Description

The Emergency Room Nurse provides direct and indirect patient care in the emergency care setting and is able to respond quickly and accurately to changes in condition or response to treatment. Provides care that reflects initiative, flexibility and responsibility indicative of professional expectations with a minimum of supervision. Is able to safely and accurately triage every patient that enters the emergency care system. Determines priorities of care base 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. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Maintains awarenes of current hospital and departmental operational polices and procedures which impact position responsibilites.
• Demonstrates current comprehensice and professional knowledge and skills in conformation with recognized nursing standards, emergency nursing standards, including the Patient Bill of Rights statards for patient care and the Nurse Practice Act.
• Provides direct patient care, evaluates outcomes, consults with other specialist 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 assigns triage categories. Triage notes must indicate level of distress and duration of complaint to justify classification.
• Ability to perform a head-to-toe assessment on all patients and reassessments as per policy. This includes adult, pediatric, adolescent and geriatric patients. Ability to prioritize needs based on assessments.
•  Ability to adequately assess and reassess pain. Utilizes appropriate pain manaagement techniques. Educates the patient and family reguarding pain management.
•  Ability to monitor hemodynamic status of patient and correctly interpret the results.
•  Demonstrates knowledge of cardiac monitoring to identify dysrhythmias.
• Maintains medical and surgical asepsis during all procedures.
• Directs and assists 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
•  Identifies physical symptoms and changes and utilizes critical thinking to take appropriate actions in a timely manner.
• Assessment and reassessment of the patient is clearly and concisely communicated in documentation. Documentation meets current standards, policies and procedures and is completed within current shift.
• Communicates all Clinical laboratory/Imaging Service reports to the Emergency Department Physician.
• Established and maintains effective communication and good working relationships with co-workers for the patient benefit and environment.
• Accrately records, handles and labels specimens
• Medication administration using the (5) rights.
• Dosage calculation when preparing and/or administering medication.
• Administer medication via : IM, IV, Sub-Q, Orally, Topical and Rectally.
• Perform patient and caregiver education.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Qualifications:

• RN Licensure in the State of Texas, with an Associate’s degree required and a Bachelors degree is preferred
• 2-3 years clinical experience required in Emergency Department, ICU or Acute Care.
• BLS, ACLS, PALS certifications