Registered Nurse-FT-ABQ

Summary:

The registered nurse plans, organizes and directs home care services and is experienced in nursing, with emphasis on community health education/experience. The professional nurse builds from the resources of the community to plan and direct services to meet the needs of individuals and families within their homes and communities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Completes an initial assessment of patient and family to determine home care needs including Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) assessments at appropriate time points. Provides a complete physical assessment and history of current and previous illness(es).
• Regularly re-evaluates patient nursing needs.
• Initiates the plan of care and makes necessary revisions as patient status and needs change.
• Uses health assessment data to determine nursing diagnosis.
• Provides those services and/or treatments requiring substantial and specialized nursing skill.
• Develops a care plan, which establishes goals based on nursing diagnosis and incorporates therapeutic, preventive, and rehabilitative nursing actions. Includes the patient and the family in the planning process.
• Coordinates services provided and makes referrals to other services as needed.
• Initiates appropriate preventive and rehabilitative nursing procedures. Administers medications and treatments as prescribed by the physician.
• Counsels the patient and family in meeting nursing and related needs.
• Provides health care instructions to the patient as appropriate per assessment and plan of care.
• Identifies discharge planning needs as part of the care plan development and implements prior to discharge of the patient.
• Acts as Case Manager when assigned by Regional Clinical Director and assumes responsibility to coordinate patient care for assigned caseload.
• Evaluate outcomes of care.
• Assign home health aide to a specific patient.
• Function as a team member demonstrating collaboration with, and responsibility to patient, physician, and interdisciplinary team.

Communication

• Prepares clinical and progress notes and updates the primary physician when necessary and at least every 60 days.
• Communicates with the physician and other staff regarding the patients needs and reports any changes in the patients condition; obtains/receives physicians orders as required.
• Communicates with community health related persons to coordinate the care plan.

Additional Duties

• Participates in on-call duties as defined by the on-call policy.
• Ensures that arrangements for equipment and other necessary items and services are available.
• Participate in in-service programs.
• Instructs, supervises and evaluates home health aide care provided every two (2) weeks.
• Supervises LPN and paraprofessionals providing services.

Qualifications and Experience

• Graduate of an accredited school of nursing. (Diploma or transcripts to be provided to agency)
• One year nursing experience recommended, experience in home health care recommended.
• Current licensure in state, CPR certification and valid drivers license.
• Responsible for supervising home health aides.
• Excellent observation, verbal and written communication skills, problem solving skills, basic math skills; nursing skills per competency checklist.
• Current health certificate and TB test must be kept on file.
• Valid drivers license, auto insurance, CPR card to be kept on file.
• Criminal background check must be performed before hire.
• Complete and pass skill evaluation test.

Physical demands and work environment: The physical demands and work environment characteristics 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.

• Physical demands: While performing duties of this job, the employee is required to perform job related duties which may require lifting; standing; bending; transferring; stooping; stretching; walking; pushing; pulling; talking; hearing. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Work environment: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the work environment is usually minimal.