Inpatient RN CARE

GENERAL PURPOSE OF JOB

The Forensic Nurse (RN) is a professional Registered Nurse who provides direct nursing care to the assigned patient population. The forensic nurse, utilizing the nursing process, plans and delivers effective patient care within the Texas scope of practice and within the framework of Driscoll Health System's vision of excellence and integrated care delivery. The forensic nurse complies within the established standards of practice, policies, and clinical guidelines reflective of evidence-based best practice. The practice of the forensic nurse contributes to creating an environment that is patient focused; family centered and is designed to provide continuation of care and patient transition management.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintains utmost level of confidentiality at all times.
• Adheres to hospital policies and procedures.
• Demonstrates business practices and personal actions that are ethical and adhere to corporate compliance and integrity guidelines.
• Serves as Forensic Nurse Examiner on duty and on call as scheduled.
• Serves as a member of the Multidisciplinary Team.
• Performs within scope of nursing practice and within hospital nursing policies.
• Performs duties as assigned.
• Maintains forensic documentation.
• Maintains forensic photo documentation.

COMMUNICATION

• Congrates information and shares ideas using the appropriate techniques to reach different audiences; promotes understanding and open information sharing.
• Llistens actively; solicits and gives constructive and honest feedback.
• Is sensitive to the needs, feelings, and ideas of others.
• Develops and maintains rapport with others.
• Establishes and maintains a therapeutic relationship with patient and family using individualized interventions to ensure patient comfort and dignity.
• Identifies barriers to learning, develops and implements plans based on assessed patient/family needs.
• Uses clear, closed loop communication that enhances team information sharing and decision making.
• Uses chain of command to obtain appropriate health care response as an advocate for the patient.
• Functions as a patient/family advocate, seeking direction as needed to provide safe, effective, efficient, and timely care.
• Initiates appropriate referrals to the healthcare team based on assessed patient needs.
• Documents timely and accurately in the electronic medical record to reflect patients' plan of care and response to interventions.

CUSTOMER/PATIENT FOCUS

• Understands and anticipates the needs of both internal and external customers.
• Mets customer needs while remaining a good steward of organizational resources.
• Performs initial and ongoing focused assessments to identify actual, potential and critical changes in the patient's condition and follows through with appropriate reporting and actions.
• Develops, implements, and modifies an individualized plan of care that reflects cultural aspects as appropriate of illness/hospitalization to meet patient needs and diagnoses.
• Prioritizes, plans, organizes and directs care of assigned patients.
• Involves the patient and family in healthcare decisions and care as appropriate.
• Evaluates and reports pertinent patient response to interventions based on evidence-based best practice.
• Administers medications and other therapeutic treatments per clinical guidelines and orders; recognizes abnormal responses to medication therapy and initiates corrective therapy.
• Selects and utilizes appropriate equipment, devices, and supplies based on the patient's needs and treatment plan.
• Ensures the correct functioning of equipment identifies deficits and reports appropriately.
• Participates in clinical research by following specific protocols.

TEAMWORK

• Fully participates in maintaining a positive team environment that is conducive to customer satisfaction.
• Builds trust among co-workers, focusing on accomplishing hospital and departmental goals.
• Works effectively with a diverse group of people in pursuit of the organization's goals.
• Shifts personal goals when necessary to focus on group objectives.
• Looks for ways to help others and to support their work.
• Initiates warm transfer techniques to refer customer service concerns to the right individual; does not display "it's not my job" attitude.