Job Summary

The RN assesses, plans, implements and evaluates the care for a designated group of patients. The RN coordinates, directs and actively participates as an effective member of the interdisciplinary health care team, contributing to the efficient operation of the unit and promoting positive patient outcomes. This position floats between the short stay unit and recovery room. Requires participation in a call rotation to ensure ability to care for post-operative patients 24/7.

Essential Job Functions

• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending education workshops, review professional publications, establish personal networks, and participate in professional societies.
• Assure quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards, measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards, making or recommending necessary adjustments, and following system/hospital and nursing division's philosophies and standards of care set by state board of nursing, state nurse practice act, and other governing agency regulations.
• Protect patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
• Document patient care services by charting in patient and department records.
• Maintain continuity among nursing teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs using Nurse Knowledge Exchange techniques.
• Maintain patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
• Identify patient care requirements by establishing personal rapport with potential and actual patients, and other persons in a position to understand care requirements.
• Establish a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.
• Promote patient's independence by establishing patient care goals, teaching patient/family to understand condition, medications, and self-care skills, and answering questions.
• Maintain safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules and regulations; calling for assistance from health care support personnel.
• Resolve patient problems and needs by utilizing multidisciplinary team strategies.
• Maintain a cooperative relationship among health care teams by communicating information, responding to requests, building rapport, and participating in team continuous quality improvement and problem-solving methods.
• Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
• Ensure operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements by following manufacturer's instructions, troubleshooting malfunctions, calling for repairs, maintaining equipment inventories, and evaluating new equipment and techniques.
• Maintain nursing supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level, anticipating needed supplies, placing and expediting orders for supplies, verifying receipt of supplies, and using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results.

Specialty Job Functions

SHORT STAY Responsibilities

• Provides complete patient care by identifying age specific needs during the assessment, monitoring and education of patient’s pre and post procedures.
  • Provides the patient/family with information related to procedures (pre and post).
  • Initiates the discharge process following physician approval/order for discharge. Reviews discharge instructions with patient and family member or significant other, distributes appropriate educational materials. Discharges patient with a responsible adult.
• Prepares, assesses and discharges patients presenting for blood transfusions, therapies and nursing service visits.
  • Administers blood transfusions according to established policies.
  • Initiates series visit following series visit guidelines.
  • Documents accurately and completely on appropriate series records.
• Assists Allied Health Care Professionals MDs/DOs/Pas/CRNAs/CRNPs in the provision of care during procedures that take place on the unit, in accordance with licenses and certifications. These would include but are not limited to (Bronchoscopy, PEG Tube Changes, Anesthesia nerve blocks…)
  • Pre-ops patient at the appropriate time.
  • Identifies patient, appropriate procedure and surgical site by following the policy for surgical site identification.
  • Assists in Moderate Sedation administration in accordance with ACLS and hospital guidelines.
  • Handles specimens appropriately.
  • Maintains the ability to adapt to the changing needs of the perioperative team.
• Performs indirect patient care duties essential to maintaining safe operation of Short Procedure Unit.
  • As assigned, opens SPU in AM and closes unit at the completion of the schedule.
• Checks crash cart when unit is open and completes appropriate

RECOVERY ROOM Responsibilities

• Develops an educational process for the provision and coordination of patient care activities that promote and maintain health, fosters self-care and improves outcomes.
  • Tailors the educational process to meet the needs of the patient/family while in the PACU with emphasis on age, culture, barriers to learning and readiness to learn.
  • Assures that written postoperative orders are available before discharge from PACU and reviews with the receiving unit to ensure continuity of care.
  • Keeps abreast of new procedures, treatments, drugs, equipment related to the care of the postoperative patient to assure progressive PACU care.
• Requires participation in a call schedule to ensure ability to take care of patient’s post-surgery 24/7.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited Nursing Program required.
• Strong leadership ability, independent thinking and decision-making ability; analytical problem-solving skills, sound judgment; excellent oral and written communication skills, must be able to function in a team environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing preferred.
• One-year critical care or PACU experience.

License, Certification & Clearances

• Current licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Pennsylvania required.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) approved curriculum of the American Heart Association (CPR and AED) program required.

• Current PALS or completion within 1 year of hire/transfer into department
• Current ACLS or completion within 1 year of hire/transfer into department
• Act 33 with renewal
• Act 34 with renewal
• Act 73 FBI Clearance
• A Nursing refresher course may be required if employee has not worked in an acute care setting for his / her most recent three consecutive years of professional employment.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities, but may serve as a coach and mentor for other positions in the department.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Incumbent will be scheduled based on operational need (rotate shifts, standby, on-call, etc.).
• Travel may be expected locally between Excela Health locations.

LEAN

• Actively promotes a Lean work culture by performing team member duties to encourage consistent use of LEAN principles and processes, including continually seeking work process improvements. Recognizes the necessity of taking ownership of one’s own motivation, morale, performance and professional development. Strives for behavior consistent with being committed to Excela’s missions, vision and values.

AAP/EEO

• Excela Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of Excela Health to prohibit discrimination of any type and to afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, non-job related disability, veteran status, or genetic information, or any other protected class. Excela Health will conform to the spirit as well as the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.
• Ability to perform the Essential Functions listed on the Physical Conditions and ability to perform the Essential Functions on the Working Condition chart below.

Work Environment:

Effective March 2020 or during pandemic: goggles, face shield and mask are required according to CDC guidelines

Physical Demands

When lift requirement is in excess of 50#, lift assistance (2 person) and/or transfer device is required.