N

Northwestern Medicine

Academic medical center research, teaching, care

Registered Nurse Observation

Nursing & Frontline Patient CareConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeLake Forest, IL, USA$37 - $60.98 /hrIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

  • Hold a Registered Nursing license issued by the State of Illinois.
  • Hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
  • Hold Basic Life Support certification through the American Heart Association.

Responsibilities

  • Perform comprehensive assessments on assigned patients and complete the associated documentation.
  • Promptly communicate changes in a patient's condition.
  • Use nursing diagnoses and assessment data to set realistic, measurable patient outcomes, document goals, and modify the care plan as needed.
  • Identify and prioritize patient needs and nursing diagnoses, and document them.
  • Collaborate with patients, families, and the health care team in planning and documenting care; assess discharge needs and make referrals, including palliative care when appropriate.
  • 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 provide patients and families with information about the patient portal and other relevant resources.
  • Assess patient and family teaching needs, learning level, and readiness; document education and support spiritual and cultural needs.
  • Use teach-back to educate patients about medication side effects and new medications.
  • Use and distribute Krames materials for patient education and clinical conditions.
  • Use Culture Vision in care planning and delivery.
  • Treat patients, families, and staff respectfully and with dignity; value significant others' contributions to the plan of care.
  • Adhere to ethical practice standards and request an ethics consult when appropriate.
  • Implement nursing interventions based on the established plan of care and evidence-based care.
  • Maintain and advance professional 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 patients' health, safety, and rights.
  • Provide complete, timely, and accurate bedside shift reports and handoffs.
  • Round hourly in collaboration with the patient care technician and maintain a safe patient environment.
  • Participate in unit and organizational quality metrics, including prevention of pressure ulcers, falls, CAUTI, and central line infections as applicable.
  • Serve as a unit safety facilitator or resource for quality initiatives when requested, and participate in unit huddles.
  • Oversee and direct patient-care or support technicians while maintaining accountability for assigned patients.
  • Lead and direct others effectively and address 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 peer feedback 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 an appropriate level-of-care order is documented in the electronic medical record for every admission.
  • Follow supply-charging procedures and participate in value-based unit or organizational initiatives.
  • Contribute to reducing utilization of overtime hours.
  • Complete electronic and paper documentation.
  • Use Alaris pump guardrails, understand physiologic monitoring and its implications for clinical management, and use the bed management system.
  • Identify new technologies for unit, hospital, or system use and 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.
  • Maintain accountability for professional practice competencies, ELM learning, and dress-code adherence.
  • Participate in a professional organization through membership, leadership, or committee work.
  • Take assigned lunch breaks.

Desired Qualifications

  • Hold national certification in the area of specialty.

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

Recently Posted Jobs

Explore more opportunities at Northwestern Medicine

See more jobs