RN Merit Sepsis Response, UofL Hospital, Advanced Practice Nursing, PRN

Address: 530 South Jackson Street, Louisville, KY 40202

Shift: Rotating

About the Role

The Sepsis Response Nurse is staffed by highly experienced critical care trained nurses with diverse specialty backgrounds who use technology, innovation, and education to improve patient and quality outcomes. The Sepsis Response Nurse assists with early detection and recognition of sepsis, partners with a multidisciplinary team to assist with early intervention, and delivers timely and effective care to decrease incidence of hospital mortality. The role also involves mentoring staff in providing care and complying with sepsis bundle guidelines, proactively responding to Sepsis Alerts, and preventing patient decompensation. The Sepsis Response Nurse provides follow-up on patients with Sepsis Alerts to ensure treatment and documentation meet hospital standards.

Responsibilities

• Conducts systematic, continuous, and comprehensive assessments of patient health status from admission or encounter to discharge across the care continuum to ensure patient safety, collaborating with the healthcare team, patient, and family.
• Administers medications per licensure authority, assesses and reassesses the effects of these medications, and documents administration in a timely manner per policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborates with the healthcare team to plan care using current scientific knowledge, theory, and care standards within the nursing interventions and outcomes framework and national patient safety goals.
• Constructs individualized, age-specific plans for optimal patient and family outcomes, incorporating data from the multidisciplinary Care Team to assure continuity and appropriate patient teaching.
• Identifies and prioritizes patient problems based on subjective and objective assessment data, patient safety considerations, and patient and family goals and preferences.
• Implements nursing care interventions to meet patient and family-centered health care needs.
• Evaluates care by performing regular and systematic reviews of patient/family responses to interventions; revises the multidisciplinary plan of care in collaboration with other care team members to promote desired outcomes.
• Recognizes care variances and takes steps to prevent or intervene with potential or real adverse events to promote safe care.
• Competently and consistently assesses, conducts, and evaluates the outcomes of patient and family teaching, reflecting sensitivity to age, learning needs, and cultural background.
• Tracks and trends sepsis, quality, and patient safety data.
• Serves as an advocate for the patient and family, demonstrating respect for their rights, responsibilities, and sensitivity to their preferences.
• Complies with HIPAA privacy and security requirements to maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Proactively uses safety surveillance to prevent adverse outcomes.
• Performs other duties as assigned within the scope of nursing practice.
• Demonstrates competent skills, appropriate clinical judgments, and chain of command to promote patient safety and reach planned care goals and outcomes.
• Maintains compliance with all company policies, procedures, and standards of conduct.

Requirements

• Active Kentucky Registered Nurse License or compact license with privileges to work in Kentucky (required).
• Basic Life Support (BLS) accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA) (required).
• Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA) (required).
• Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) or Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN) upon hire or must be obtained within 1 year of hire (required).
• TNCC or TCAR (preferred).

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of critical care or emergency department experience (required).
• 1 year of rapid response experience (preferred).
• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from an accredited nursing program (preferred).

All new-hire Associate Degree Registered Nurses (new graduate and experienced) are encouraged to start an approved BSN program.