Registered Nurse (RN) - Short Stay Observation Unit, Mercy Cedar Rapids - Mercy Medical Center - Cedar Rapids

External Applicants Earn up to $25,000 Sign on Bonus!

Join a growing healthcare system – Mercy Cedar Rapids!

Mercy Medical Center is a community hospital located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As a RN in the Short Stay Observation Unit, you will utilize your skills to provide care to a diverse patient population in an innovative setting designed to serve patients who need a short length of stay. The average length of stay for patients within the Short Stay unit is 24-48 hours and the population typically consists of extended recovery surgical patients such as OBGYN, total joint and some spinal neurosurgical.

The ideal candidate for the AIM unit is friendly, compassionate and will enjoy growing their career in a supportive environment.

Mercy Cedar Rapids is a growing healthcare system located in Eastern Iowa. We are mission-driven, locally managed and committed to the professional and personal growth of our employees. With a 424-licensed bed hospital and a large network of primary, specialty and urgent care clinics, we have been providing care to the Cedar Rapids (and surrounding area) for more than 120 years.

Our mission: to care for the sick and enhance the health of the communities we service, guided by the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy.

Continue reading to learn more about this exciting opportunity:

This position supports Mercy's philosophy of patient centered care by being a competent, respectful, and compassionate professional who is able to safely, appropriately, accurately, efficiently and independently follow Mercy's standards along with policies and procedures while caring for patients. The Registered Staff Nurse works with the unit specific team members to identify clinical problems, develop a plan, and educate patients and families. Job Duties

• Delegates to other staff registered nurse, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, patient care technicians, unit secretaries, and other staff positions specific to the department.
• Provides ongoing education to patients and families
• Communicates and collaborates effectively with all members of the healthcare team
• Adheres to and promotes patient safety practices throughout the patient experience
• Responds within scope of practice to emergencies and life threatening conditions
• Demonstrate effective and age appropriate communication as well as the ability to understand the needs of the patient including non-verbal communication, fears, anxieties and language/cultural barriers
• Directs other licensed and non-licensed personnel in the provision of care to patients as assigned
• Demonstrates respect and regard for the dignity of all patients, families, visitor and fellow employees to ensure a professional, responsible and courteous environment
• Functions as a role model for current and new staff by creating a healthy work environment to facilitate the department's or unit's ability to meet identified goals and objectives
• Maintains accurate and real time documentation of nursing care provided to ensure the integration of information for use by the healthcare team, according to hospital policy and procedure related to documentation parameters
• Demonstrates critical thinking skills and judgment necessary to implement a patient plan of care, nursing interventions and procedures
• Continually assesses patient and family needs in order to provide quality care based on a patient centered care model
• Demonstrates competent assessment, planning, intervention, coordination and evaluation skills based on the individual patient plan of care
• Ensure that accurate and clinically relevant information is communicated with patients, their families, and co-workers at hand offs and other times as needed. Take all measures necessary to ensure that the appropriate and involved parties have communicated necessary information in order to allow for the best possible patient outcome

Department Specific Duties

• Demonstrates competency in computer navigation to access and find needed information effectively and efficiently as evidenced in hand-offs and critical thinking skills.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Sound background in basic nursing principles and procedures.
• Demonstrates competency in unit specific skills.
• Demonstrates ability to provide safe and effective basic nursing care.
• Role Models exemplary customer service skills including verbal and non-verbal skills and proper phone etiquette.
• Creates a welcoming environment for all healthcare team members.
• Committed to ongoing self-development and learning.

Professional Experience

• Experience in acute care setting preferred.

Education

• Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing preferred.

Licensure, Certification, Registration

• Current license to practice as a registered nurse in the state of Iowa or compact state required.
• Current certification in Basic Life Support, in accordance with the American Heart Association required.
• Iowa Dependent Adult Abuse/Iowa Child Abuse Mandatory Reporter training required. Employee must submit certification of completed training to Human Resources prior to start or transfer date.

Physical Demand Requirements

• Heavy: Must be able to lift up to 15 lbs. to waist and shoulder height on frequent basis
• Able to lift up to 50 lbs. on occasional basis for assist with patient transfers
• Rare lifting of up to 100 lbs. for controlled falls
• Able to lift 15 lbs. overhead on occasional basis.
• Able to push and pull of up to 20 lbs. of horizontal force on frequent basis, up to 35 lbs. of horizontal force on occasional basis and up to 50 lbs. of horizontal force on rare basis
• Ability to administer CPR

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