RN CASUAL - PERIOPERATIVE - NORWIN SURGERY CENTER

About the Role

The Registered Nurse (RN) assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates care for a designated group of patients. The RN coordinates, directs, and actively participates as an effective member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team, contributing to the efficient operation of the unit and promoting positive patient outcomes. This position floats between the short stay unit and recovery room.

Responsibilities

• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending education workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies.
• Assure quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards, measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards, making or recommending necessary adjustments, and following system/hospital and nursing division’s philosophies and standards of care set by state board of nursing, state nurse practice act, and other governing agency regulations.
• Protect patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
• Document patient care services by charting in patient and department records.
• Maintain continuity among nursing teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs using Nurse Knowledge Exchange techniques.
• Maintain patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
• Identify patient care requirements by establishing personal rapport with potential and actual patients and other persons in a position to understand care requirements.
• Establish a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.
• Promote patient’s independence by establishing patient care goals, teaching patient/family to understand condition, medications, and self-care skills, and answering questions.
• Maintain a safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations; calling for assistance from healthcare support personnel.
• Resolve patient problems and needs by utilizing multidisciplinary team strategies.
• Maintain a cooperative relationship among healthcare teams by communicating information, responding to requests, building rapport, and participating in team continuous quality improvement and problem-solving methods.
• Ensure operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements, following manufacturer’s instructions, troubleshooting malfunctions, calling for repairs, maintaining equipment inventories, and evaluating new equipment and techniques.
• Maintain nursing supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level, anticipating needed supplies, placing and expediting orders for supplies, verifying receipt of supplies, and using equipment and supplies as needed.

Short Stay Unit Responsibilities

• Provide complete patient care by identifying age-specific needs during assessment, monitoring, and education of patients pre- and post-procedures.
• Provide the patient/family with information related to procedures (pre- and post-).
• Initiate the discharge process following physician approval/order for discharge. Review discharge instructions with patient and family member or significant other, distribute appropriate educational materials, and discharge patient with a responsible adult.
• Prepare, assess, and discharge patients presenting for blood transfusions, therapies, and nursing service visits.
• Administer blood transfusions according to established policies.
• Initiate series visits following series visit guidelines.
• Document accurately and completely on appropriate series records.
• Assist Allied Health Care Professionals (MDs/DOs/PAs/CRNAs/CRNPs) in the provision of care during procedures that take place on the unit, in accordance with licenses and certifications (e.g., Bronchoscopy, PEG Tube Changes, Anesthesia nerve blocks).
• Pre-op patients at the appropriate time.
• Identify patient, appropriate procedure, and surgical site by following the policy for surgical site identification.
• Assist in Moderate Sedation administration in accordance with ACLS and hospital guidelines.
• Handle specimens appropriately.
• Maintain the ability to adapt to the changing needs of the perioperative team.
• Perform indirect patient care duties essential to maintaining safe operation of the Short Procedure Unit.
• As assigned, open SPU in the AM and close the unit at the completion of the schedule.
• Check crash cart when the unit is open and complete appropriate documentation.

Recovery Room Responsibilities

• Develop an educational process for the provision and coordination of patient care activities that promote and maintain health, foster self-care, and improve outcomes.
• Tailor the educational process to meet the needs of the patient/family while in the PACU, with emphasis on age, culture, barriers to learning, and readiness to learn.
• Assure that written postoperative orders are available before discharge from PACU and review with the receiving unit to ensure continuity of care.
• Keep abreast of new procedures, treatments, drugs, and equipment related to the care of the postoperative patient to assure progressive PACU care.
• Participate in a call schedule to ensure ability to care for patients post-surgery 24/7.

Requirements

• Graduate of an accredited Nursing Program required.
• Strong leadership ability, good organizational skills, independent and critical thinking skills, sound judgment, and knowledge of legal aspects and liability of nursing practice.
• Strong ability to communicate complex and/or controversial topics and concepts to a wide and diverse audience.

Qualifications

• Current licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Pennsylvania required.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) approved curriculum of the American Heart Association (CPR and AED) program required.
• Current PALS or completion within 1 year of hire/transfer into department.
• Current ACLS or completion within 1 year of hire/transfer into department.
• A Nursing refresher course may be required if the employee has not worked in an acute care setting for their most recent three consecutive years of professional employment.
• Act 33, Act 34, and Act 73 FBI Clearance with renewal required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing preferred.
• One-year critical care or PACU experience.

Work Environment

• Effective March 2020 or during pandemic: goggles, face shield, and mask are required according to CDC guidelines.
• When lift requirement is in excess of 50 lbs, lift assistance (2-person) and/or transfer device is required.

Physical Demands

When lift requirement is in excess of 50 lbs, lift assistance (2-person) and/or transfer device is required.

Physical Condition Essential Marginal Constantly Frequently Occasionally Rarely Never Extreme Heat x Extreme Cold x Heights x Confined Spaces x Extreme Noise (>85dB) x Mechanical Hazards x Use of Vibrating Tools x Operates Vehicle x Operates Heavy Equipment x Use of Lifting/Transfer Devices x Rotates All Shifts x 8 Hours Shifts x 10-12 Hours Shifts x On-Call x Overtime (+8 hrs/shift; 40 hrs/wk)