Registered Nurse - Short Stay Observation Unit

Registered Nurse – Short Stay Observation
Up to $15,000 Sign-On Bonus | Full-Time Benefits

Looking for a nursing role that’s fast-paced, diverse and rewarding? Mercy Cedar Rapids is hiring Registered Nurses — experienced or new graduates — to join our 28-bed Short Stay Observation Unit.

Not every hospital has a unit like this. This unique unit cares for patients who need brief hospital stays (24–48 hours) after the Emergency Department or surgery. You’ll work with a wide variety of patients including post-op, ortho, urology, cardiology and acute pain. It’s an opportunity to build a broad skill set across multiple specialties while helping patients transition safely and confidently back home.

Meet the Nurse Manager, Brian!

Schedule That Fits Your Life

• 3-12 hour shifts 7p-7:30a with every third weekend and rotating holidays
• 36 hours/week = full-time pay & benefits

Why Mercy & the Short Stay Observation Unit

• Open to both experienced nurses and new graduates
• Hands-on orientation and mentorship program
• Opportunities to grow across multiple specialties
• A supportive team environment where your voice matters
• Mercy Cedar Rapids is an independent, locally-managed healthcare system that has served the community for 120+ years.

What You’ll Do

As an RN in the Short Stay Observation unit, you’ll:

• Deliver safe, high-quality, patient-centered care
• Monitor patients recovering from surgery, illness, or acute pain
• Educate patients and families so they feel confident at discharge
• Collaborate closely with physicians, techs, and fellow nurses
• Document accurately and communicate clearly at hand-offs
• Respond quickly to changes in patient condition and emergencies
• Foster a respectful, compassionate, and team-focused environment

Take the Next Step

Keep reading for the full-length job description and continue to create/login to your Mercy Workday account and complete an application.

Work Shift

Night Shift

Scheduled Weekly Hours

36

Summary

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 Description

Job Duties

• 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.

• Demonstrates competent assessment, planning, intervention, coordination and evaluation skills based on the individual patient plan of care.

• Continually assesses patient and family needs in order to provide quality care based on a patient centered care model.

• Demonstrates critical thinking skills and judgment necessary to implement a patient plan of care, nursing interventions and procedures.

• 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.

• 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.

• Demonstrates respect and regard for the dignity of all patients, families, visitor and fellow employees to ensure a professional, responsible and courteous environment.

• Directs other licensed and non-licensed personnel in the provision of care to patients as assigned.

• 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.

• Responds within scope of practice to emergencies and life-threatening conditions.

• Adheres to and promotes patient safety practices throughout the patient experience.

• Communicates and collaborates effectively with all members of the healthcare team.

• Provides ongoing education to patients and families.

• 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.

• Follows Mercy's safety guidelines, carries out job-specific safety duties and responsibilities, and promptly reports any unsafe conditions, situations, incidents and injuries.

Department Specific Duties

Short Stay Observation Unit

• 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 & 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

• Previous RN experience in an acute care setting preferred.

Education

• Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing preferred.

Licensure, Certification, Registration

Requirements listed below are applicable to all departments.

• 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 Requirements

Requirements listed below are applicable to all departments unless otherwise noted.
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


Women & Children's Float Pool
Medium: Exert 20-50 lbs. of force occasionally and/or 10-15 lbs. of force frequently.

Pay Rate Type

Hourly

Mercy is an independent, community-based organization supporting the Cedar Rapids area for over 120 years.

Mercy is an equal-opportunity employer. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion and therefore evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, civil union status, parental status, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.