What are the responsibilities and job description for the Imaging RN | RADIOLOGY position at MEDICAL WEST HOSPITAL AUTHORITY?
About the Role:
As a Registered Nurse (RN) at UAB Medical West, you will play a crucial role in providing high-quality patient care. Your primary responsibility will be to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate patient care plans, ensuring that all patients receive the best possible treatment and support. You will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to promote health and wellness, while also addressing any medical concerns that arise in the workplace. Additionally, you will be responsible for educating patients and their families about health management and preventive care. Ultimately, your efforts will contribute to a safe and healthy work environment, enhancing the overall well-being of employees and their families.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Current and valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in the state of Alabama.
- Current and valid ACLS certification
Preferred Qualifications:
- Proficiency in electronic health record (EHR) systems.
Responsibilities:
The Imaging Nurse provides specialized nursing assessment, medication administration, physiologic monitoring, emergency response, procedural assistance, recovery, and discharge support for patients undergoing nursing-dependent diagnostic and interventional imaging procedures.
Patient assessment and preparation
- Review medical history, allergies, medications, laboratory results, and prior reactions.
- Complete pre-procedure nursing assessments and confirm that patients meet procedure requirements.
- Educate patients about the procedure, medications, expected symptoms, recovery, and discharge instructions.
- Verify informed consent when required.
Medication administration and monitoring
- Administer medications under approved protocols and provider orders.
- Monitor heart rate, rhythm, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, symptoms, and level of consciousness.
- Support pharmacologic stress testing, including nuclear stress tests and dobutamine stress echocardiograms.
- Assist with heart-rate control and medication administration for coronary CT angiography.
- Monitor patients during tilt-table testing, sedation, and other higher-risk procedures.
Procedural support
- Provide nursing coverage for CT, MRI, Echocardiography, Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasound, and interventional imaging procedures.
- Establish and manage IV access, including assistance with difficult access.
- Assist physicians, advanced practice providers, and technologists during procedures.
- Coordinate patient flow and prioritize urgent inpatient, emergency, and outpatient examinations.
Sedation and recovery
- Assess patients before sedation and verify compliance with fasting and medication instructions.
- Administer or assist with moderate sedation when appropriately trained, credentialed, and permitted by hospital policy.
- Monitor patients throughout the procedure and during recovery.
- Determine readiness for discharge and ensure safe transportation arrangements.
Emergency response and patient safety
- Recognize and respond to contrast reactions, medication reactions, arrhythmias, hypotension, respiratory distress, and other changes in condition.
- Maintain readiness for emergency interventions, including use of emergency medications and equipment.
- Initiate emergency response procedures and assist with resuscitation when necessary.
- Ensure compliance with MRI safety, medication safety, infection prevention, and fall-prevention requirements.
Coordination and documentation
- Document assessments, medications, monitoring, patient response, recovery, and discharge instructions.
- Communicate with radiologists, cardiologists, hospitalists, anesthesia, technologists, inpatient nurses, and referring offices.
- Coordinate patients requiring implanted-device clearance, laboratory testing, medication adjustments, or specialty approval.
- Participate in quality improvement, policy development, audits, staff education, and emergency drills.
Service-specific responsibilities
The Imaging Nurse may support:
- Nuclear and exercise stress testing
- Dobutamine stress echocardiography
- Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE)
- Coronary CT angiography
- Tilt-table testing
- MRI sedation or anxiolysis
- CT- and ultrasound-guided procedures
- Contrast-reaction management
- Biopsies, drainages, aspirations, and other interventional procedures
- Patient recovery and discharge following medication or sedation
Skills:
The required skills for this position include strong clinical assessment abilities, which will be utilized daily to evaluate patient health and develop care plans. Effective communication skills are essential for educating patients and collaborating with the healthcare team, ensuring that everyone is aligned on patient care strategies. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills will be employed to address any medical issues that arise promptly and effectively. Additionally, organizational skills are necessary for maintaining accurate patient records and managing multiple patient care tasks simultaneously. Preferred skills, such as proficiency in EHR systems, will enhance your ability to document and access patient information efficiently, contributing to streamlined care delivery.