Registered Nurse

Summary of Position:

Provides professional nursing care to patients within the Float Pool units, utilizing established policies and procedures, ensuring safe and effective care. Nursing units include Med Surg/Ortho/ICU and ED, but could float to other hospital units as needed. Services are provided based on the ages of the population served; Newborn through geriatric - 65 years or older and in collaboration with the multidisciplinary care team. Demonstrates the knowledge and skill necessary to identify and meet the individualized needs of all patients served in the units as listed above. The Float Pool RN is under the supervision of the Critical Care Nurse Manager or designee. The scope of care provided on each nursing unit involves the care of patients with various health problems and with varied levels of complexity. The float pool nurse must be adaptable and flexible, as they will be floated to the department most in need, not necessarily the department they signed up for.

Qualifications

Education:

* Completion of an accredited Nursing program.
* Bachelor's degree in Nursing (BSN) preferred.

Experience:

* One year recent experience in a specialty area (i.e. ED, ICU) required.
* Two years of critical care experience within the past 5 years in an acute care setting preferred

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

* Knowledge of nursing practices in the designated unit.
* 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.
* Must be able to work in a stressful environment and take appropriate action.
* Ability to collaborate with various departments in and outside of the Barton Health System in order to provide consistently exceptional patient care.

Certifications/Licensure:

* Current California license or ability to obtain prior to start date.
* Current CPR/BLS certification by the American Heart Association (BLS for the Healthcare Provider) or ability to obtain prior to start date.
* Current ACLS, PALS certification prior to hire or must enroll and complete the first available Barton University courses or upon completion of orientation
* PEARS American Heart Association certification prior to start date or within 6 months of hire date
* Basic ECG interpretation upon completion of orientation
* If working in the ED, Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) is required within 6 months of hire date

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.
* The employee is occasionally required to lift, position, push and/or transfer patients.
* The employee must be able to lift and/or move a minimum of 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 and administrative conditions.
* Contact with patients and guests under a wide variety of circumstances.
* Regularly exposed to the risk of blood borne diseases.
* Exposure to infections and contagious disease.
* Exposed to hazardous anesthetic agents, body fluids and waste
* Subject to hazards of flammable and explosive gases.
* Exposure to chemicals known by the California Health Department to cause reproductive harm and cancer.
* 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. Provide consistently exceptional care at all times.

2. Provides professional nursing care to patients in designated department utilizing established policies and procedures, ensuring safe and effective care.

3. Has the training and demonstrates the knowledge and ability to provide safe and effective care and treatment of the critical care patient to include, but not limited to the following modalities:

a. Ventilators

b. Continuous IV medication for sedation, pain or hemodynamic purposes

c. Invasive monitoring devise

d. Cardiac Monitoring, Cardiac rhythm interpretation & intervention

e. Critical patients with cardiac, neurologic, respiratory, vascular, post surgical & systemic disease processes.

f. Procedures requiring procedural sedation

4. Demonstrates a working knowledge of regulatory and licensing standards and ensures that practice is compliant with standards.

5. Performs systems assessment at intervals consistent with departmental standards of care and patient acuity, recognizing disturbed physiology and abnormal parameters. Assesses pain levels on all patients and assesses psychosocial needs of patients, expressing interest in their progress and comfort and prepares for disposition.

6. Demonstrates the knowledge and skill necessary to identify and meet the individualized needs of all patients served in the designated department.

7. Ensures medication administration is safe, accurate and timely to include: Follows all safety precautions related to patient ID, order confirmation, calculations and double-checking dose accuracy if applicable. Follows procedure when removing meds from floor stock (Narcotics, Pyxis, night lockers etc) Signs and ensures all narcotic wastage is witnessed. Documents all medication intervention to include rationale for PRN medications. Reports all Adverse Drug Events (ADE) according to policy. ADE=ADR (Adverse Drug Reaction) & Medication Errors.

8. Monitors patient reaction and compliance with physician orders. Reports any downward change in patient condition to appropriate individual.

9. Recognizes unusual conditions outside of his/her expertise and seeks guidance of coworkers or supervisors.

10. Functions as a team leader by communicating effectively with team members, completes assessments in a timely manner and support team members offering assistance and guidance.

11. Effectively coordinates and prioritizes scheduled procedures and care activities.

12. Assists physicians with examinations, procedures and other processes related to direct patient care.

13. Keeps patient/family informed of progress, procedures and disposition. Focuses on customer service needs.

14. The patients learning needs, abilities, preferences and readiness is assessed. Effectively educates patient and family in medication use and safety, nutrition interventions, safe use of medical equipment, management of pain and rehabilitation techniques and use of other sources.

15. Monitors and ensures accuracy of documentation in patient medical record. All aspects of patient care are accurately and completely documented

16. Operates equipment and performs job related duties in a safe manner. Ensures proper functioning of equipment and follows procedure when equipment malfunctions.

17. Assists in the orientation, instructing and training of assigned personnel

18. Takes active role in shared governance including committee membership, task force contribution, staff meeting attendance, and development of policy and procedures that contribute to maintaining ICU and ED Standards of Care.

19. As assigned, may function in the Charge RN role by assisting with break and meal coverage, assisting Nurse Supervisor with patient flow, coordinating assignments based upon acuity, changes in acuity, increased or decreased census, in conjunction with the Nursing Supervisor.

20. Responds to the needs of the department by performing other duties, as necessary.