PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Uses standards of medical-surgical nursing practice to increase the quality of care and quality of life for the patient, family, and significant other(s) by systematically evaluating the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice.
• Establishes effective relationships and serves as an advocate with the patient, family, and significant other(s) to facilitate the development of the care plan unique to the patient’s care needs.
• Uses the nursing process to develop and implement the plan of care, collect assessment data for each patient, determine appropriate nursing diagnoses, identify expected patient outcomes, determine the plan of care, implement interventions, and evaluate patient outcomes.
• Develops assessment and management strategies based on a consideration of the physical, functional, cultural, social, economic, developmental, spiritual, vocational, and leisure dimensions of human responses to actual and potential health problems.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the impact of actual or potential illness and each patient’s physical, functional, cultural, social, economic, developmental, spiritual, vocational, and leisure status.
• Utilizes leadership skills by coordinating and collaborating with the patient, family, significant other(s), communities, and members of the inter-professional team in assessing needs, setting goals, planning interventions, providing care, and evaluating outcomes.
• Utilizes effective communication to participate with the patient, family, significant other(s), and other health care providers in collaborative decision making that reflects the understanding that care should be culturally sensitive, ethical, legal, holistic, informed, compassionate, and humane, and within the boundaries of available economic resources.
• Educates the patient, family, and significant other(s) about measures that promote, maintain, and restore health or promote comfort.
• Fosters a healthy work environment within the practice setting and profession by serving as a mentor and role model for nursing colleagues, students, and others.
• Applies the existing body of evidence-based practice and scientific knowledge in health care to medical-surgical nursing practice, ensuring that nursing care is delivered based on patient’s age-specific needs and clinical needs as described in the department's Scope of Service.
• Works in a constant state of alertness and safe manner.
• May perform point of care testing according to policies and procedures.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION

• Graduate of accredited school of nursing

EXPERIENCE

• No experience required

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Constant use of speech to share information through oral communication.
• Constant standing and walking.
• Frequent lifting/carrying and pushing/pulling objects weighing 0-25 lbs.
• Frequent sitting, reaching and keyboard use/data entry.
• Frequent use of vision and depth perception for distances near (20 inches or less) and far (20 feet or more) and to identify and distinguish colors.
• Frequent use of smell to detect/recognize odors.
• Frequent use of hearing to receive oral communication, distinguish body sounds and/or hear alarms, malfunctioning machinery, etc.
• Occasional lifting/carrying and pushing/pulling objects weighing 25-50 lbs.
• Occasional lifting/moving of patients.
• Occasional bending, stooping, kneeling, squatting, twisting, gripping and repetitive foot/leg and hand/arm movements.
• Occasional driving.
• Rare crawling and running.