RN - Surgical Care Unit (Part Time, 24 hours per week M-Th)

Responsibilities

• Opening and closing unit- turn lights on in Waiting Room, unlock front door, remove keys from Pyxis to unlock cabinets, prints daily schedule, gets charts out of cabinet and puts them in order.
• Checks each patient bay- Suction, airways, ambu bag, O2 tank. Performs QC glucometer.
• Assigns rooms for patient arrival. Prints H&P 's, orders labs and EKGs where appropriate.
• Proactively directs the patient plan of care from admission to discharge. Admits and assesses each patient in a timely manner.
• Follows hospital policies and procedures for patient and procedure verification including all necessary preoperative checks prior to patient going into surgery.
• Charts allergies and fall risk. Draws labs prn, starts IV prn, notes required documentation on chart and verifies accuracy and timeliness.
• Gives pre-op meds as ordered. Notes Physician's Orders. Records all medications given on the electronic health record.
• Provides comfort measures as needed. Safely logs patient belongings and whereabouts. Maintains good communication with patient and family, communicating wait times, delays, etc.
• Provides education to patients and family both pre-operatively and upon discharge in a manner that its easily understood. Ensures that case management referrals, if any, are completed prior to discharge.
• Works with Case Management and Social Services as necessary. Calls in prescriptions prn.
• Provides safe recovery from anesthesia and documents the recovery process. Demonstrates excellent patient assessment skills to initiate immediate post op plan of care.
• Notifies Anesthesia and the Surgeon of any untoward events during the recovery phase. Uses the Chain of Command as appropriate.
• Continually monitors patient condition. Asks for help when needed. Documents full assessment of patient according to procedure performed.
• Promotes a safe environment of care and culture of safety. Demonstrates an active commitment to continuous quality and performance improvement as well as own professional development.
• Participates in staff meetings and brings best practices to the unit for consideration. Participates in postop calls and communicates when follow-up is needed with Perioperative Coordinator SCU.
• Communicates patient and family concerns to Periop Coordinator SCU as needed

Qualifications

• Education: Registered Nursing degree, BSN preferred
• Experience: 2 years experience in an acute Unit, 1 year critical care experience, preferably PACU related
• Licenses & Certifications: RN License, ACLS, BLS, PALS