Registered Nurse - Pre-Op/Pacu

Position Summary:

Responsible for the delivery of safe, effective, and quality patient-family centered care in the OR and other areas of perioperative services for all patient populations.

Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions:

• Promotes the mission, vision, and values of the organization.
• Assesses patients at intervals as stated in policies and procedures.
• Develops an individualized perioperative patient plan of care.
• Implements the plan of care by:
  • protecting the patient from injury caused by chemical, electrical, laser, mechanical, and thermal sources and extraneous objects;
  • performing accounting procedures to protect the patient from unintended retained surgical items;
  • performing interventions necessary to ensure that the patients procedure is performed on the correct site, side, and level;
  • managing the patients specimens in the appropriate manner;
  • communicating the patients current status to the appropriate parties throughout the continuum of care;
  • administering medications safely and correctly;
  • performing interventions to maintain the patients wound and tissue perfusion at or above baseline levels;
  • performing interventions to maintain the status of the patients genitourinary, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, endocrine, respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological systems and fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balances at or above baseline levels;
  • performing interventions to ensure the patient is at or returned to normothermia at the conclusion of the immediate postoperative period;
  • performing interventions to protect the patient from surgical site infection;
  • assessing the knowledge level of the patient or designated support person;
  • providing education regarding the expected psychosocial response, nutritional management, medication management, pain management, wound management, and expected responses to the operative or invasive procedure;
  • actively involving the patient or designated support person in decisions affecting his or her perioperative plan of care and the rehabilitation process;
  • protecting the patients rights, dignity, and privacy;
  • providing culturally and age-appropriate, ethical care within legal standards of practice; and
  • providing consistent and comparable care regardless of the setting.
• Evaluates the patients progress toward attaining outcomes.
• Transfers care as appropriate.
• Delegates tasks as appropriate according to the state Nurse Practice Act and job descriptions.
• Documents nursing care accurately, completely, and legibly.
• Collaborates effectively with other disciplines as appropriate.
• Participates in quality review and performance improvement projects.
• Participates in the performance appraisal process.
• Uses problem-solving and conflict resolution skills to foster effective work relationships with team members.
• Maintains required competencies.
• Pursues professional growth and participates in a professional organization.
• Acts as a patient advocate and maintains privacy and confidentiality of all appropriate information.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Graduate from an accredited school of nursing
• Current Registered Nurse licensure in state of employment
• Two years perioperative services experience
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification, depending on patient population
• Basic computer skills (eg, Microsoft Word)

Preferred:

• Bachelors degree in nursing
• Certified Nurse, Operating Room (CNOR) certification

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements:

• Physically demanding, high-stress environment
• Exposure to blood and body fluids, communicable diseases, chemicals, radiation, and repetitive motions
• Pushing and pulling heavy objects
• Full range of body motion including handling and lifting patients
• Manual and finger dexterity
• Hand and eye coordination
• Standing and walking for extensive periods of time
• Lifting and carrying items weighing up to 50 lbs
• Corrected vision and hearing to within normal range
• Working under stressful conditions