Emergency Room Nurse

Job Summary:

The Emergency Room Nurse provides direct and indirect patient care in the emergency care setting, responding quickly and accurately to changes in condition or response to treatment. This role requires initiative, flexibility, and responsibility, with a minimum of supervision.

Key Responsibilities:

• Determines priorities of care based on physical and psychosocial needs, as well as factors influencing patient flow through the system.
• Communicates with Emergency Department physicians about changes in the patient's status, symptomatology, and results of diagnostic studies and critical lab values.
• Maintains awareness of current hospital and departmental operational policies and procedures that impact position responsibilities.
• Provides direct patient care, evaluates outcomes, consults with other specialists as required, and adjusts nursing care processes as indicated to ensure optimal patient care.
• Uses triage process to ensure timely and appropriate care to patients, accurately assigning triage categories and documenting triage notes that indicate level of distress and duration of complaint.
• Ability to perform a head-to-toe assessment on all patients and reassessments as per policy, prioritizing needs based on assessments.
• Ability to adequately assess and reassess pain, utilizing appropriate pain management techniques and educating the patient and family regarding pain management.
• Ability to monitor hemodynamic status of patients and correctly interpret the results, demonstrating knowledge of cardiac monitoring to identify dysrhythmias.
• Maintains medical and surgical asepsis during all procedures, directing and assisting in maintenance and handling of special equipment and instruments.
• Adapts nursing procedures to meet the needs in caring for pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients, identifying physical symptoms and changes and utilizing critical thinking to take appropriate actions in a timely manner.
• Assessment and reassessment of the patient is clearly and concisely communicated in documentation, meeting current standards, policies, and procedures and completed within the current shift.
• Communicates all Clinical laboratory/Imaging Service reports to the Emergency Department Physician.
• Establishes and maintains effective communication and good working relationships with co-workers for the patient benefit and environment.
• Accurately records, handles, and labels specimens, administering medication using the 5 rights and performing patient and caregiver education.
• Performs other duties as assigned, demonstrating knowledge of and adherence to regulations and policies and procedures pertaining to safety, emergency preparedness, infection control, OSHA, fire safety, and hazardous materials.
• Participates in performance improvement activities as necessary, maintaining confidentiality of patient-related issues and adhering to all HIPAA rules and regulations.
• Demonstrates effective interpersonal skills, treating all patients, visitors, and staff members fairly and with respect, utilizing effective communication methods and skills, and explaining all procedures, treatments, and care while remaining aware of language barriers.
• Able to perform care in a non-judgmental manner and recognize discrepancies between patient and personal beliefs, ensuring personal appearance is business casual and professional at all times, and wearing identification badge at all times which must be visible and above the waistline.
• Attends all required meetings and in-service education, remaining flexible in staffing patterns and resolution of staffing conflicts, participating in temporary assignments, and complying with attendance standards.
• Demonstrates flexibility when changes in assignments are necessary, and makes independent decisions, working with others to accomplish objectives and showing support for decisions, setting high standards to ensure quality in work performed, and taking responsibility for adhering to all company policies, procedures, and performance expectations.

Requirements:

• RN Licensure in the State of Texas, with an Associate's degree required and a Bachelor's degree preferred.
• 1 year clinical experience in Emergency Department, ICU, or Acute Care preferred.
• BLS, ACLS, PALS certifications.

Language/MATH/REASONING ABILITY:

• Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos.
• Ability to write simple correspondence.
• Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.
• Ability to add and subtract two-digit numbers and to multiply and divide with 10's and 100's.
• Ability to perform these operations using units of American money and weight measurement, volume, and distance.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Ability to perform medication dosage calculations.

COMPUTER SKILLS:

• Basic computer skills.

CERTIFICATE/LICENSES:

• BLS.
• ACLS and PALS will need to be obtained within 30 days of DOH.

Professional Maturity:

• The ability to separate emotional feelings from the real issues at hand.

Responsibility:

• The ability to accept choices you have made and the results they have led to.

Communication:

• The ability to write and speak effectively; actively listens to others, and gives feedback.

Flexibility:

• Demonstrate responsiveness and adaptability following change initiatives.

Intelligence:

• Understand information and apply new knowledge.

Energetic:

• Exhibits high levels of energy and enthusiasm.

Organized:

• Efficient in structuring tasks to be accomplished.

Computer Savvy:

• The ability to use technology efficiently and effectively.

Customer Service:

• The ability to enhance customer satisfaction.

Job Knowledge/Technical Knowledge:

• Knowledgeable of current role and technical systems, and the impact it has on the organization.

Integrity and Respect:

• Demonstrates utmost level of integrity.

Communication:

• Writes and speaks effectively based on the psychological, relational, situation, environmental, and cultural dynamics within the situation.

Collaboration and Partnership:

• Encourages participation from team members.

Manages Change:

• Demonstrates flexibility with changing environments.

Problem Solving:

• Resolve issues in a timely manner.

Attention to Detail:

• Follows procedures to ensure entry of data.

Organization:

• Uses time efficiently by prioritizing and planning work activities.

Judgment:

• Ability to make independent decisions.

Teamwork:

• Works with others to accomplish objectives and shows support for decisions.

Quality:

• Sets high standards to ensure quality in work performed.

Accountability:

• Takes responsibility for adhering to all company policies, procedures, and performance expectations.

Physical Demands:

• Adequate vision, hearing, and repetitive motion.
• Light physical activity performing non-strenuous daily activities of an administrative nature.
• Ascending or descending stairs, ramps, and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms.
• Substantial movements (motion) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers in a repetitive manner.
• Bending legs downward and forward by bending leg and spine.