Senior Registered Nurse - Post Anesthesia Care Unit

Location: Main Hospital Building - 3rd Floor
Night shift: 3×12-hour shifts (7pm–7am)
Employment type: Full time

Primary Purpose

The RN is a licensed professional who uses the Parkland nursing professional practice model to coordinate patient care delivery for a particular patient population or specific health condition by the health care team. Using the nursing process, the RN assesses the patient, identifies nursing diagnoses based on responses to health problems, develops and implements an individualized plan of care, and evaluates the patient’s response. The RN utilizes knowledge of patient needs and the healthcare environment to assist patients to transition through the healthcare encounter without any preventable complications or delays. The RN delegates interventions to health care personnel based on the Texas Nursing Practice Act, each patient’s condition, and the competencies of the employee.

Responsibilities

• Serves as a patient advocate, focusing on patient needs, patient rights, confidentiality, and religious and cultural preferences.
• Maintains positive working relationships with all Parkland internal and external customers and employees.
• Serves as a resource for patients and other healthcare team members.
• Provides patient care educational information and training for patient and family members.
• Serves as a resource for specific clinical patient care issues.
• Provides appropriate hand-off any time care is relinquished.
• Maintains and implements knowledge of applicable rules, regulations, policies, laws, and guidelines that impact or govern nursing practice; ensures the hospital and Parkland are in compliance.
• Develops effective internal controls that promote adherence to applicable state/federal laws and the program requirements of accrediting agencies and federal, state, and private health plans.
• Maintains and updates knowledge and appropriate utilization of sanitation, infection control, safety, supplies, and equipment.
• Performs appropriate patient assessments.
• Participates consistently in Universal Protocol, site marking identification, identification of appropriate clinical interventions and skills appropriate to Pre-Op Holding area assignments.
• Utilizes critical thinking skills to ensure optimal patient care in the pre-operative setting.
• Provides Phase I (postoperative recovery) to adult and pediatric patients.
• Performs appropriate patient assessments, continuous monitoring, and recognizes changes in patient conditions, providing appropriate interventions as necessary and ordered.
• Consults with other team members as required, notifies providers to report changes in patient condition, and implements orders in a timely manner.
• Exercises independent judgment in providing and prioritizing safe nursing care to all levels of the perianesthesia (Pre-Op, Phase I, Phase II, and extended recovery) patient.
• Provides safe medication administration and appropriate pain management.
• Provides emergency resuscitation care and an individualized plan of care appropriate to the patient’s procedure/surgery.
• Ensures patient readiness for discharge from PACU, meets discharge criteria, and provides appropriate hand-off to ensure safe continuity of care.
• Completes appropriate documentation; maintains accurate and timely entries and notations in patient care records and hospital documents.
• Ensures that all records meet the standards of the Post Anesthesia Care Unit and Parkland.
• Serves as a preceptor to on-boarding nursing staff members.
• Identifies ways to improve processes and improve patient and customer satisfaction; makes recommendations to the leadership team.
• Implements and monitors process improvement results as appropriate in support of the overall goals of the department.
• Stays abreast of the latest developments, advancements, and trends in perianesthesia nursing practice by attending seminars, workshops, reading professional journals, and actively participating in professional organizations; integrates knowledge gained into current work practices.
• Collaborates and seeks direction from experienced staff and team members as needed.
• May work with other staff in providing direction to non-nursing staff.
• Utilizes effective and therapeutic communication with nursing and other Parkland staff that supports the standards, mission, goals, and objectives of the department and Parkland.

Requirements

• Graduate from an accredited school of nursing.
• Minimum two years of Phase I PACU, ICU, or ED experience.

Certification / Registration / Licensure

• Current, valid RN license or temporary RN license from the Texas Board of Nursing, or valid Compact RN license.
• Current healthcare provider BLS certification from one of the following:
  • American Heart Association
  • American Red Cross
  • Military Training Network
• Current Advanced Life Support (ALS) or Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification on hire or placement in role from one of the following:
  • American Heart Association
  • American Red Cross
  • Military Training Network
• Current Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) or Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC) certification on hire or placement in the role from one of the following:
  • American Heart Association
  • American Red Cross
  • Military Training Network

Skills or Special Abilities

• Provides care to assigned patient population in accordance with the current State of Texas Nurse Practice Act, established protocols, multidisciplinary plan of care, and clinical area-specific standards.
• Demonstrates clinical proficiency in post-anesthesia care (Phase I Recovery, Phase II, and extended care), as deemed necessary by the patient’s level of care.
• Integrates the standards and practice recommendations from the American Society of Perianesthesia Nurses (ASPN) in decision-making and educational/performance improvement projects.
• Provides continuous assessment, consults with other team members as required, and provides nursing care that demonstrates patient-centered/patient-valued care.
• Exercises independent judgment in providing nursing care.
• Demonstrates effective interpersonal skills and possesses good oral and written communication skills.
• Communicates effectively with patients, families, and hospital staff in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Demonstrates the ability to provide direction to non-nursing staff, serve as a preceptor, and function independently as a charge nurse.
• Demonstrates clinical proficiency in post-anesthesia care.
• Prepares and conducts in-service educational programs.
• Demonstrates patient-centered/patient-valued behaviors.
• As applicable, demonstrates acceptable knowledge of nursing standards of care for specialty-unique critical care areas.
• Integrates national nursing organization resources/standards of practice in decision-making and educational/performance improvement projects.
• Possesses leadership abilities.

Schedule

Night shift: 3×12-hour shifts (7pm–7am)