Clinical Nurse - After Hours Answer Line

About the role

The Answer Line After Hours Service provides after‑hours exchange and nurse triage services for over 300 subscribing community pediatricians in the St. Louis and surrounding areas. Answer Line RNs use triage guidelines, critical thinking skills, and physician preferences to determine the most appropriate plan of care for each patient. Services are offered Monday‑Friday from 4:30 pm – 8:00 am and 24/7 on weekends. Most staff work remotely; office space is available at BJC @ The Commons, 5th floor (4249 Clayton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110) for those experiencing connectivity issues at home. The role participates in the BJC Registered Nurse Career Ladder, which supports professional development, leadership, collaboration, education, and service excellence, offering pay increases as nurses advance to higher ladder levels.

Responsibilities

• Promotes patient and family‑centered care in a healing environment.
• Educates patients and families on managing illness or injury, including post‑treatment home care needs and medication administration.
• Participates in activities that promote patient safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.
• Engages in professional development.
• Develops, implements, and documents individual plans of care with defined goals in collaboration with the interprofessional team and patient, family, or caregiver according to established nursing standards.
• Proactively plans and ensures communication of the plan of care across the continuum of care.
• Uses critical nursing skills to assess and evaluate physical, psychosocial, and emotional needs per standards of care.
• Assesses patient preferences and barriers to involvement in care, including values, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and population‑specific needs.

Requirements

• Minimum 2‑5 years of nursing experience in one or more of the following areas: Emergency Department, NICU, PICU, telephone triage, pediatric primary care office, or pediatric General Medicine.
• Current RN license required.
• Education: Nursing Diploma or Associate’s degree in Nursing.
• No prior nursing or supervisory experience required (entry‑level eligible).

Qualifications

• Preferred: Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.
• At least 3 years of pediatric nursing experience.
• Computer/typing skills.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and legal services available the first day of the month after hire date.
• Disability insurance paid for by BJC.
• Annual 4% BJC Automatic Retirement Contribution.
• 401(k) plan with BJC match.
• Tuition Assistance available on the first day.
• BJC Institute for Learning and Development.
• Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Paid Time Off benefit combines vacation, sick days, holidays, and personal time.
• Adoption assistance.

Schedule

• Part‑time: three 8‑hour shifts, 24 hours per week.
• Monday‑Friday evenings: 4:30 pm – 12:30 am.
• Occasional night shifts (up to four per 6‑week schedule): 12:00 am – 8:00 am.
• Every other weekend (Saturday and Sunday): primarily 7:00 am – 3:00 pm or 8:00 am – 4:00 pm, with possible variation.
• Holiday rotation and seasonal on‑call requirement apply.