Pre-Operative RN PAC Clinic RGV

About the Role

The Pre-Operative Staff Registered Nurse is a professional caregiver who assumes responsibility and accountability for contacting patients scheduled for surgery to gather data, provide pre-operative preparation instructions, offer procedure-specific education, and screen for conditions or behaviors that could pose risks during the procedure or anesthesia treatment.

Responsibilities

• Perform initial and ongoing focused assessments to identify actual, potential, and critical changes in patient condition and follow through with appropriate reporting and actions.
• Develop, implement, and modify an individualized plan of care that reflects cultural aspects of illness/hospitalization to meet patient needs and diagnoses.
• Prioritize, plan, organize, and direct care for assigned patients, involving the patient and family in healthcare decisions as appropriate.
• Administer medications and other therapeutic treatments per clinical guidelines and orders; recognize abnormal responses and initiate corrective therapy.
• Use clear, closed-loop communication to enhance team information sharing and decision-making.
• Document timely and accurately to reflect the patient plan of care and response to interventions in the electronic medical record.
• Ensure the correct functioning of equipment, identify deficits, and report appropriately.
• Participate in clinical research following specific protocols.
• Initiate appropriate referrals to the healthcare team based on assessed patient needs.
• Evaluate and report pertinent patient responses to interventions based on evidence-based best practices.
• Support real-time staffing decisions and assignments for the greater good of the unit.
• Participate in quality improvement by identifying trends in patient care outcomes for monitoring, practice change, or staff education.
• Adhere to and support regulatory and organizational policies and professional standards.
• Complete required ongoing development, education, and certifications as specified.

Requirements

• Graduate from an accredited school of nursing; BSN preferred.
• Current RN license in the State of Texas.
• Bilingual (Spanish) preferred.
• Perioperative experience preferred (at least one year).
• BLS certification required pre-hire.
• Must complete Advanced Specialty Courses (ASC) according to specified timeframes and maintain them continuously.
• Must register to test for unit-specific certification (Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia Nurse - CAPA) by 24 months post-orientation completion date.
• Must obtain unit-specific certification exam results by 3 years post-orientation completion date.

Skills

• Effective communication and active listening to convey information, share ideas, and promote understanding.
• Customer/patient focus with the ability to anticipate needs and act as a patient/family advocate.
• Teamwork and collaboration in a diverse environment to support organizational goals.
• Accountability, initiative, and ownership for delivering results and improving processes.
• Ability to prioritize, organize, and use time efficiently.
• Sensitivity to the needs, ideas, and feelings of others while maintaining rapport.
• Flexibility in staffing and scheduling to meet unit needs.