Department Overview

***Hiring for either a Pharmacist or a Registered Nurse***

Pharmacists please apply to Req ID 2022-18927

 

This position aims to provide the services of a licensed pharmacist or registered nurse to the Oregon Poison Center (OPC). The OPC is a 24-hour emergency response center providing information to effectively triage and assist in managing patients experiencing a poisoning or toxic exposure. The poison center serves the public and health care providers throughout Oregon, Alaska and Guam. The center serves patients of all age groups. The pharmacist or registered nurse will maintain responsibility for answering the emergency phone lines. Primary responsibility includes patient assessment, providing treatment recommendations and facilitating appropriate referral to a health care facility if necessary. Ongoing patient evaluation and follow-up are essential components of the duties of this position. The pharmacist or registered nurse will participate in OPC’s research, educational and outreach activities. This position serves as a preceptor for students from various colleges of pharmacy, nursing and medicine. 

The staff of the OPC utilizes a collaborative practice model as a framework for care provision. The policies and procedures in the center are consistent with a planned system. The toxicologists, pharmacists and nurses at the OPC work with health care providers in other facilities in treating the victims of poisoning and toxic exposure to assure consistent, quality care. Inherent in this framework are shared clients, collegiality, shared accountability and joint decision-making. Mutual trust and respect are essential to the collaborative practice model environment.

The jobholder must have previous poison center experience and successfully achieved professional certification (CSPI) through the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC). 

Function/Duties of Position

1. Practice:Demonstrate ability to answer poison calls, ascertain necessary information and obtain accurate history from caller.

• Utilize basic data resources and consults with others as necessary to obtain accurate identification of substance of exposure and toxicity information in developing recommendations for plan of care.
• Incorporate evaluation of patient/family ability to provide home care and monitoring when appropriate.
• Demonstrate ability to identify exposure situations which pose an immediate potential health risk and take appropriate action to assure effective patient management.
• Recognize inappropriate calls to poison center and utilize assistance to direct caller to appropriate resource. Provide patient access to social support systems. Recognizes unique responsibility to assure care to pediatric and suicidal patients.
• Understand basic principles of toxicology, including
  • Assessment of significant symptoms
  • History related to exposure
  • Principles of decontamination
  • Metabolism
  • Systemic and local effects
  • Understand/demonstrate knowledge of major substance exposure groups without needing assistance from others.

• Assure that all initial incoming calls are answered in a timely manner and effectively triaged based on acuity of all active calls.
• Consult with on call physician toxicologist according to department guidelines.
• Utilize standardized departmental treatment guidelines unless directed otherwise by on call physician toxicologist.
• Consult with on call physician toxicologist in instances in which treatment recommendations are not followed, and documents appropriately.

2. Documentation:

• Adhere to documentation standards of the National Poison Data System as described in the NPDS manual.
• Utilize Toxicall, the computerized documentation system of the Oregon Poison Center.
• Check for accuracy and completeness of case documentation upon closing case.
• Document clinical information relayed by OPC toxicology physicians.

3. Teaching and Education:

• Incorporate poison prevention education in plan of care where appropriate.
• Participate in education of students in the Oregon Poison Center by allowing monitoring of calls, assistance with selection of research projects and review of exams.
• Recognize and adapt teaching to accommodate unique objectives of each student group.
• Provide outreach public prevention and professional education in the community, when the opportunity and resources are available.

4. Participates in professional and departmental development programs and in-services.

5. Fulfills responsibility to the organization through performance that promotes the service excellence philosophy.

6. Performs requirements for Department Directors/Managers as outlined in Compliance Roles and Responsibilities in OHSU Hospitals and Clinics.

Required Qualifications

RN Required Qualifications

• Oregon RN license
• BSN required for external candidates
• Minimum 2 years of nursing experience in critical care, emergency medicine, or high acuity pediatrics

Pharmacist Required Qualifications

• Oregon Pharmacist license
• PharmD degree
• Pharmacy experience in critical care, emergency medicine or high acuity pediatrics OR experience in working/training in a poison center

Qualifications Required for both professions:

• Current BLS required
• Competency in drug therapy and principles of pharmacology (dosage, indications, side effects, etc.)
• Excellent interpersonal communication
• Excellent problem solving skills
• Competency in performing simple mathematic calculations (basic algebra)
• Experience and excellent skills in telephone triage and communication
• Skills in EKG interpretation, ABG interpretation and interpretation of chemistry profile
• Competency in computer skills-keyboarding, utilization of MS Word and MS Teams programs
• Basic troubleshooting skills if eligible to work remotely at home
• Must take national certification exam for Specialist in Poison Information upon eligibility (completion of 2,000 work hours and management of 2,000 human exposure cases)
• Failure to pass exam upon 3rd period of eligibility will result in termination of SPI position consistent with national poison center accreditation standards and regulations, and possible termination of employment with OHSU

Preferred Qualifications

RN Preferred Qualifications

• BSN preferred to internal candidates

Pharmacist Preferred Qualifications

• PGY 1 Residency
• Minimum 2 years pharmacy experience in critical care, emergency medicine or high acuity pediatrics

Preferred Qualifications for both professions

• Certified Specialist in Poison Information (CSPI)
• Experience in toxicology
• Previous poison center experience
• Experience in working remotely

Additional Details

Working Conditions:

Variable work schedule as necessary by staffing needs of a 24/7 specialized emergency service. General office setting with shared computer workstations, dual monitors, and various essential electronic equipment within the room. Work environment necessitates multiple simultaneous conversations by others within the work setting, creating background noise.

All are welcome

Oregon Health & Science University values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. To request reasonable accommodation contact the Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Department at 503-494-5148 or aaeo@ohsu.edu. As an organization devoted to the health and well-being of people in Oregon and beyond, OHSU requires its employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.