POSITION SPECIFICS

Title: RN – Acute Care

FTE: 0.6 FTE (24 hours per week)

Schedule: 12 hour night shifts

Holiday Rotation: Three holidays per year

Weekend Rotation: Every 3 rd weekend

On Call Requirements: Per Unit Guidelines

POSITION SUMMARY

Provide quality, professional, general nursing care to patients. Responsible for assessing, planning, implementing, documenting, and evaluating patient care for a group of patients on the unit. Must adapt appropriately to changes in daily assignments, patient status changes, and unit needs. Responsibilities include following all standards, practices, policies and procedures of unit and SPH.

POSITION TECHNICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Use and perpetuate the nursing process (assessing, planning, implementation, and evaluation) throughout the patient’s stay. Ensure that patient care is individualized to meet the patient’s unique needs and situation.
2. Initiate, develop and document patient plan of care based on patient assessment and medical diagnosis and set priorities for nursing action in accordance with unit policy. The plan of care will be reviewed/revised every 24 hours at a minimum.
3. Within the framework of unit requirements, physician orders, and policy and procedures, provide care independently with minimal supervision.
4. Respond to life threatening situations based upon nursing standards, policies, procedures, and protocol.
5. Maintain a comprehensive understanding of procedures and treatments and have the ability to explain them to patients at their level of understanding.
6. Perform or assist with procedures per approved unit policy and procedure.
7. Observe, record significant condition change, and any reaction for patients. In a timely manner, notify supervisor or physician of change in patient's condition, reaction to drug, treatment, and significant incidents.
8. Monitor, record and communicate patient condition as appropriate utilizing computerized documentation systems.
9. Via the electronic medical record (EMR), acknowledge physician’s orders by the process of review and verification. Once order is acknowledged, follow through on order or delegate in a timely fashion.
10. Be proficient in medication administration, including IV therapy, as evidenced by lack of medication errors.
11. Initiate patient/family education plan and discharge needs according to the individualized needs of the patient/family, as prescribed by physician and/or hospital policy.
12. Delegate to and collaborates with other health team members in planning and providing care based on patient needs.
13. Learn and maintain skills and equipment competencies as needed.
14. Safely care for multiple patients. Maintains a safe environment for patients and uses safety precautions appropriately.
15. Demonstrate understanding and utilization of Universal Precautions, asepsis and infection control procedures.
16. Ensure proper handling of specimens.
17. Float to other units as necessary.
18. Participate in department or unit quality improvement activities.
19. Attend 75% of Unit Meetings.

Performs progressive care duties as assigned:

1. Apply and monitor medical equipment and devices such as cardiac monitors, mechanical ventilators and alarms, external pacemakers, oxygen delivery devices, transduce/pressure lines and central lines.
2. Recognize the signs and symptoms of cardiopulmonary emergencies and initiate the standardized interventions to stabilize the patient and prepare for transfer to a higher level of care.
3. Interpret arterial blood gas analysis and communicate findings.
4. Recognition of indications for and management of patients requiring noninvasive oxygen delivery systems including oral airways, high flow oxygen, bi-level positive airway pressure and continuous positive airway pressure.
5. Assessment of the patient receiving mechanical ventilation to monitor patient response and ensure delivery of prescribed treatment.
6. May have precepting responsibility for another person.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Education:

• Required: Associate Degree in Nursing
• Preferred: Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Experience:

• Required: None
• Preferred: RNs providing care to progressive care-level patients must have previous ICU/PACU or Critical Care experience or have completed SPH’s PC Mentorship Program

Licenses and Registrations:

• Required: Current State of Wisconsin Registered Nurse license or Multistate Nurse License
• Preferred: None

Certification(s):

• Required: Basic Life Support required within 3 months of hire. Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) required within one year of hire. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) required within 6 months of hire.
• Preferred: None

BENEFIT SUMMARY

1. Competitive health and dental insurance options
2. Flexible paid time off to balance work and life
3. Retirement plan with immediate vesting and employer match
4. Free membership to our state-of-the-art fitness facility
5. Generous tuition reimbursement
6. Employer provided life and disability insurance
7. Free parking at facility