Registered Nurse

Description

SUMMARY: 

Promotes and restores patients' health by completing the nursing process; collaborating with physicians and multidisciplinary team members; providing physical and psychological support to patients, friends, and families; supervising assigned team members.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

A. Assist with Safety Assurance for Residents and Staff Members

B. Know and Enforce Federal and State Regulations

C. Promote Constructive Working Relationships Between Health Care Disciplines

D. Promote Favorable Public Relations

E. Exhibit Professional Nursing and Leadership

F. Perform Related Tasks as Required

INTERPRETATION OF RESPONSIBILITY

1. Identifies patient care requirements by establishing personal rapport with potential and actual patients and other persons in a position to understand care requirements.
2. Establishes a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, employees, friends, and families.
3. Promotes patient's independence by establishing patient care goals; teaching patient, friends, and family to understand condition, medications, and self-care skills; answering questions.
4. Delivers excellent customer service at all times. 
5. Assures quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards; measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards; making or recommending necessary adjustments; following hospital and nursing division's philosophies and standards of care set by state board of nursing, state nurse practice act, and other governing agency regulations.
6. Resolves patient problems and needs by utilizing multidisciplinary team strategies.
7. Demonstrates self-respect, respect for others, and acts with integrity.
8. Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations; calling for assistance from health care support personnel.
9. Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
10. Documents patient care services by charting in patient and department records.
11. Reports to work on time when scheduled.
12. Addresses situations in a professional timely manner, ensuring tasks are completed thoroughly to the standards set by the community. 
13. Report all grievances and complaints appropriately. 
14. Maintains continuity among nursing teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs.
15. Maintains patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.

Requirements

EDUCATION

1. Licensed Registered Nurse graduate from an accredited school of nursing with a current license to practice in the State of Indiana in good standing.  
2. Two years of experience in geriatric or long term care nursing preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Physical

1. Will need to be able to stand and sit for extended periods of time, bend, twist and reach to the floor.  
2. Must have eye/hand coordination sufficient to set up and administer injections, prepare/administer medications and treatments and adjusting flow rates and use medical equipment.  
3. Pushes/pulls medication/treatment carts weighing 100 pounds a distance of 600 feet.  
4. Must be able to clearly speak at a volume adaptable to the hearing impaired.  
5. Lifts and carries equipment weighing 25 pounds.

Sensory

1. Must be able to hear normal volume sounds and voice patterns with constant background noise.  
2. Must be able to hear lung, bowel and blood pressure sounds with appropriate diagnostic instruments.  
3. Must be able to receive and follow verbal and written instruction.  
4. Must be able to assess changes in resident conditions.  
5. Must be able to smell smoke, spoiled foods, incontinent residents, etc.  
6. Must be able to respond to audible emergency signals, alarms, call lights and telephones.  
7. Must be able to read regular/small size print in multiple colors. 
8. Must possess skills for continuous handling, fingering and feeling required for palpation, operating and maintaining equipment and providing medical treatments, i.e. wound care, resident care and medication/treatment administration.

Cognitive 

1. Must be able to remember multiple assignments over an extended period of time.  
2. Be able to remember data derived from assessments and document, review, specific requests, ideas and concepts and relate them as necessary.  
3. Must be able to concentrate on details during constant interruptions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Works primarily indoors in a climate controlled setting. There is the potential for exposure to blood, body tissues and fluids with occasional exposure to hazardous materials and infectious diseases. Exposure to chemicals is occasional. There is known stress associated with working with residents who are ill, confused, irritable, irrational.

EQUIPMENT USED

Equipment used: Writing implements, computer, medical chart holders, weight scales, needles, syringes, emergency care of equipment, stethoscope, thermometer, infusion pumps, glucometers, feeding devices, blood pressure devices, protective barrier equipment, restraint devices, anti-pressure devices, wheelchairs, telephone call systems, wandering notification systems.

EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

In the event of an emergency, employee must be physically able to assist in resident evacuations and life support procedures.