preferred
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
● Highly effective written and verbal communications skills.
● Proficient computer skills as are required to document, communicate and enter information into the electronic medical records system.
● Requires critical thinking skills, decisive judgment and ability to work with minimal supervision.
● Must be able to receive direction and assignments from physicians and prioritize tasks.
● Must be able to work in a stressful environment and take appropriate action.
● In compliance with patient safety standards, must be able to effectively communicate in English; Bilingual abilities preferred.
Certifications/Licensure:
● Current California RN license or ability to obtain prior to hire date
● Current CPR/BLS, ACLS and PALS certification by the American Heart Association
● TNCC or must obtain within 6 months of hire
● MICN within 1 year of start date
● If New Grad RN, must obtain required certifications (BLS, ACLS and PALS) within 6 months.
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. Provides patient care, evaluates outcomes, consults with others as required and adjusts care plan as necessary to ensure optimal care.
3. Performs systems assessment at designated and appropriate intervals on all assigned patients, recognizing disturbed physiology and abnormal parameters.
4. Assesses pain levels on all patients per Barton’s policy.
5. Assesses psychosocial needs of patients, expressing interest in their progress and comfort, makes the appropriate referrals and prepares them for disposition.
6. Recognizes those patients at risk and makes appropriate referrals to community agencies per federal and state law and Barton Memorial Hospital policies.
7. Based on assessment findings, initiates appropriate nursing actions. Correctly analyzes, prioritizes and implements standing, temporary and emergency job tasks in a timely fashion and according to policy.
8. Follows Barton policies on medication administration and documentation.
9. Monitors patient reaction and compliance with physician orders. Reports any untoward change in patient condition to appropriate individual.
10. Recognizes unusual conditions outside of his/her expertise and seeks guidance of coworkers or supervisors.
11. Functions as a team leader
● Communicates effectively with team members;
● Completes assessments in a timely manner
● Supports team members offering assistance and guidance
12. Effectively coordinates procedures and care activities.
13. Assists physicians with examinations, procedures and other processes related to direct patient care.
14. Keeps patient/family informed of progress, procedures, and disposition. Focuses on customer service needs.
15. The patients learning needs, abilities, preferences and readiness to learn is assessed.
16. Effectively educates patients, families:
● Medication use and safety
● Nutrition interventions
● Safe use of medical equipment
● Management of pain
● Rehabilitation techniques
● Use of other resources
17. Monitors and ensures accuracy of documentation in patient medical record. All aspects of patient care are accurately documented:
● Documents all parts of the triage assessment on each patient including a complete set of vital signs, height/weight, previous history and medications
● Assigns the appropriate Triage Level to each patient per the Emergency Severity Index
● Recognizes and follows all of the tenets of Triage Assessment and accurately assures that all patients reach the correct resources within the appropriate period of time
● Documents all parts of the nursing assessment on each patient, and that charting is accurate and complete
● Documents all nursing interventions including procedures accurately and includes the patient’s response to same
● Documents all discharge teaching including the patient’s condition upon discharge
18. Operates equipment and performs job related duties in a safe manner. Insures proper functioning of equipment and follows procedure when equipment malfunctions.
19. Accurately assesses patient’s condition and recognizes serious situations that call for immediate intervention by nursing or the physician.
20. Orients, instructs and trains assigned personnel to Emergency Department functions as needed.
21. Demonstrates a working knowledge of regulatory and licensing standards and ensures that practice is compliant with standards
22. Participates in Unit activities. Attends staff meetings, in service classes and Base Station meetings per the MICN license requirements.
23. Responds to the needs of the department by performing other duties, as necessary.
