Position Summary:
This professional staff person is responsible for performing assessments, developing a plan of care and implementing and evaluating the care. The RN-Critical administers medications and treatments as ordered by physicians and in keeping with the current clinical nursing practice. Also responsible for directing, monitoring and evaluating the care delegated to non-licensed personnel. The RN-Critical leads the interdisciplinary care team for patients with primarily cardiovascular disease. In addition, the RN-Critical performs a range of technical services in a cross-functional mode to comprehensively serve patient needs. Assumes (under the direction of the Laboratory) responsibility for patient specimen testing, quality control, quality improvement and equipment maintenance.
Primary Duties:
- Completes admission assessment and periodic reassessments according to patient’s progress and/or unit routines and patient population-specific parameters.
- Documents findings and communicates all pertinent information to interdisciplinary team members as appropriate.
- Collaborates with interdisciplinary team members in the development, evaluation and revision of the plan of care as appropriate to meet the patient’s needs and goals.
- Provides competent direct care and ensures the provision of a safe and comforting environment resulting in a high level of patient satisfaction.
- Assists healthcare team members in the understanding of hospital policies and procedures.
- Provides education to patients/families/significant others, incorporating patient population-specific criteria and assessment of readiness to learn.
- Maintains patient confidentiality.
- Maintains standard precautions.
- Administers medications and completes treatments according to provider orders, hospital policy and within patient population-specific parameters.
- Maintains all necessary documentation.
- Facilitates transition of care plan in collaboration with interdisciplinary team.
- Demonstrates knowledge and ability to use necessary patient care equipment.
- Coordinates response of the interdisciplinary team to emergency situations.
- Performs Point-of-Care procedures in a timely manner according to established policy and procedure. Documents required information and complies with all Point-of-Care quality control standards.
Department-Specific Responsibilities:
Acute Care Unit
- Ability to formulate an individualized plan of care and revise plan according to the patient’s response to treatment. Evaluates plan regularly for effectiveness.
- Communicates appropriately and clearly to Resource Nurse, CCO and Physician.
- Demonstrates knowledge of cardiac monitoring; identifies dysrhythmias and treats appropriately based on orders and ACLS protocol.
- Able to perform a head-to-toe assessment on all patients per policy.
- Able to monitor hemodynamic status of patient and correctly interpret the results.
- Consults other departments as appropriate to provide an interdisciplinary approach to the patient’s needs.
- Coordinates and supervises patient care as necessary.
Cath / EP Lab
- Performs patient assessments pre-, peri- and post-procedure.
- Maintains a safe, aseptic environment in the Cath Lab.
- Administers medications as ordered by the physician.
- Maintains competent knowledge of all procedures and adheres to procedure protocol.
- Assists all personnel, patients and physicians as needed.
- Ensures all supplies are available.
- Operates and maintains equipment in good working order.
- Participates in the total maintenance of the department.
- Ensures that patient has an H & P documented by a physician according to appropriate standards prior to procedure.
- Settles patient after procedures and provides accepting RN with concise reports on the patient.
Emergency Department
- Actively seeks additional education opportunities to increase emergency medicine knowledge base.
- Exhibits flexibility in transitioning from emergency nursing to other nursing or clinical areas during census peaks.
- Maintains adequate par levels for equipment and supplies in the Emergency Department.
- Assesses the immediacy and nature of the illness and/or injury of the patient upon entering the emergency department.
- Demonstrates competency to manage all areas of emergency nursing involving different body systems within age specific criteria.
- Facilitates continuity of emergency treatment to minimize delay.
- Maintains competencies needed to properly care for patients being held in the Emergency Department.
- Demonstrates timely and appropriate completion of screening the medical exam required by EMTALA.
ICU
- Ability to formulate an individualized plan of care and revise plan according to the patient’s response to treatment. Evaluates plan regularly for effectiveness.
- Communicates appropriately and clearly to Resource Nurse, CCO and Physician.
- Demonstrates knowledge of cardiac monitoring; identifies dysrhythmias and treats appropriately based on orders and ACLS protocol.
- Able to perform a head-to-toe assessment on all patients per policy.
- Able to monitor hemodynamic status of patient and correctly interpret the results.
- Consults other departments as appropriate to provide an interdisciplinary approach to the patient’s needs.
- Coordinates and supervises patient care as necessary.
PCCU and PACU
- Ability to formulate an individualized plan of care and revise plan according to the patient’s response to treatment. Evaluates plan regularly for effectiveness.
- Communicates appropriately and clearly to Resource Nurse, Director and Physician.
- Demonstrates knowledge of cardiac monitoring; identifies dysrhythmias and treats appropriately based on orders and ACLS protocol.
- Able to perform a head-to-toe assessment on all patients per policy.
- Able to monitor hemodynamic status of patient and correctly interpret the results.
- Consults other departments as appropriate to provide an interdisciplinary approach to the patient’s needs.
- Coordinates and supervises patient care as necessary.
Surgery / Operating Room
- Meets the on-call responsibilities as defined in the departmental policies and procedures manual.
- Maintains equipment and supplies.
- Fosters an environment conducive to the dynamic changing pace of today’s technology through continuous review and assessment of perioperative care.
- Assists in teaching families/significant others of patients the information needed for successful perioperative care.
- Prepares operating room and equipment by opening sterile supplies and instrumentation for procedures to be performed.
- Assumes responsibility to maintain sterile technique and apply principles of infection control and medical ethics.
- Functions as a Scrub Assistant when needed; is able to assume primary and secondary scrub duties.
- Assists with specific and safe positioning of patient on OR table.
- Anticipates needs of the surgeon with little or no prompting.
- Counts sponges and related items with circulating nurse before and during surgical procedures.
- Assists operative team with donning sterile gown/gloves and applying sterile drapes to the surgical field.
- Cares for surgical specimens on the sterile field.
- Maintains sterile field in an organized manner so anyone can utilize it at any time during the procedure.
- Assists in transportation of the patient.
- Settles patient after procedures and provides accepting RN with concise reports on the patient.
- Ensures that patient has an H & P documented by a physician according to appropriate standards prior to procedure.
- Ensures that patient has a signed consent present in the chart prior to procedure.
Day Patient / Short Stay Unit
- Ability to formulate an individualized plan of care and revise plan according to the patient’s response to treatment. Evaluates plan regularly for effectiveness.
- Communicates appropriately and clearly to Resource Nurse, Director and Physician.
- Demonstrates knowledge of cardiac monitoring; identifies dysrhythmias and treats appropriately based on protocol.
- Able to perform a head-to-toe assessment on all patients per policy.
- Able to monitor hemodynamic status of patient and correctly interpret the results.
- Consults other departments as appropriate to provide an interdisciplinary approach to the patient’s needs.
- Coordinates and supervises patient care as necessary.
