Bastrop Rehabilitation Hospital

Dba Riverbend Rehab Hospital

Job Description

Registered Nurse/Charge Nurse

Riverbend Rehabilitation Hospital is an acute inpatient rehabilitation facility that offers physical, occupational, speech, and orthotic therapy. The goal of rehabilitation nursing is to assist individuals with disability and/or chronic illness to attain and maintain maximum function. The rehabilitation staff nurse assists clients in adapting to an altered lifestyle, while providing a therapeutic environment for client's and their family's development. The rehabilitation staff nurse designs and implements treatment strategies that are based on scientific nursing theory related to self-care and that promote physical, psychosocial, and spiritual health. This is role description has been developed to clarify and specify the responsibilities of the staff nurse in this rehabilitation setting and to promote professionalism based on the established scope and standards of rehabilitation nursing practice.

· Possess current license as a Registered Nurse in the state of Louisiana

· Possess current CPR certification

· Possesses the specialized knowledge and clinical skills necessary to provide care for people with physical disability and/or chronic illnesses

· Performs hands-on nursing care by utilizing the nursing process to achieve quality outcomes for clients

· Provides direction and supervision on ancillary nursing personnel, demonstrates professional judgment, uses problem solving techniques and time-management principles and delegates appropriately

· Coordinates nursing care activities in collaboration with other members of the interdisciplinary rehabilitation team to facilitate achievement of overall goals

· Coordinates a holistic approach to meeting patient’s medical, vocational, educational, and environmental needs

· Demonstrates effective oral and written communication skills to develop a rapport with patients, their families and health care team members to ensure the fulfillment of requirements for legal documentation and reimbursement

· Develops goals, in collaboration with patients, their families and the rehabilitation team that are oriented to wellness behavior and are reality based and that encourage socialization with others, and promote maximal independence for patients with disabilities or chronic disabling conditions

· Participates in the interdisciplinary team process at team conferences and other team meetings and offers input into team decision making

· Intervenes with team members and other healthcare professionals to ensure that the optimal opportunity for recovery is made available to the patient, the most significant member of the rehabilitation team

· Collaborates with team members to achieve cost-effective care by utilizing appropriate clinical measurements to meet emergent physical, psychosocial and spiritual situations

· Shares information about the disease process underlying disabilities and teaches nursing techniques to help patients and their families develop the self-care skills necessary to move toward wellness on the illness-wellness continuum

· Assess the physical, psychological, sociocultural and spiritual dimensions of clients and their families, as well as their educational and discharge needs in order to formulate nursing diagnoses

· Plans nursing care while acknowledging that rehabilitation nursing is practiced within a dynamic, therapeutic and supportive relationship that is constantly changing, as nurses and patients influence one another

· Implements a plan of care by providing nursing care and education directly or through ancillary personnel, as needed, to maintain and restore function and prevent complications and further loss

· Evaluates the nursing care that is being provided and modifies the plan, as needed, to achieve measurable goals and objectives

· Maintain documentation as required on patients through interdisciplinary and nursing notes, assessments, flow sheets, graphics sheets, and MARs etc.

· Document and photograph all wounds, while preserving the patient’s dignity with proper drapery. Wounds should be photographed on admit, weekly on Sundays, and 24 hours prior to discharge.

· Manage patients’ medications as ordered, including checking the MAR against physician’s orders.

· Maintain counts on stock and patient-specific narcotics

· Maintain floor stock of OTC and prescription medications

· Manage and maintain IVs, Foley catheters, PEG tubes etc. as ordered and document appropriately.

· Communicate with physicians relating to patient status, and changes, lab results etc.

· Oversee CNAs vital sign and finger stick blood sugar measurements and take appropriate actions

· Assist CNAs as needed with bathing, dressing, and other areas of personal care

· Ensure labs are drawn as ordered and follow up to ensure results are placed on charts.

· Follow through with all physician orders and document appropriately.

· Provide accurate and up to date report to oncoming RNs and CNAs at shift change and PRN using Kardex. Write any updates, changes or notes in the Kardex so that the information is readily available to all shifts.

· Educate patients as needed as related to disease process, pain, wounds, transfer safety etc.

· Monitor nutritional and hydration intake and needs.

· Assist with maintaining stock of supplies and notify nursing supervisor of needs.

· Provide wound care as ordered and document appropriately.

· Maintains confidentiality in relation to all patients, healthcare staff, and documentation.

· Appearance is professional and complies with company dress code.

· Have the ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with supervisors, co-workers, patients, families, and vendors.

· Have the initiative to work without around-the-clock supervision to complete all tasks and monitor patient’s safety and needs while following all policies and procedures of Riverbend Rehabilitation Hospital.

· Have the ability to see and pay attention to details; the ability to recognize the component parts of a task and to verify the correctness or error in the task.

· Have the ability to be objective and to fairly evaluate the different aspects of a situation, and to make an ethical decision that takes into account all aspects and components; the ability to maintain balance between the needs of oneself, others and the company at the same time.

· Have job commitment, the motivation from within oneself to stay focused and committed to a task.

· Have the ability to maintain a rational and objective demeanor when faced with stressful or emotional situations.

· Exhibit teamwork, knowing when to be a good leader and when to be a listener. Be a team player that is perceptive and receptive to the needs and responsibilities of others.

· Have self-awareness, accepting responsibility for any mistakes you have made and willing to learn and progress.

· Demonstrate the ability and willingness to acquire new hard skills, and an open mind to new tasks and new challenges.

· The ability to effectively hear, understand and follow directions or instructions; the willingness to postpone making personal decisions, or taking actions, until you have openly listened to what you are being asked to do.

· Planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific tasks or activities to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and/or productivity.

· The ability to identify alternative solutions to a problem and to select the best option to complete the task.

· Have the ability to evaluate future implications of current decisions and actions; proactive thinking.

· The ability to see and understand the stated requirements established for a job, and personal commitment to meeting them.