Registered Nurse (Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory)

About the role

The Nurse (Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory) delivers and coordinates expert care for inpatient and outpatient cardiac procedure patients. Responsibilities include assessment - education - recovery - emergency response - equipment readiness - interdisciplinary collaboration - and care-transition planning. The role leads evidence-based improvement - mentors peers - supports patient safety and satisfaction - may take call - and requires schedule flexibility.

Responsibilities

• Assumes responsibility for the coordination of care focused on patient transition through the continuum of patient care - patient and family education - patient self-management after discharge - and supporting factors that impact customer satisfaction
• Collaborates in the development - implementation - evaluation - and revision of policies - procedures - and/or guidelines
• Delivers and manages the care of patients undergoing therapeutic and diagnostic cardiology procedures including both inpatients and outpatients
• Assesses the patient's physical and mental status prior to procedures - educates on procedural and pre/post-procedural care - and documents responses to interventions - findings - and reports any changes
• Partners with the patient - family - and interdisciplinary team to promote effective and safe transitions across the health care continuum - including the Veteran's goals of care
• Provides peers with formal or informal constructive feedback for improvement
• Fosters a safe and supportive environment conducive to the development of health care professionals
• Evaluates outcomes of evidence-based decisions and practice changes for individuals - groups - and populations
• Responsible for the documented outcomes at the program or service level
• May function in several roles to include - pre-procedure assessments - post procedural recovery - and assisting physicians during procedures
• Maintains proficiency on the maintenance - cleaning - and preparation of cardiology specific equipment - as well as assists in the planning of end-of-life equipment replacement and future needs
• Recognizes changes in patient care situations and initiates appropriate emergency responses - as well as provides enduring education for common clinical adverse complications and responses
• Adapts the daily schedule to maximize efficiency
• May be assigned call - in which the CCL RN will follow all facility policies regarding response time
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Basic Requirements:
  • English Language Proficiency – in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
  • Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
  • OR Individuals attending a master's level bridge program in nursing who have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelor's level degree in Nursing may have opportunity to become registered as a nurse with a state licensing board prior to completion of the bridge program. Upon achievement of a State license, the individual may be appointed on a temporary basis and later converted to a permanent appointment upon successful completion and graduation from the bridge program (Reference VA Handbook 5005 - Appendix G6).
  • OR In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of a current, full, active, and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement for graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant an appointment as a Nurse who has completed an associated degree/entry level Nursing education program. Credit for foreign nursing education higher than associate degree/entry level requires a formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized equivalency evaluation accepted by VA such as International Consultants of Delaware (ICD).
  • Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or the District of Columbia.
  • Graduate Nurse Technician (GNT) Exception: Candidates