POSITION: Clinical Nurse

RESPONSIBLE TO: Clinical Lead / Practice Administrator

JOB SUMMARY: Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, and collecting data for quality metrics. Clinical duties typically include rooming patients, taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, and administering medications as directed by physician.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• High school diploma required.
• Successful completion of a nursing program and hold the RN credential
• Iowa license required.
• Training in orthopedics preferred.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum two years’ experience working in a physician practice scheduling appointments preferred.
• Experience in calling in pharmacy requests.
• Comfortable using email and interacting with Internet applications
• Computer literate—with keyboard skills and knowledge of practice management and word processing software
• Ability to work with outside clinic staff with a friendly and helpful attitude.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, reliable and highly motivated.
• Ability to perform multiple and diverse tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to work with scheduling changes that may occur frequently.
• Ability to make independent decisions with information provided.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with patients, coworkers, other health care providers and the public under stressful conditions.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Neat, professional appearance.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following

Duties:

• Reviews charts at least 24 hours in advance of scheduled appointment to ensure lab results, x-rays, and MRI/CT results have been received; calls testing facility if results have not been received
• Greets patients and escorts them from the reception room to exam room
• Prepares patients for exam or treatment by taking a history, height/weight, and blood pressure, then recording the information in the patient's chart
• Prepares exam and treatment rooms with necessary instruments
• Puts charts up for physicians when patient is ready in exam room
• Assists physicians in preparing for examinations and minor procedures
• Prepares injections for physician (only if trained and instructed by clinical lead).
• Schedules CT scans, MRIs, and other off site tests as needed
• Reviews pre-operative instructions and explains the surgical process to patients who are about to have surgery
• Observes, records and reports patient's condition and reaction to drugs and treatments to physician
• Formulates and updates patient care plans
• Ensures that pertinent laboratory results are reviewed by the physician
• Disposes of contaminated items according to OSHA guidelines
• Performs patient education duties; shows surgical videos, hands out brochures, and directs patients to specific Internet sites for more information
• Returns patient phone messages at designated times throughout the day; documents action taken in patient chart
• Oversees appointment bookings and ensures emergency situations are scheduled appropriately; maintains timely flow of patients
• Completes appropriate paperwork to ensure that the pre-certification department has sufficient time to complete necessary authorizations
• Draws up any medications needed for injection.
• Performs triage phone calls.
• Communicates physician referral requests to staff for necessary processing
• Replenishes supplies—stocks and cleans exam rooms and manages supply of pharmaceutical supplies and samples
• Oversees preparation of exam rooms, including re-stocking of treatment area

Other

Maintains patient confidentiality; complies with HIPAA and compliance guidelines established by the practice.

• Maintains detailed knowledge of practice management and other computer software as it relates to job functions
• Attends annual CPR, OSHA training programs
• Assists in keeping working area clean at all times.
• Attends all meetings as requested.
• Performs any additional duties as requested by the Lead.
• Sets and exemplifies high ethical standards and holds self and others accountable for conduct.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Typical Physical Demands

Position requires full range of body motion including handling and lifting patients, as well as manual and finger dexterity and eye-hand coordination. Involves standing and walking. Employee will occasionally be asked to lift and carry items weighing up to 70 pounds. Normal visual acuity and hearing are required. Employee will work under stressful conditions, and work irregular hours. Employee will be exposed to bodily fluids on a regular basis.

Typical Working Conditions

Employee will have frequent exposure to communicable diseases, toxic substances, ionizing radiation, medicinal preparations and other conditions common to a clinical environment.