Registered Nurse - Ambulatory (Orthopedics - Part time)

Job Responsibility

• Conducts patient interview, explains policies and procedures, reviews patient’s chart and answers questions correctly and courteously
• Affirms gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and neurological health status
• Determines mobility, sensory deficits, prostheses use, and skin condition and adjusts plan of care, as appropriate
• Communicates and documents patient’s physiologic health status and plan of care
• Affirms patient’s psychosocial health status
• Identifies coping mechanism, knowledge level, and ability to comprehend
• Identifies cultural/ethnic requirements to reduce anxiety and ensure patient satisfaction
• Communicates and documents psychological status and care plan of support groups, counseling services, and social services
• Identifies patient outcome; develops criteria for measurement of patient outcomes; identifies actual/potential patient problems; identifies patient’s need for teaching based on psychosocial and developmental assessment
• Develops patient outcome statement(s) and establishes individualized patient goals; identifies care activities and establishes the priorities necessary to achieve expected outcome; coordinates the cost-effective use of supplies, equipment and medication to achieve expected outcome; documents the plan of care and collaborates with physicians and other health team members
• Implements the plan of care; maintains constant vigilance over patients care to ensure that safety precautions/needs are followed; exercises professional skills related to the plan of care; reassesses patients as needed and appropriately revises plan of care; correctly administers prescribed treatments; correctly uses equipment necessary for patient care; provides emotional support to patient and significant other; applies scientific principles in performing procedures; carries them out safely, timely and efficiently; makes accurate observations of patient’s conditions during treatments/procedures; reports and records same as appropriate; keeps accurate documentation of patient’s treatment, activity and condition, as well as patient’s responses to medical and nursing interventions; uses appropriate methods of documentation according to departmental policy; acts rapidly and effectively during any emergency situation, managing self, patients and other employees; provides a calm, quiet, restful atmosphere; communicates effectively with the patient’s family or caretakers; participates in planning for discharge and coordinates referrals, as appropriate; provides discharge instructions to patient and significant other; evaluates care provided for patient outcome
• Demonstrates ability to measure effectiveness of care provided and documents same; performs variance analysis related to outcome data for performance improvement; designs, implements, and evaluates systems to improve care in unit; keeps accurate documentation of patient’s treatment, activity and condition; uses appropriate methods of documentation according to departmental policy
• Collaborates with other care team members in planning and carrying out treatment regimen; provides direction to other members of the care team; collaborates with the appropriate physician on patient’s plan of care
• Accurately interprets and implements treatment regimen as prescribed by the Physician; assists the Physician during treatments and/or diagnostic procedures; keeps Patient Care Manager/designee and/or physician, abreast of changes in patient’s condition and/or treatments, as appropriate; uses clinical judgment in delegating assignments in providing patient care, and ensures that assignments are completed in a timely fashion
• Performs grade I-IV Decubitus Care; performs preventive skin care measures; applies simple dressings, maintaining principles of aseptic technique; applies warm and cold compresses, consistent with facility procedure; performs irrigations, consistent with Facility procedure; performs other procedures related to skin care, as necessary
• Administers medications correctly and safely; correctly identifies medication in terms of action, dosage, side effects, and implications for the patient; meets standard on medication administration examination; demonstrates preparation of local solutions. Administers and documents medication correctly; educates patients and significant others related to drug and food interactions
• Participates in patient and family education; provides patient with an explanation of his/her condition as indicated; communicates assessment data in an orderly fashion by recording, updating and verbalizing pertinent information to care team members and to appropriate agencies; recognizes and utilizes health teaching opportunities and resources /materials available for this teaching; provides for early discharge planning and appropriate referrals for post-hospital care; evaluates the effectiveness of teaching by feedback from patient/ family and documents same

Job Qualification

• Graduate from an accredited School of Nursing
• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, preferred
• Must be enrolled in an accredited BSN program within two (2) years and obtain a BSN Degree within five (5) years of job entry date
• Current License to practice as a Registered Professional Nurse in New York State required, plus specialized certifications as needed