Registered Nurse, Urology

The Registered Nurse (RN) functions under the supervision and guidance of the Clinical Director and/or Physician and participates in the multi-disciplinary process of providing care and treatment to patients and provides clinical support and technical assistance to the professional medical and other staff. The RN makes nursing decisions in uncertain conditions drawing on a broad-based depth of knowledge and is able to recognize life-threatening emergencies. Uses systematic, comprehensive patient assessment tools, and uses protocols appropriately. Uses excellent interviewing and documentation skills and well-developed communication process to assess patients both directly and indirectly. Practices nursing utilizing the nursing process to give advice based on best practice, critical judgment, and protocols.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the following satisfactorily; other duties may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Urologic nursing is the specialized practice of professional nursing that focuses on assisting the health care consumer in regaining and/or maintaining urologic health as well as preventing comorbid physical and/or psychological illness associated with urologic conditions. This involves provision of individualized, holistic, and evidence-based care for patients with urologic needs.
• Urologic nurses perform focused health exams and educate patients on how to best maintain genitourinary health that could significantly impact their quality of life.
• Urologic nurses utilize the nursing process of assessment, diagnosis, outcomes identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation, and work collaboratively with other members of the healthcare team. Due to a variety of sensitive issues related to genitourinary disorders, caring, empathy, respect, compassion, support, and acceptance are essential to the role of the urologic registered nurse.
• Urologic nurses are self-motivated, self-directed, lifelong learners recognizing the need to:
  • Participate in continuing education and professional development to maintain competence;
  • Actively conduct and/or collaborate in clinic research projects;
  • Utilize current evidence-based practice guidelines to standardize care;
  • Read, review, and participate in discussions of professional literature;
  • Maintain ongoing collaborative efforts with other members of the healthcare team;
  • Share unique knowledge and skills with other members of the healthcare team.

• Assesses the patient and identifies actual or potential health, safety or educational needs.
• Implements nursing interventions based on plan of care.
• Evaluates care and the patient's response to interventions and expected outcomes.
• Systematically evaluates the patient's response to interventions.
• Coordinates patient care with other health care team members.
• The nurse will also do direct patient assessment and evaluation.
• Demonstrates appropriate hand washing technique to ensure proper infection control and follows universal precautions.
• Functions in the role of triage nurse, which involves providing telephone support to patients during office hours
• Assessment of symptoms for various medical problems with the ability to determine if the patient should follow up with a physician or seek emergent care
• Scheduling emergent or same day appointments based on telephone assessment
• Providing patients with lab results
• Processing prescription refills
• Communicating patient information to the physician and follows through with physician recommendations.
• Documenting all telephone conversations related to the patient’s assessment in the electronic medical record.
• Performs all aspects of patient care in an environment that optimizes patient safety and reduces the likelihood of medical/health care errors.
• Obtaining and recording patient medical histories, vitals, test results and other information for medical records while maintaining strict confidentiality.
• Coordinating the daily administrative activities, including scheduling, patient check-in and check-out, patient phone calls, and patient medical record maintenance.
• Verifies patient information by interviewing patient; reviewing and/or recording medical history; taking vital signs; confirming purpose of visit or treatment.
• Preparing treatment rooms for clinical examinations and assisting practitioners with medical procedures and other patient care.
• Supports patient care delivery by helping health care providers during examinations; preparing laboratory specimens; performing basic laboratory tests on the premises; performing bladder scans; disposing of contaminated supplies; sterilizing medical instruments; administering medications on the premises; authorizing drug refills as directed; working on medication prior authorizations; drawing blood as directed by providers; helping patients over the phone; stocking rooms.
• Serves and protects the physician or health care provider practice by adhering to professional standards, policies and procedures, federal, state, and local requirements.
• Delivering compassionate support, attention, and assistance to patients and families.
• Ensuring compliance with all health care regulations, including HIPAA and OSHA.
• Preparing and administering medications for patients as directed by physicians.
• Obtaining and recording patient medical histories, vitals, test results and other information for medical records while maintaining strict confidentiality.
• Coordinating the daily administrative activities, including scheduling, patient check-in and check-out, and patient medical record maintenance.
• Schedules office and hospital based medical procedures and surgeries, for patients with appropriate provider and time/location slot, utilizing appropriate scheduling code when needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Competencies: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following.

Adaptability - Demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles. Measures self against standard of excellence. Recognizes and acts on opportunities. Sets and achieves challenging goals. Takes calculated risks to accomplish goals.

Communications - Exhibits good listening and comprehension. Expresses ideas and thoughts in written form. Expresses ideas and thoughts verbally. Keeps others adequately informed. Selects and uses appropriate communication methods.

Continuous Learning - Assesses own strengths and weaknesses. Pursues training and development opportunities. Seeks feedback to improve performance. Shares expertise with others. Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills.

Customer Service - Displays courtesy and sensitivity. Manages difficult or emotional customer situations. Meets commitments. Responds promptly to customer needs. Solicits customer feedback to improve service.

Problem Solving - Develops alternative solutions. Gathers and analyzes information skillfully. Identifies problems in a timely manner. Resolves problems in early stages. Works well in group problem solving situations.

Teamwork - Balances team and individual responsibilities. Contributes to building a positive team spirit. Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views. Gives and welcomes feedback. Puts success of team above own interests.

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education/Experience:

Bachelor's degree from four-year college or university; or one to two years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Language Ability:

Read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Write routine reports and correspondence. Speak effectively before groups of customers or employees.

Mathematical Ability:

Add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals. Compute rate, ratio and percent, and draw and interpret bar graphs.

Reasoning Ability:

Apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Computer Skills: Microsoft Word; Familiarity with EMR systems a plus

Certificates and Licenses:

Current Iowa RN License

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel and crouch. The employee is occasionally required to sit.

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as assigned by their supervisor