Registered Nurse

Job Summary

The Pediatric Registered Nurse performs the primary functions of a Registered Nurse in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating the care of all assigned patients in the unit during his/her shift. They are responsible for meeting the established standards of nursing practice for managing all assigned personnel, supplies and equipment on the unit, and for promoting teamwork with physicians and personnel of other departments.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities Performed

Every effort has been made to make your job description as complete as possible. However, it in no way states or implies that these are the only duties you will be required to perform. The omission of specific statement of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, or related, or is a logical assignment to the position. Plans patient care needs using an interdisciplinary approach. Follows shift specific responsibilities.

Responsibility

• Demonstrates ability to plan, organize, and prioritize nursing care effectively
• Check assignment sheet at the beginning and end of each shift.
• Complies with hospital policies related to absences and punctuality, appropriate appearance, neatness and cleanliness.
• Observes and respects confidentiality of information regarding patients, physicians and fellow employees.
• Attends 30 hours of continuing education every two years.
• Receive report from off-going nurse. Report exchange includes walking rounds, Kardex review, new order review, and skin and change of condition alerts. Receives a report from off-going nurse and provides a report to the oncoming nurse including patients problems, patients progress or status, and tasks not completed.
• Do initial total body assessment on each patient.
• Administer all medication and treatments as prescribed by physician and document patients response to medication and treatments. Be able to relate appropriate information concerning a patients condition.
• Reports pertinent changes in patient condition to the charge nurse and physician in a timely manner.
• Implement individualized nursing actions/interventions consistent with the patient care plan actions (i.e. principles of safe practice and infection control in conjunction with hospital policy and procedure and OSHA guidelines), while actively involving the patients family
• Made sure there is enough medication for incoming shift and the next day.
• Notify Charge Nurse when you request medication refills.
• Notify Supervisor, physician, and responsible party of any changes in patients condition.
• Document in patients chart every 2 hours or more often if necessary. Complete all documentation such as Nursing Flow Sheets, Weekly Summaries, and Care Plans.
• Demonstrate clinical competency in nursing care to technically dependent children (i.e. children with tracheotomies, G-tubes, and J-tubes)
• Count all narcotics/controlled substances at the beginning and end of each shift.
• Complete verbal and written overview report with Charge Nurse
• Prepares and administers medications and flushes via peripheral and central IV lines. Perform peripheral line and central IV-line care per protocol, including Hickmans Groshongs, Medi-port, Passport, epidurals, etc.
• Check availability of all scheduled IV medications in refrigerator in IV room.
• Check all infusing IVs for redness, swelling, tenderness every 2 hours and report appropriately. Must complete IV documentation of nursing flow sheet.
• Must have working knowledge of IV pump.
• Must be able to independent decisions when circumstances warrant such action.
• Possess the ability to deal tactfully with personnel, residents family members, and visitors to facility.
• Knowledgeable to nursing and medical practices and procedures as well as laws, regulations, guidelines that pertain to long term care.
• Possess leadership and supervisory ability and willingness to work harmoniously with professional and non-professional personnel.
• Possess the ability to plan, organize, develop, implement, and interpret the programs, goals, objectives, policies, and procedures that are necessary for quality care.
• Must have patience, tact, a cheerful disposition, and enthusiasm as well as a willingness to handle difficult patients.
• Must be willing to seek out new methods and principles and be willing to incorporate them into existing practices. Participates in implementing planned departmental changes and activities to improve nursing services.
• Maintains awareness of own limitations regarding the scope of practice and hospital policies.
• Assesses the delivery of nursing care on the unit, identifies areas for improvement, and plans ways to problem solve in collaboration with the Chief of Nursing Officer
• Holds oneself accountable for the delivery of quality patient care including nursing assessment and evaluation and providing respiratory care in the absence of the respiratory therapist to include respiratory treatments, O2 delivery, and vent checks.
• Promotes harmonious relationships and favorable attitudes among the healthcare team
• Supports and adheres to administrative and nursing department policies and procedures
• Acts rapidly and effectively, manages self, patient. and other employees during any emergency situations.
• Intervenes accurately, completely, and timely according to the prescribed medical regimen to the current scientific knowledge and nursing standards.
• Maintains clean and organized unit and restocks supplies as necessary.
• Attends unit staff meetings and mandatory in-services and reviews memorandums and communications as written and posted.
• Participates in monitoring and evaluating activities for unit performance improvement program.
• Tailors delivery of care therapy in a manner appropriate to the patients age and/or developmental stage by:

• Determining the patients age and developmental stage.
• Assessing the patients physical developments, nutritional needs, psychosocial needs, educational needs and/or safety needs as necessary.
• Providing equipment and environmental surroundings appropriate to the age.
• Providing health care education/instruction, physical therapy, medication administration, pain management therapies and/or respiratory therapies appropriate to the age.
• Attending in-services on age/developmental considerations as offered.
• Attends work on a regular and reliable basis

Minimum Qualifications

Formal Education/Training/Certification Upon Hiring

• Graduate from an accredited school of nursing with current licensure as a Registered Nurse in the state of California.
• Minimum 1-year experience in pediatric nursing or acceptable equivalent.
• Must be BLS and PALS certified.
• Proof of a minimum of six months experience of providing care to the types of pediatric subacute patients with technology dependency within the past two years upon hire; OR Proof of completion of at least 15 continuing education units specific to the provision of care to the critically ill child within a year of hire.
• Must be able to read, write, speak and understand the English language

Job Related Experience and Skills

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general nursing periodicals, professional journals, and technical procedures.
• Ability to properly document patient charts and records and procedure manuals.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from physicians, patients, managers, clients, and family members/significant others.
• Ability to calculate drug dosages utilizing formulas and mechanical drug infusion devices by applying concepts of basic algebra and geometry
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form.

Physical Requirements

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
• The employee frequently is required to walk.
• The employee is frequently required to sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel or crouch.
• The employee must be able to move intermittently throughout the workday.
• The employee must be in good health and demonstrate emotional stability so that they are able to cope with mental and emotional stress of the position.
• The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 lbs.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Employee must be able to assist in evacuation of children during emergency situations.

Work Environment

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and is occasionally exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of radiation and vibration.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• The employee must be able to work near other co-employees and concentrate efforts on tasks despite noise, interruptions and general commotion.