Registered Nurse - 3S Telemetry - FT Nights 7p-7:30a Weeknights & Every 3rd Weekend

General Summary

Use independent professional judgment, analytical skills, and the nursing process to provide a full range of delegated, interdependent, and independent nursing services to patients. Within the framework of the Seven Dimensions of Patient Care and Benner's Domains of Nursing Practice, demonstrate clinical competence; compassion and customer service orientation; focus on process and outcomes; and cost-consciousness when assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating nursing care provided to patients.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate development of a multi-disciplinary plan of care in accordance with Nursing Problem Care Sets (Core Outcomes and Core Intervention Sets) and/or clinical practice guidelines, age-specific requirements and professional and regulatory requirements to ensure appropriate length of stay, use of resources, and achievement of quality outcomes.
• Provide patient care that reflects a respect for patient's rights, dignity, values, culture, preferences, and expressed needs. Assess patient/family needs for information and education across the continuum, plan and implement patient teaching using a variety of techniques and methods, and evaluate effectiveness of educational interventions.
• Help to alleviate patient fears and anxiety through skillful application of professional and interpersonal communication.
• Utilize a variety of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic approaches to ensure patient comfort and relief of pain. Involves patient, family, significant others in development of plan of care.
• Collaborate with patient/family, hospital staff, and community agencies to develop discharge plans that prepare patients for continued care needs.
• Complete Admission Assessment and shift assessment as required.
• Complete assessment for Risk Factors; including fall, skin breakdown, VTE, and aspiration. Initiate appropriate initiatives as indicated.
• Complete Medication Reconciliation upon admission and change in level of care.
• Establish, direct, coordinate and document plan of nursing care in conjunction with patient/family.
• Initiate Problems and Outcomes list (plan-of-care) based on medical diagnosis and patient needs.
• Monitor, document, and report patient response to interventions and progress toward outcomes.
• Educate patient regarding treatment plan, safety measures, medications, and self-care as indicated. Document education activities on shift assessment flowsheet and plan of care (POC).
• Work with Case Manager to ensure appropriate referrals initiated prior to discharge.
• Review discharge plans/instructions with patient prior to discharge, including signs/symptoms to watch for after leaving the hospital. Ensures appropriate follow-up arranged.
• Ensure that core measures Discharge Instructions are given to all CHF patients.
• Document patient care according to established documentation guidelines.
• Demonstrate knowledge and skill application of basic nursing procedures - dressing change, catheterization, NG tube insertion, suctioning.
• Implement/complete medical interventions as ordered. Initiate standing orders appropriately. Initiate and/or assists with all patient care activities including activities of daily living and provides other services as required for patient comfort, safety, and well-being.
• Assess and initiate interventions to prevent/minimize patient skin breakdown.
• Follow clinical practice guidelines and procedures as written.
• Establish and maintain peripheral IV therapy.
• Obtains body fluid specimens, per procedure.
• Obtains blood specimens if no phlebotomist assigned to area.
• Perform blood capillary glucose monitoring.
• Administer the following according to established policies and procedures: - Medications. - IVs. - Blood products.
• Prepare patients for surgery or other invasive procedures according to established guidelines.
• Perform or assist with procedures according to established standards of care and nursing practice.
• Utilize equipment based on manufacturer’s instructions and established nursing procedure. Correctly operates and trouble shoots IV pumps, PCA pumps, epidural pumps, feeding pumps, patient beds, as applicable.
• Monitor Patient Responses/Responding to Changing Patient Situations.
• Regularly reviews work in progress to ensure that treatments, medications, and tests ordered are expeditiously carried out and documented.
• Review patient medical record/reports and confers with physician regarding treatment plans. Routinely checks chart for new orders.
• Maintain a safe environment for the patient including use and documentation of restraints according to policy.
• Communicate with other professionals/departments and physician staff to ensure appropriate progress of patients through the system.
• Monitor individual patient length of stay (LOS); notifies case manager and nurse manager of potential LOS/discharge issues.
• Identify ethical issues related to patient care (including issues related to advanced directives) and initiates steps for resolution.
• Communicate with patients and families cordially, diplomatically and respectfully.
• Act to resolve customer concerns/complaints immediately; reports complaints that cannot be immediately resolved to Patient Care Director, Clinical Manager, or House Supervisor.
• Support organizational, nursing department, and unit strategic goals and activities; participates in department and unit based council/staff activities meetings.
• Support and actively participates in Nursing Department and unit specific quality monitoring and quality improvement activities.
• Participate in teaching/mentoring of student nurses and orientates.
• Evaluate own performance utilizing input from peers, co-workers, managers, physicians, customers, and develops a plan for continual improvement.
• Complete yearly safety and unit specific education requirements (GLI).
• Provide input on appropriate patient care assignments; taking into consideration patient condition and knowledge/experience/work load of staff.
• Communicate with team members about work to be completed/problems encountered.
• Assist team members with patient care activities as needed.
• Assist other "teams" as situation requires.
• Use the 4 Ps (patient, pertinent issues, picture, plan) to give appropriate and pertinent information at change-of-shift and/or transfer.
• Participate in the creation and maintenance of a healthy work environment by: - Treating co-workers with respect. - Communicating to co-workers with respect; resolving conflicts and/or negative feelings promptly, privately, and appropriately. Taking responsibility for personal actions, behaviors, and attitudes and not displacing anger or frustration onto co-workers, patients, or families.
• Communicate appropriate patient care issues/concerns to nurse manager.
• Respond appropriately to changes in unit workloads, patient census, and/or staffing levels.
• Interpersonal skills necessary in order to interact with patients/families, other nursing staff members, physicians, and other hospital personnel.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.
• Current Michigan RN license.
• Current BLS certification.
• Experience in telemetry preferred.