Registered Nurse

SUMMARY:

This position is primarily responsible for providing general nursing care to patients and will strive to provide these services in a compassionate, professional, ethical, and knowledgeable fashion. The role will include, but is not limited to: the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of the patients’ status, plan of care, and goal achievement. The Registered Nurse understands and is aware of the potential exposure to internal and external hazardous materials including but not limited to: blood and blood borne pathogens, infectious/communicable diseases, noise, excessive physical injury from patients, airborne dusts, fumes, and gases.

Essential Responsibilities:

Under the general direction of the Clinic Manager, the Registered Nurse performs a variety of complex, professional, analytical, and confidential medical services.  Duties include:

• Perform all nursing duties in accordance with the state Nursing Act specific to the state you are working in, while adhering to all facility policies and procedures.
• Monitor patient progress and identifies any changes in status, acting on those changes to insure patient comfort and safety.
• Assist physicians and all healthcare professionals caring for patient, always giving a complete and thorough report on patient status at end of shift/assignment.
• Perform routine nursing care to assigned patients, while utilizing age specific and universal precaution practices at all times.
• Must be able to perform various sensory requirements such as; vision, speech, smell, touch, manual dexterity, fine motor skills, and hearing in order to assess and treat the patient accurately.
• Explains procedures and treatments to patient to gain cooperation, understanding, and allay apprehension.
• Administers prescribed medications and treatments in accordance with approved nursing techniques.
• Prepares equipment and aids Physician during treatment and examination of patient.
• Maintains awareness of comfort and safety needs of patient.
• Observes patient, records significant conditions and reactions, and notifies supervisor or Physician of patient's condition and reaction to drugs, treatments, and significant incidents.
• Takes temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and other vital signs to detect deviations from normal and assess condition of patient.
• Responds to life saving situations based upon nursing standards, policies, procedures, and protocol.
• Documents nursing history and physical assessment for assigned patients.
• Initiates a patient education plan according to the individualized needs of the patient, as prescribed by Physician and/or hospital policy including patient and family instruction.
• Rotates among various clinical services of institution such as obstetrics, surgery, orthopedics, outpatient and admitting, pediatrics, and psychiatry.
• Prepares rooms, sterile instruments, equipment, and supplies for surgery.
• Assists in surgery by handing items to Surgeon, Obstetrician, or other medical practitioner.
• Makes beds, bathes and feeds patients.
• Participates in department or unit quality improvement activities.
• Must be able to work at all applicable locations.
• Availability to work all operational hours as needed.
• Other tasks and projects as assigned by supervisor, manager and/or director.

Secondary Responsibilities

• Attends workshops, training, and meetings as needed, and as requested.
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Competencies:

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

• Analytical - Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Uses intuition and experience to complement data.
• Design - Demonstrates attention to detail.
• Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in-group problem solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Technical Skills - Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; Pursues training and development opportunities; Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; Shares expertise with others.
• Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional patient situations; Responds promptly to patient needs; Responds to requests for service and assistance; Meets commitments.
• Interpersonal Skills - Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming; Maintains confidentiality; Listens to others without interrupting; Keeps emotions under control; Remains open to others' ideas and tries new things.
• Oral Communication - Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Participates in meetings.
• Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; edits work for spelling and grammar; able to read and interpret written information.
• Teamwork - Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed.
• Visionary Leadership - Displays passion and optimism; Inspires respect and trust; Provides vision and inspiration to peers.
• Delegation - Delegates work assignments to Nurse Assistants; Sets expectations and monitors delegated activities.
• Leadership - Exhibits confidence in self and others; Inspires and motivates others to perform well; Effectively influences actions and opinions of others; Accepts feedback from others; Gives appropriate recognition to others.
• Managing People - Includes staff in planning and decision-making of patient care plans; Fosters quality focus in others; Improves processes, products and services.
• Quality Management - Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
• Cost Consciousness - Conserves organizational resources.
• Diversity - Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; promotes a harassment-free environment.
• Ethics - Treats people with respect; Keeps commitments; inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values.
• Organizational Support - Follows policies and procedures; Completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; supports organization's goals and values; Supports affirmative action and respects diversity.
• Judgment - Displays willingness to make decisions; Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision-making process; Makes timely decisions.
• Motivation - Sets and achieves challenging goals; Demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles; Measures self against standard of excellence.
• Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Sets goals and objectives.
• Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments.
• Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Quantity - Meets productivity standards; Completes work in timely manner.
• Safety and Security - Observes safety and security procedures; Determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; Reports potentially unsafe conditions; Uses equipment and materials properly.
• Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Attendance/Punctuality - Is consistently at work and on time; Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; Arrives at meetings and appointments on time.
• Dependability - Follows instructions, responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.
• Initiative - Volunteers readily; Undertakes self-development activities; Seeks increased responsibilities; Takes independent actions; Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; Asks for and offers help when needed.
• Innovation - Displays original thinking and creativity; Meets challenges with resourcefulness; Generates suggestions for improving work; Develops innovative approaches and ideas; Presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others' attention.

Secondary Responsibilities:

• Other duties as assigned.
• Assume general administration duties including fax, filing, copying, etc.
• Attend webinars, workshops, training and/or meetings as requested by the Clinic Manager.
• Perform special project research and data collection activities as requested by the Clinic Manager; analyze and interpret data, and prepare reports.
• Coordinate special staff events, prepares, and distributes promotional flyers for such events. 

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• A high school diploma is required and then a student must complete a two-year practical nursing program. Such training is widely offered at community colleges.
• Licensing Requirements. After further on-the-job experience, students can the take the national certification exam, the NCLEX-PN, and their state’s licensing exam.
• Upon issuance, state licenses are valid for two years (RN license or LPN license).
• Complete at least 400 practical work hours.
• Complete at least 200 practical work hours and 15 hours of approved CEU's.
• Complete 30 hours of approved CEU's.
• Certification is common, and sometimes required, for the four advanced practice-nursing specialties—clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, nurse-midwives, and nurse practitioners. Upon completion of their educational programs, most advanced practice nurses become nationally certified in their area of specialty. Certification also is available in specialty areas for all nurses. In some States, certification in a specialty is required in order to practice that specialty.

Education AND/OR Experience

Fifth year college or university program certificate; or two to four years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Skills and Abilities

Language Skills

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.  Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.  Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the public.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume.  Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Database software; Internet software; Inventory software; Order Processing systems; Spreadsheet software and Word Processing software.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

• Bachelors of science degree in nursing (BSN).
• Master’s degree in nursing (MSN) programs, also are available by combining 1 year of an accelerated BSN program with 2 years of graduate study.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit for extended periods of time; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear; bending, squatting, twisting, or reaching up above the shoulders frequently in a repetitive motion. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. This position utilized a computer keyboard, computer monitor, and telephone for prolonged periods.

Specific vision and hearing abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Working Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Occasional exposure to environmental conditions during outdoor meeting and/or events (ie: heat, rain, wind).
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.

This Job Description is not an employment contract. The company reserves the right to change the job description and the job duties at any time without notice. I certify that I understand the job description, I possess the above qualifications, and that I can perform each of the above functions with or without an accommodation. I have reviewed and received a copy of this job description