Registered Nurse for Inpatient Geri/Psych Unit- (72 hours per period)

Summary

Executes comprehensive nursing care activities and provides nursing staff leadership. Assesses patient's needs, plans and implements patient care, evaluates patient responses to treatment. Directs and supervises the delivery of nursing care by other members of the team.

Job Duties

Effectively Utilize Nursing Process:

• Demonstrates effective interviewing and assessment skills.
• Integrates new or current techniques to obtain physical/psycho-social information from the patient/family to plan, implement and evaluate patient care through the nursing process.
• Initiates and maintains patient care plan to reflect current patient needs utilizing computerized documentation.

Safety Awareness:

• Uses protective clothing/gear as necessary.
• Reports safety hazards.
• Cleans equipment, spills, etc. as necessary.
• Keeps work area clean and neat.
• Consumes food and drink in designated areas only.
• Reports accidents or incidents promptly.

Quality Work:

• Works to reduce errors regularly.
• Asks questions when need arises.
• Sets and meets individual/professional goals.
• Errors in documentation are minimal.
• Always completes all documentation in full.
• Performs with minimal supervision.
• Exercises good judgment.
• Uses work hours efficiently, minimizes overtime.
• Demonstrates willingness to work extra shifts when needed.
• Assists team members when requested and time allows

Initiative:

• Completes duties assigned without hesitation in a timely manner.
• Accepts direction well.
• Works independently as position requires.
• Demonstrates a willingness to train new staff.

Customer Service:

• Is courteous and friendly, uses a quiet, respectful tone of voice when speaking with patients, visitors, physicians and others.
• Advocates for customers and families.
• Acknowledges a customer's presence immediately and responds accordingly.
• Anticipates customers' needs.

Nursing Process/Patient Care:

• Assess the patient on admission and formulates a plan of care derived from a comprehensive physical-psychosocial assessment.
• Serves as the primary nursing care coordinator for assigned patients.
• Develops comprehensive nursing care plans which take the patient's total needs to account, utilizes assessment data and integrates the medical care plan.
• Plans, implements, and coordinates nursing care activities for assigned patients.
• Participates in multidisciplinary treatment staffing. Participates in the development of treatment plans.
• Performs treatment interventions requiring a physician's order and registered nurses' licensure for administration, i.e., medication administration, medical treatments.
• Interprets the nursing and treatment needs of the patient to non-professional staff members assigned to the patient.
• Participates in individual, group, and family psychotherapy and educational seminars, as appropriate.
• Evaluates the appropriateness and quality of nursing care in a continuous fashion.
• Provides comprehensive patient and family health education.
• Monitors and enforces utilization of proper nursing techniques and procedures.
• Enacts the counseling role of the nurse.
• Attends multi-disciplinary treatment staffing's.
• Attends monthly department meetings, 50% are required. All meetings not attended; minutes are consistently read.

Communications/Documentation:

• Identifies needs, instructs others, and actively supports the role of patient advocate/liaison by communication and documentation of patient information to the proper resources/agencies.
• Listens carefully without interrupting, gives others full attention.
• Always communicates with co-workers in a professional manner.
• Accepts and transcribes verbal and written physician orders and incorporates them into the treatment plan.
• Documents continuous assessment, interventions, and evaluations relative to patient progress in the EMR and approved paper tools.
• Participates in the conversion of telephone assessments into assessment appointments or admissions.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Employee will comply with all Mille Lacs Health System (MLHS) policies, including safety policies, procedures, and rules. All will be expected to report unsafe conditions to a member of management.

Required Education and Experience

• Graduate of an accredited school of nursing
• Current, unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of Minnesota
• Successful completion of a criminal background check as required by the State of Minnesota

• Excellent communication skills across disciplines and at various levels.
• Ability to work in a team setting.
• Possession of attention to detail, organization, and prioritization skills.
• Computer skills including Word.

Certifications

• Required at Hire:

• • Basic Life Support (BLS)

Preferred Education and Experience

• Prefer minimum of one year's experience in nursing in mental health.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• Professional written and verbal communication
• Expertise with computer-based data

• Customer/Client Focus
• Ethical Conduct
• Flexibility
• Initiative
• Personal Effectiveness/Credibility
• Stress Management/Composure
• Teamwork Orientation
• Technical Capacity
• Thoroughness
• Time Management

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a position in a health care facility open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Rotating shifts as well as holiday and work during inclement weather will be required.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has supervisory responsibilities over NAR's and other non-licensed personnel during shift assigned. Is assigned Charge Nurse responsibilities by the DON.