Job Summary/Overall Objectives

Responsible for pacemaker/ICD transtelephonic checks and more advanced pacer/ICD interrogations.

Essential Job Functions 

• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending education workshops, review professional publications, establish personal networks, and participate in professional societies.
• Assure quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards, measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards, making or recommending necessary adjustments, and following system/hospital and nursing division's philosophies and standards of care set by state board of nursing, state nurse practice act, and other governing agency regulations.
• Protect patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
• Document patient care services by charting in patient and department records.
• Maintain continuity among nursing teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs using Nurse Knowledge Exchange techniques.
• Maintain patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
• Identify patient care requirements by establishing personal rapport with potential and actual patients, and other persons in a position to understand care requirements.
• Establish a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.
• Promote patient's independence by establishing patient care goals, teaching patient/family to understand condition, medications, and self-care skills, and answering questions.
• Maintain safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules and regulations; calling for assistance from health care support personnel.
• Resolve patient problems and needs by utilizing multidisciplinary team strategies.
• Maintain a cooperative relationship among health care teams by communicating information, responding to requests, building rapport, and participating in team continuous quality improvement and problem-solving methods.
• Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
• Ensure operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements by following manufacturer's instructions, troubleshooting malfunctions, calling for repairs, maintaining equipment inventories, and evaluating new equipment and techniques.
• Maintain nursing supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level, anticipating needed supplies, placing and expediting orders for supplies, verifying receipt of supplies, and using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results.
• Maintains a sufficient level of supplies in the department.
• Maintains record of services provided for verification and statistical purposes.
• Cleans and assures proper maintenance of all equipment.
• Performs all clerical function related to running Device Clinic including answering and making phone calls, getting reports out on time, posting charges, copying and filing.
• Performs non-invasive diagnostic testing which produces electrocardiographic tracings, to provide data to the physician to aid in the proper diagnosis and treatment of heart disorders. These tests include, but are not limited to cardiac stress tests, nuclear stress tests and stress echoes.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Specialty Functions:

• Performs transtelephonic pacemaker checks.
  • Calls on scheduled time and is courteous.
  • Gives instructions well and handles the technical aspects of receiving the transmission.
  • Performs the clerical functions of distributing reports, filing after physician signature and billing.
• Performs pacer/ICD interrogations in the clinic and at bedside when ordered.
  • Introduces self to patient and explains the test.
  • Asks patient to state their name and date of birth and confirms by bracelet and requisition that this is the patient to receive the intended test.
  • Satisfactorily performs all technical aspects of the exam for all vendor types.
  • Works well with vendor reps and physicians gathering all the needed information for a thorough assessment of pacer/ICD function.
• Instructs patient and family in post implant care, need for telephone checks and clinic visit based on the type of device and manufacture's recommendations.
  • Instructs patient and family providing written, person to person and video instruction when possible.
  • Documents instruction given in the medical record.

Competency and Experience [Knowledge, Skills and Abilities]

Required Qualifications/Experience

• Graduate of an accredited Nursing Program required.

• One (1) year of cardiac device experience.
• Strong leadership ability, good organizational skills, independent and critical thinking skills, sound judgment, and knowledge of legal aspects and liability of nursing practice.
• Strong ability to communicate complex and/or controversial topics and concepts to a wide and diverse audience.

• Basic working knowledge of computers and office equipment.

Preferred Qualifications/Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing preferred.

License, Certification & Clearances

• Current licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Pennsylvania required.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) approved curriculum of the American Heart Association (CPR and AED) program required.

• Current ACLS or completion within six (6) months of hire/transfer into department.
• A Nursing refresher course may be required if employee hasn’t worked in an acute care setting for most recent three consecutive years of professional employment.
• Act 33 with renewal.
• Act 34 with renewal.
• Act 73 FBI Clearance with renewal.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities, but may serve as a coach and mentor for other positions in the department.

Work Environment

• [the work environment; temperature, noise level, inside or outside, or other factors that will affect the person's working conditions while performing the job]

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Incumbent will be scheduled based on operational need (rotate shifts, standby, on-call, etc.).
• Travel may be expected locally between System locations.

Physical Demands/Requirements

• [The physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting and driving]

Equal Employment Opportunity

Independence Health and its affiliated companies are Equal Opportunity Employers. It is their policy to prohibit discrimination of any type and to afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, or genetic information, or any other classification protected by law. Independence Health and its affiliated companies will comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

Disclaimer

This job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Moreover, duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Work Environment:

Effective March 2020 or during pandemic: goggles, face shield and mask are required according to CDC guidelines

Physical Demands

When lift requirement is in excess of 50#, lift assistance (2 person) and/or transfer device is required.