Registered Nurse, Perioperative Services Float, 24 hours, (3) 8 hour shifts Alternating, Call alternating weeknight, Call alternating Weekend and Holidays - Heywood Hospital
Gardner, MA 01440
About the Job
Hours: 24 hours, (3) 8 hour shifts Alternating, Call alternating weeknight, Call alternating Weekend and Holidays
Responsibilities:- Assesses (and reassesses), plans, implements, and evaluates nursing interventions/plans of care/patient goals.
- Provides patient care based on standards of care, standards of practice, protocols, and established policies and procedures.
- Respects each patient as an individual; provides care that fosters the patient’s sense of dignity and positive self-regard.
- Provides patient/family teaching based on identified learning needs, readiness to learn, and barriers to learning.
- Collaboratively plans and prepares patient/family for discharge incorporating support systems/resources as necessary.
- Appropriately delegates and supervises nursing interventions performed by others.
- Appropriately prioritizes patient care (e.g. seeks assistance as needed from appropriate resources, reassigns personnel as necessary, recognizes need for emergency intervention, etc.).
- Provides thorough, timely, and accurate documentation of all pertinent data, therapeutic interventions and patient responses according to established standards.
- Provides timely and thorough report on assigned patients to other health care team members to ensure integration of services and continuity of patient care.
- Promotes learning for colleagues and self (e.g. functions as preceptor, instructor, trainer, attends professional development programs, etc.).
- Proactively identifies risk to patient safety and identifies opportunities to reduce medical/health care errors (i.e. appropriate reporting of errors/incidents).
- Identifies ethical issues in care and develops plan to address.
- Safely administers medications and intravenous therapy in accordance with physician’s orders, protocols, policies and procedures.
- Assesses patient pain level upon admission and as necessary, depending upon diagnosis utilizing the numerical pain scale.
- Reassesses effectiveness of pain control and notifies physicians as needed, as well as, documents assessment and patients’ response to medication.
- Responsible for obtaining supporting information and completing required documentation related to medication reconciliation for use by the Attending MD.
- Performs pre-admission testing on Surgical Day Care patients.
- Performs nursing assessment and coordinates and performs ancillary testing for patients undergoing day surgery including performing blood draws and EKG's.
Reviews pre-operative orders and consults with the surgeon and/or anesthesiologist as necessary to assure appropriate tests are ordered per guidelines.
Reviews test results, checks for abnormal results and communicates abnormalities to the surgeon, anesthesiologist and/or primary physician prior to surgery.
Reviews preoperative chart for completeness verifying that all paperwork is present and complete preoperatively, such as consent form, H&P, and lab results.
Provides emotional support to patients undergoing a change in body image and/or activity level due to surgery.
Initiates and documents post-operative phone calls to SDC patients.
Safely administers intravenous therapy to support the patients’ treatment plan.
Initiates and administers IV's, without errors or complications, in accordance with physician orders and nursing policy and procedure.
Observes and documents patients' response to intravenous therapy.
Continuously monitors post operative patients to ensure safety while recovering from anesthesia.
Monitors and observes patients during the recovery phase of general or regional anesthesia.
Monitors for potential problems/complications immediately post operatively, giving special attention to oxygenation, ventilation, circulation and temperature.
Supports the perioperative plan of care through implementation of the recovery plan of care for the patient.
Demonstrates knowledge of dosage, action, use and side effects of medications commonly used during anesthesia.
- Checks patient dressing, is alert for signs of unusual bleeding and administers ice packs PRN.
- Provides communication to all team members to ensure continuum of patient care during the perioperative process.
- Provides a comprehensive patient summary to the staff accepting the patient in transfer or providing temporary coverage.
- Collaborates with surgeons, anesthesiologists and nursing staff to provide continuum of care during perioperative process.
- Safely administers blood and blood products to replace loss during surgery.
- Administers and monitors patients receiving blood and blood products as well as observes and documents patients' response to blood transfusions.
- Documents, accurately and thoroughly, blood administration according to nursing policy and procedure.
- Responsible for obtaining supporting information and completing required documentation related to medication reconciliation for use by the Attending MD.
This document describes the major duties and responsibilities for this job, and is not intended to be a complete list of all tasks and functions. It should be understood, therefore, that employees may be asked to perform job-related duties beyond those explicitly described.
Exerts 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Frequently reaches (extending hands and arms in any direction), handles (seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or working with hands), and feels (perceiving attributes of items such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by means of fingertips). Occasionally stoops (bending the body downward and forward by bending the spine at the waist), and kneels (bending the legs at knee to come to rest on knee or knees).
The following behavioral attributes are required: achievement, motivation, concern for order, flexibility, initiative, self-confidence, customer service oriented, interpersonal effectiveness, teamwork, analytical thinking and information seeking.
- Graduate of an accredited school of nursing
- Minimum 1 year of Med/Surg, ICU, ED or peri-operative services experience.
- Minimum 6 months of recent PACU, SDC or radiology experience preferred.
- Current RN license in MA
- Current AHA BLS, ACLS and PALS certifications are required.
- Excellent communication, critical care and critical thinking skills are a must.
- Must take call per PACU rotation.
