GENERAL SUMMARY OF DUTIES:

To act as patient advocate, providing continuity of care designed to meet individual patient needs through collaboration with other members of the healthcare team and supporting the philosophy, objectives, and goals of the facility. The Registered Nurse is responsible for assessing the needs of individual patients including but not limited to adult, pediatric, adolescent, and geriatric patients.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Licensure as a registered nurse in Texas.
• BLS certification; ACLS certification or successful completion within 3 months of hire date.
• Minimum of two years’ work experience as a staff nurse with surgical floor experience with spines and joints

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Performs assessment/data collection in an ongoing and systematic manner, focusing on physiologic, psychological, and cognitive status.
• Formulates a goal directed plan of acre, which is prioritized and based on determined nursing diagnosis and patient outcomes.
• Implements care in a knowledgeable, skilled consistent manner in reaching the desired patient outcomes through nursing processes.
• Establish priorities of patient care based on essential patient needs and available center resources of time, personnel, equipment, and supplies.
• Performs efficiently in emergency patient situations following established protocols, remaining calm, informing appropriate persons, and documenting events.
• Demonstrates applied knowledge base in areas of medical/surgical patient care, pain assessment and actions of pharmaceuticals and anesthetic agents, laboratory values, safety and legal issues and all emergency equipment.
• Practices effective problem identification and resolution skills as a method of sound decision making.
• Performs documentation duties on the floor and in the patient record, which is timely, accurate and concise.
• Works as part of a team in delivering patient care.
• Maintains BLS and ACLS certification.
• Attends all mandatory in services and participates in staff meetings.
• Remains flexible, adaptive, and able to accept and implement new ideas and approaches.
• Treats all patients equally adopting the center’s Patient Rights policy.
• Reviews and carries out physician orders in an appropriate professional manner.
• Willingness to assist with other duties when asked.

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 sit, converse, and listen; use hands to touch, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and to reach with hands and arms. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• The employee must be able to lift and/or carry over 20 pounds on a regular basis and be able to push/pull over 25 pounds on a regular basis.
• The employee must be able to stand and/or walk at least five hours per day.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• 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.