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Northwestern Medicine

Academic medical center research, teaching, care

Registered Nurse-Observation

Nursing & Frontline Patient CarePosted on Nov 11
Full-timeLake Forest, IL, USA$34.50 - $55.20 /hrIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

  • A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is required.
  • A current State of Illinois Registered Professional Nurse license is required.
  • Basic Life Support is required.
  • An Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is acceptable with a commitment to obtain a BSN from an accredited program within three years of the first day of employment in a clinical nurse role.
  • Strong interpersonal skills are required.
  • The ability to collaborate with others is required.
  • Strong analytic abilities are required.

Responsibilities

  • Perform comprehensive assessments on assigned patients and document them.
  • Promptly communicate changes in a patient's condition.
  • Use nursing diagnoses and assessment data to establish realistic, measurable patient outcomes, document goals in the plan of care, and modify the care plan as indicated.
  • Identify and prioritize patient needs and nursing diagnoses and document them.
  • Collaborate with patients, families, and healthcare team members when planning and documenting patient care; assess discharge-planning needs and make appropriate referrals, including palliative care.
  • Evaluate and document patient responses to nursing interventions and adjust the plan of care as needed.
  • Ensure discharge instructions and medication reconciliation are complete, and inform patients and families about the patient portal and other relevant resources.
  • Assess patient and family teaching needs, identify learning levels and readiness, and document education.
  • Use the teach-back method to educate patients about medication side effects and new medications.
  • Use Krames for patient education and clinical-condition information.
  • Use Culture Vision as a resource in care planning and delivery.
  • Treat patients, families, and staff with respect and dignity, and value significant others' contributions to the plan of care.
  • Adhere to ethical standards of practice and request an ethics consultation when appropriate.
  • Implement nursing interventions consistent with evidence-based plans of care.
  • Advance nursing practice using the best available evidence, including resources such as Ovid/Joanna Briggs, UpToDate, and Culture Vision.
  • Participate in a clinical LADDER project or unit- or organization-level process improvement.
  • Administer medications safely using bar coding and protect patient health, safety, and rights.
  • Provide complete, timely, and accurate bedside shift reports and handoffs.
  • Round hourly in collaboration with patient care technicians and maintain a safe patient environment.
  • Participate in unit and organizational quality metrics and help prevent pressure ulcers, falls, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, and central-line infections as appropriate to the practice area.
  • Serve as a unit safety facilitator or a resource for quality initiatives when requested, and participate in unit huddles.
  • Oversee and direct patient-care or support technicians while retaining accountability for assigned patients.
  • Lead and direct others effectively, addressing conflict directly and appropriately.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in the charge nurse or preceptor role when assigned and coordinate patient care for the unit.
  • Take the clinical lead when a patient's condition changes and consult the primary care physician about treatment or transfer to an appropriate level of care.
  • Serve as a resource and role model for new staff, students, and other system personnel.
  • Assist with precepting, unit orientation, and mentoring when requested.
  • Provide regular colleague feedback through peer evaluation and participate in clinical case peer review.
  • Collaborate with hospital services to complete daily work and maintain an effective care environment.
  • Identify barriers to effective clinical practice and communicate them to nursing leadership and the practice operations council.
  • Ensure appropriate level-of-care orders are documented in the electronic medical record for admissions.
  • Follow supply-charging procedures and participate in value-based unit or organizational initiatives.
  • Help reduce overtime utilization.
  • Complete electronic and paper documentation.
  • Use the Alaris pump guardrails, interpret physiologic monitoring, and apply monitoring information to clinical management.
  • Use the bed management system and identify technologies for potential unit, hospital, or system use.
  • Participate in CEOC activities to advance and optimize the medical record when requested.
  • Attend internal professional development offerings, such as Schwartz Rounds and Nursing Grand Rounds.
  • Obtain certification in the nursing specialty of practice and maintain professional-practice competencies, ELM learning, and dress-code compliance.
  • Participate in a professional organization through membership, leadership, or committee work, and take assigned lunch breaks.

Desired Qualifications

  • National certification in the area of specialty is preferred.

About the Company

Northwestern Medicine

Academic medical center research, teaching, care

Northwestern Medicine brings together Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine to advance health care through research, teaching, and patient care. It runs an academic medical system with more than 33,000 staff, faculty, students, and researchers across 200 locations, including five hospitals that are ranked among America’s Best by U.S. News & World Report (2025–2026). The organization offers medical care by clinicians and scientists who also teach and study new treatments, meaning patients may benefit from up-to-date therapies developed through ongoing research. Its approach combines hospital services, medical education, and scientific discovery in one ecosystem, which sets it apart from ordinary clinics. The goal is to improve medicine so that patients receive higher-quality care and safer, better outcomes.

Company size
10,001+
Company stage
Grant
Total funding
$25M
Headquarters
Chicago, IL
Founded
2009

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