NEEDED: REGISTERED NURSE

LOCATION: Health Services Department of the FCI Bastrop at 1341 Highway 95 North, Bastrop, TX 78602

SCHEDULE: Normally work, Sunday through Saturday, with various shifts throughout the 24-hour day, 8 – 10 daily hours, not to exceed 40 hours per week.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must be a graduate of an accredited Registered Nursing program.
• Must be certified by and maintain certification by the state of Texas.
• Preferred: 6 months of experience.
• Hold a Basic Life Saver (BLS) certified, in accordance with the American Heart Association or American Red Cross.
• Must be able to pass a drug screening and law enforcement agency background check.

JOB DUTIES: Shall be responsible for, but not limited to:

• Providing direct patient care which includes taking and recording patient history, vital signs, making appointments, assisting staff clinicians in routine clinical activities in accordance with legal, ethical, and institutional standards.
• Performing related duties as required but accepts only those nursing assignments that are commensurate with his/her educational preparation, training, experience, and nursing licensure laws.
• Drawing and processing blood from patients for analysis or other medical purposes. Collecting and processing urinalysis and point of care tests in the lab. Screening eye and auditory exams and assisting advanced practice providers and physicians in minor surgical cases.
• Operation of EKG machines, blood pressure machines, cardiac monitors, glucometers, thermometers, automatic external defibrillators, and other special medical apparatus and equipment within the Health Services Department.
• Assisting staff clinicians and clinical specialty consultants in the management and coordination of patient flow through the Specialty Care Clinic, Ambulatory Clinic, and Jail Medical Clinic, Telemedicine Unit, Rehabilitation Services, and Mental Health Unit.
• Assisting the Infectious Disease Coordinator with PPD planting/reading and recording of results and with the Smoking Cessation Program.
• Assisting with completing In-Transit medical record forms.
• Assisting providers in the urgent care areas during emergencies, as necessary including triaging. Must be able to assess a patient’s condition on an on-going basis and appropriately select the standing orders to be followed, as well as refer patients to the appropriate medical practitioner. Identifying changes in their condition and taking appropriate action. Evaluating the effectiveness of interventions, monitors, and documents progress toward identified goals, and reports information to the multi-disciplinary team for use in re-evaluating the plan of care. Securing a health history and records/documents findings of patient care activities on appropriate records. Must complete medical record documentation in an accurate, well-organized, legible, and timely manner. Communicating critical information to his/her supervisor or to staff at the local hospital. Knowledge in the recognition of life-threatening emergencies and in initiating immediate care. Knowledge of human behaviors and the ability to communicate with and provide nursing services to patients of various ages, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds.
• General patient care duties. Developing a nursing assessment for each patient, to include planning, implementing, and evaluating nursing care. May assess and identify high risk symptoms/behaviors in patients, to include suicidal risk, homicidal risk, and risk for verbal/physical abuse. Incumbent monitors, evaluates, and revises the plan of care as needed. May also assess and document the discharge planning needs of a patient.
• General administrative duties, including answering the phone, pulling, filing, and copying medical records, requesting, and scanning medical records, data collection/organization, and maintaining supplies/equipment in all patient care areas.
• Incumbent must successfully complete specialized training in management of medical emergencies, safety management, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Manage daily sick call log, track scheduled appointments, and assist in locating patients who fail to show up on time to appointments. Will utilize the Bureau Electronic Medical Records (BEMR) system for documentation. Implementing established protocols and standing orders for handling inmate complaints and initiating emergency care as needed according to community standards. Adhering to infection control policies and procedures. Administering treatment and procedures with attention to accuracy, patient safety, and comfort.
• Administering medications, including vaccinations, and ensuring cleanliness and resupply of pill line areas, and document in the BEMR Medication Administration Record (MAR) when completed. Medications are administered as prescribed in accordance with Bureau of Prisons and institutional policy and procedure.
• Maintaining patient’s privacy and confidentiality. Performing nursing care in a manner which demonstrates respect for a patient’s dignity, personal preference, or culture. Utilizing current principles of community health nursing to promote a healthful environment and reduce the incidence of communicable diseases within the correctional setting.

BENEFITS: Competitive hourly pay rate, accrued vacation, accrued sick leave, 11 paid federal holidays, 401K opportunity, and healthcare benefits contribution.