Overview

Nurse (Clinical/Med-Surg)

Fort Carson, CO: Located just south of Colorado Springs, Ft. Carson combines scenic beauty, pleasant residential areas, and cultural activities to satisfy every taste. It is an unusually well-rounded military community which offers a variety of recreational and cultural opportunities. World-class ski resorts are available within a short 2 1/2 hour drive, golf courses and biking trails are available on the installation as well as in the surrounding community. Numerous colleges and universities are available for continuing education.

Working for the Department of Defense comes with an abundance of benefits and perks to include competitive compensation packages, paid-time off, medical benefits, student loan repayments, and retirement package with Thrift Savings Plan to include matching employer contributions. For more information, please visit the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/benefits/

Responsibilities

Duties

This position is located in the Surgical Product line, with duty assignments that provides a variety of complexmedical-surgical care to patients in the Surgical Nursing Service. Provides an advanced level of specialized nursingcare of inpatient and outpatient medical-surgical patients, ranging from neonates to the elderly. Major duties includeproviding direct care and education to patients and families; promoting excellence in patient care delivery andadvancing evidence-based practice; supporting and facilitating the professional growth and education of nursing andother health care staff; influencing care outcomes by providing expert consultation to nursing and medical staff, andby identifying and implementing improvements in health care delivery systems; and providing input for decisionsrelated to policy, procedures, and practices relevant to patient care. Utilizes the nursing process to initiateassessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of care of patients with stomas fistulas, draining wounds,incontinence, pressure ulcers and skin problems. For outpatients in the ambulatory setting, utilizes the nursingprocess to assess the patient's health status identifying problems and initiating appropriate nursing intervention.1. Provides direct care and education to patients and families based on Army regulatory and professional standards.May maintain own caseload of patients. a. Works independently and with the physician to evaluate the needs of patients, and makes independent decisionsregarding nursing care. Provides, demonstrates, and/or assists with highly specialized nursing care to patients thathave undergone complex surgeries or who have complex preoperative or postoperative needs.b. Coordinates the care of complex medical-surgical patients. Prepares appropriate documentation regarding thestatus of patients and their families.c. Case manages the most complex patients to assess, monitor and evaluate care. Performs independent nursingassessments, assists in the development of patient care plans, and maintains a follow-up procedure on select groupsof patients that have unusual complications or major problems on discharge.d. Assesses the appropriateness of patient education materials to stay current with recent developments in medical-surgical nursing research. Educates or monitors the education of patients and family members regarding procedures,treatments, and discharge information.e. Initiates emergency measures as appropriate. Responds decisively to life threatening changes in patientconditions, providing immediate and appropriate emergency measures.

2. Supports excellence in patient care delivery and advances evidence based practice. a. Researches and develops patient care procedures, policies, and algorithms for one or more nursing services. Inlight of research findings, promotes evidence-based policies and procedures.b. Monitors nursing competency and assists in correcting deficiencies by developing and conducting formal andinformal training.c. Promotes and develops medical-surgical nursing standards of practice, ensuring continuity of care in inpatient andoutpatient medical-surgical areas of the facility.d. Supports established nursing standards by increasing staff awareness of skills, approaches to care, assessingoutcomes and revising plans related to medical-surgical problems.e. Keeps others abreast of current medical research and trends that result in the delivery of quality care, riskreduction, shorter hospital stays, and current treatment procedures. Evaluates the impact of nursing interventions onfiscal and human resources, as well as patient outcomes.

3. Supports and facilitates the professional growth and education of nursing and other health care staff. a. Teaches highly specialized nursing concepts, and difficult and complex nursing procedures. Instructs nursingpersonnel in the care of all types of medical-surgical patients.b. Assists nursing personnel to achieve greater effectiveness in the nursing process by means of scheduled in-services. In coordination with the nurse manager and Clinical Nurse Educator, assesses learning needs of nursingstaff, assists in developing educational materials, and teaching informal and formal classes for all levels of nursingstaff.c. Mentors nursing staff and role models professional nursing behaviors. Promotes staff awareness, understanding,and use of the facility’s chosen model of nursing.d. Assists in the coordination of educational programs and provides lectures and in-services to other health careproviders.e. Maintains professional growth and development through seminars, workshops, and professional affiliations thatfocus on the latest trends in the field of medical surgical nursing.

4. Influences care outcomes by providing expert consultation to nursing and medical staff, and identifying andimplementing improvements in health care delivery systems. a. Serves as a resource person and consultant to the nursing staff, physicians, and other health care team members onissues regarding medical-surgical nursing.b. Leads and serves as a member of multidisciplinary teams or committees in the conduct of discharge planning,performance improvement, patient safety, risk management and accreditation activities.c. Supports and facilitates the implementation and compliance to standards established for performanceimprovement, patient safety, nursing procedures and documentation. Provides feedback and recommendsalternatives to ensure delivery of quality health care services, customer safety and satisfaction, and overall efficiencyof services provided throughout the product line and facility.d. Identifies systems and stressors that impact patient care delivery. Collaborates with other nursing staff,departments, disciplines and facilities to solve or reduce the impact of identified stressors and systems issues.e. Acts as a clinical consultant to appropriate committees.

5. Provides input for decisions related to policy, procedures, and practices relevant to patient care. a. Provides consultation and assistance on the development of policies, procedures and programs related to nursingpractice. Participates in the development of clinical standards based on national, regional and/or AMEDD standards.b. Evaluates, selects and recommends supplies and equipment for use by nursing personnel.c. Promotes established nursing policies, procedures, and practices by increasing accessibility and staff awareness,providing education, and monitoring for compliance.d. Serves as a resource person to a wide variety of professional health colleagues regarding nursing practice.Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

Basic Requirement :Degree: A graduate or higher level degree, bachelor's degree, associate degree, or diploma from an accredited professional nursing educational program is required. This education must have been accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education, or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.).Licensure: A current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a professional nurse from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States; and you must have passed the National Council Licensure Examination.Foreign Degree: A degree from a Foreign Nursing School. Official certification from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools is required for individuals who graduated from foreign nursing schools.