Emergency Care - Nurse
Department: Emergency Department Location: Riverside General Hospital — Denver, CO Employment Type: Full-time (rotating 12-hour shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays) Reports To: Emergency Department Nurse Manager Salary Range: $78,000 – $105,000 per year, depending on experience, plus shift differentials
About the Role
Riverside General Hospital is seeking a Registered Nurse to join our Emergency Department, a 36-bed unit serving approximately 52,000 patients annually. As an Emergency Care Nurse, you will deliver rapid, high-quality care to patients of all ages presenting with conditions ranging from minor injuries to life-threatening emergencies. You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team of physicians, advanced practice providers, technicians, and fellow nurses in a fast-paced, high-acuity environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Perform rapid triage assessments using the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) and prioritize care based on patient acuity.
- Deliver direct nursing care to emergency patients, including medication administration, IV insertion and management, wound care, splinting, and specimen collection.
- Respond to cardiac arrests, strokes, STEMI activations, and trauma alerts as part of the resuscitation team.
- Continuously monitor patient status, interpret cardiac telemetry, and escalate deterioration promptly.
- Document assessments, interventions, and outcomes accurately and in real time in the electronic health record (Epic).
- Communicate effectively with patients and families under stressful circumstances, providing education and emotional support.
- Coordinate patient dispositions — admission, transfer, or discharge — with physicians, case management, and receiving units.
- Maintain compliance with hospital policies, infection-control standards, and regulatory requirements.
- Support departmental quality initiatives (e.g., sepsis bundle compliance, door-to-provider time, falls prevention).
- Precept students and orient new staff as assigned.
Requirements
Preferred Qualifications
Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) or Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN).
Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) and/or Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC) completion.
Experience with ESI triage in a high-volume emergency department.
Charge nurse, preceptor, or committee leadership experience.
Proficiency with Epic ASAP.
Required Qualifications
- Current, unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license in Colorado or a Nurse Licensure Compact state.
- Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) required; Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) strongly preferred.
- Minimum 2 years of recent acute-care nursing experience; at least 1 year of emergency department experience strongly preferred.
- Basic Life Support (BLS) certification — American Heart Association.
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification, current or obtained within 90 days of hire.
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification, current or obtained within 6 months of hire.
- Demonstrated competence in IV access, medication administration, and cardiac monitoring.
Benefits
What We Offer
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage from day one.
- 403(b) retirement plan with employer match.
- Tuition reimbursement and paid certification renewals (CEN, TNCC, ACLS, PALS).
- Structured ED fellowship and preceptorship program for nurses transitioning into emergency care.
- Self-scheduling within unit guidelines and generous PTO accrual.