Registered Nurse, RN - Spinecare

Overview:

Coordinates total nursing care for patients; participates in patient and family teaching; and provides leadership by working cooperatively with other team members and disciplines in maintaining standards for professional nursing practice in the clinical setting. Supervises LPNs, NAs, USs and Techs.

Responsibilities:

• Assesses condition on each assigned patient on an ongoing basis to include but not limited to the normal systems review, behavioral, psychological, developmental, and age-related factors. Specific ages: adolescent, adult, and geriatric.
• Plans, directs, supervises and evaluates nursing care provided to patients according to problems identified. Acts in charge nurse capacity as assigned.
• Collaborates and coordinates with physicians and other disciplines regarding individualized patient treatment/care plans by participating in team conferences, care planning/problem identification.
• Administers medication, IV therapy and performs treatments to all assigned patients according to policy and procedure.
• Plans and provides patient and/or significant other education based on physical, behavioral, psychological, developmental, and age-related factors, after identifying barriers to learning.
• Follows safety practices and helps to maintain a safe, clean environment.
• Reports pertinent patient observations and test results to the appropriate person (i.e., physicians, nurse manager, charge nurse and/or nursing supervisor) and records those observations accurately and concisely.
• Documents all patient care assessments, evaluations, activities and/or observations according to policies and procedures.
• Assigns nursing care to team members in accordance with the patient’s needs and the personnel’s capabilities and qualifications, and assigns other duties as needed.
• Assists with or institutes emergency measures for sudden adverse development in-patients such as cardiac arrest.
• Records vital signs to include blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and O2 saturation on recovering patients with moderate sedation.
• Assists with programming and refilling of Medtronic pump patients after passing training provided by Medtronic.
• Assists with programming of Medtronic dorsal column stimulators and Boston Scientific stimulators after passing training provided by Medtronic and Boston Scientific.
• Works in callbacks as assigned, including taking off calls, pulling charts, completing orders, assisting with form completion, assisting physicians with chart reviews, and returning calls to patients.
• Attends in-service programs (mandatory), all required training/education and unit/departmental service meetings.
• Flexibility in scheduling may be necessary based on patient care needs.

DCH Standards:* Maintains performance, patient and employee satisfaction and financial standards as outlined in the performance evaluation.

• Performs compliance requirements as outlined in the Employee Handbook.
• Must adhere to the DCH Behavioral Standards including creating positive relationships with patients/families, coworkers, colleagues and with self.
• Performs essential job functions in a manner that ensures the safety of patients, visitors and employees.
• Identifies and reduces unsafe practices that may result in harm to patients, visitors and employees.
• Recognizes and takes appropriate action to reduce risks and hazards to promote safety for patients, visitors and employees.
• Requires use of electronic mail, time and attendance software, learning management software and intranet.
• Must adhere to all DCH Health System policies and procedures.
• All other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Current Alabama RN Licensure.
• Must be ACLS and BLS certified upon hire or within 90 days of start date.
• Must be able to read, write legibly, speak, and comprehend English.