Registered Nurse (ASN)

DEPARTMENT: ORTHOPEDICS

FACILITY: Tift Regional Medical Center

WORK TYPE: Full Time

SHIFT: Daytime

SUMMARY:

Registered Nurses provide professional nursing care for assigned patient(s) in one or more patient care departments according to State Board of Nursing Practice Act, standards of practice, and professional performance. They are responsible for assessment, diagnosis, outcomes identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation for patients served. They are an active participant in decisions related to patient care and nursing practice. They serve as educator, colleague, researcher, advocate, and leader. They must demonstrate competency in providing quality care, process improvement, patient and employee safety, collaboration, consultation, and professional development. They lead and assume responsibility for planning, organizing, directing and evaluating patient care rendered by Licensed Practical Nurses, Patient Care Techs, Paramedics (Emergency Department only) and ancillary personnel in accordance with their scope of practice and hospital policies.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Ensures the timely assessment of the health status and needs of assigned patients.
• Completes all documentation prior to shift end.
• Conducts reassessments on assigned patients (and documents) per System policy and when the patient's status changes.
• Initiates orders as incorporated into the plan of care.
• Completes nursing interventions and physician's orders in a timely manner during shift.
• Accurately interprets, requests, and transcribes orders for medications, treatments, procedures, lab work, and other diagnostic procedures and consults.
• Accurately states patient's condition to co-workers at shift report, physician, and to other associates when required, using appropriate hand off method and documents appropriately.
• Follows hospital policies and standards of Nursing Care, Nursing Practice Guidelines
• Oversees all care on assigned patients, and completes bedside shift report in patients room.
• Correctly and accurately recognizes respiratory or cardiac arrest and immediately begins CPR and activates emergency requests for assistance (Rapid Response/Code Blue). Demonstrates efficient, effective, and prompt responses to any unit/patient crisis situation.
• Reviews patient's and/or significant other's knowledge related to patient disease process, cause, preventative measures, and treatment; develops plans for teaching; documents patient's/significant other's response/level of understanding.
• Assumes responsibility and accountability for individualized judgments and actions. Demonstrates dependability and accountability in all assigned tasks.
• Provides service with respect for human dignity and the uniqueness of the patient unrestricted by consideration of socioeconomic status, personal attribute or the nature of health problems.
• Acts to safeguard the patient and the public when health care and safety are affected by the incompetent, unethical or illegal practice of any person.
• Completes Occurrence Reports on any activity deviating from the norm.
• Keeps abreast of pertinent federal, and state regulations and laws and Tift Regional Health System, Inc. ("TRHS") policies as they presently exist and as they change or are modified.
• Understands and adheres to: TRHS' compliance standards as they appear in TRHS's Corporate Compliance Policy, Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Policy; and HIPAA and TRHS policies regarding privacy and security of protected health information.
• Demonstrates the ability to perform tasks that meet the age-specific requirements of the persons, patients, vendors, and staff that the employee is charged to interact with as required by the position.
• Offers suggestions on ways to improve operations of department and reduce costs.
• Attends all mandatory education programs.
• Improves self-knowledge through voluntarily attending continuing education/certification classes.
• Maintains required competency levels as identified in written exams, skills checklists, skills labs, annual safety and health requirements as well as service excellence education hours requirements.
• Cross-trains in order to better assist co-workers and to provide maximum efficiency in the department.
• Volunteers/participates on hospital committees, functions, and department projects.
• Manages resources effectively.
• Reports equipment in need of repair in order to extend life of equipment and removes malfunctioning equipment out of service with timely reporting to the appropriate personnel.
• Makes good use of time so as to not create needless overtime.
• Attends 80% of monthly staff meetings.
• Follows Dress Code specific to Nursing as outlined in the system policy
• Does not use personal devices or cell phones during work hours, only hospital-approved communication devices are approved for use during work hours.
• Transports patients safely as required by the patient's level of care.
• Follows policies related to information release, confidentiality, patient rights, chart access, and advance directives.
• Demonstrates strict adherence to all hospital safety policies, Infection Control policies, restraint policies, fire reporting, drill activities, equipment maintenance and storage.
• Recognizes the healthcare consumer as the authority on their own health by honoring their care preferences. Includes patient, family, and other healthcare providers in collecting and prioritizing PHI.
• Notifies physician of significant changes in patient status, including critical results within timeframe defined by hospital policy.
• Makes patient/family rounds to assist with prioritization and assuring needs met, quality care provided and concerns addressed.
• Advocates for responsible and appropriate use of interventions to minimize unwarranted or unwanted treatment and/or patient suffering.
• Coordinates all facets of care with the patient, family and other appropriate care team members.
• Notifies management/ nursing supervisor of any patient injuries, unresolved complaints, employee injuries or unexpected/ unusual situations, near misses documenting in patient safety and event reporting systems.
• Maintains awareness of current professional trends and procedure/policy changes, which affect the delivery of patient care and unit activities.
• Demonstrates basic competency in the operation of a computer to include the following: Keyboard and Mouse functionality, General knowledge of computer software applications, Management of email including reviewing organizational email at least weekly.
• Demonstrates ability to review computer generated data to understand the patient's condition and monitor outcomes: Reviews trended data for vital signs and pain, Identifies patient primary diagnosis and medical history.
• Conducts rounding to meet patient/patient's family's needs and updates patient communication board during hourly rounding, bedside shift report, and as needed.
• Accepts responsibility to establish and maintain conditions conductive to high quality nursing care.
• Rotates and flexs with a positive attitude to alternate departments as necessary to provide adequate staffing to meet the needs of patient care.
• Advocates for responsible and appropriate use of interventions to minimize unwarranted or unwanted treatment and/or patient suffering.
• Accurately states patient's condition to co-workers at shift report, physician, and to other associates when required, using appropriate hand off method and documents appropriately.
• Evaluates with the Patient the status of goals achievement, reordering priorities and revising plan of care.

EDUCATION:

• Associate's Degree in Nursing

CREDENTIALS:

• REGISTERED NURSE

OTHER INFORMATION:

• Registered Nurse with authorization to practice in the state of Georgia
• Bachelor's degree in nursing preferred

Southwell/Tift Regional Health System, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.