Rn-Surgical Services

Work Schedule:

• Per Diem
• Day Shift, 10 hour shift
• For Information on Employee Benefits and WSNA Contract

Salary Range: $35.83 - $67.91

Other Compensation:

• BSN (or higher) premium - $1.00/hour
• Certification premium - $1.00/hour
• Night Differential - $4.75
• Evening Differential - $3.25
• Weekend Differential - $4.00

Island Health has an exciting opportunity for a Registered Nurse within the Surgical Services team.

Job Purpose:

Within the organization structure of the surgical services department, the Staff Nurse shall administer therapeutic independent nursing care and other related interdependent duties with those of other staff.

Duties:

• Utilizes the nursing process as a basis of care. Acknowledges, coordinates and implements diagnostic and therapeutic orders of each patient. Accountable for administration of, observation, charting and reporting effects of drugs, intravenous procedure, other therapeutic and diagnostic measures in a safe and accurate manner.
• Responsible for appraising cleanliness of room and operational efficiency of equipment, reporting and solving any problems prior to the patient's admission. Identifies patient by name, checks name band and chart. Checks chart for completeness of operative consent forms and reports from ordered diagnostic studies. Informs surgeon and anesthesiologist of any pertinent observations regarding symptoms or reactions.
• Performs pre-op physical assessment according to protocol. Checks chart for completion of consent, history and physical, and reports of ordered diagnostic studies. Takes nursing history in reference to reason for hospitalization, allergies, physical limitations/special considerations influencing positioning and care during surgery. Communicates with appropriate O.R. nurses and anesthesiologist regarding information gathered from patient interviews.
• Operating Room Nurses provide direct and individualized nursing care to patients based on the application of scientific nursing principles. In addition to general nursing care, responsibilities of OR Nurses include (but are not limited to):
• Consults and coordinates with health care team members to assess, plan, implement and evaluate patient care plans
• Conducts pre- and post-operative education
• Serves as the communication liaison to family and members of the operating team
• Takes and monitors patients’ vital signs
• Ensures that operating on correct patient and the correct procedure is being performed
• Provides basic, bedside care
• Prepares and administers (orally, subcutaneously, through an IV) and records prescribed medications. Reports adverse reactions to medications or treatments in accordance with the policy regarding the administration of medications by a licensed registered nurse
• Responds to life-saving situations based upon nursing standards and protocol
• Records all care information concisely, accurately and completely, in a timely manner, in the appropriate format and on the appropriate forms
• Preps operating room for patient/procedure
• Initiates corrective action whenever information from monitoring equipment shows adverse symptomatology
• Monitors patients’ physical and emotional well-being throughout the care continuum
• Initiates patient education plan, as prescribed by physician. Teaches patients and significant others how to manage their post-treatment home care needs, self-administration of medication and rehabilitation
• Performs other position-related duties as assigned, depending on assignment setting

During the surgical procedure, OR Nurses can take the role of:

Circulating Nurse, with the following additional duties:

• Assists in positioning, responding to comfort/safety of patient
• Provides for accurate care and handling of specimens
• Observes and enforces strict standards of asepsis
• Observes, checks and monitors all equipment used during surgery to confirm they are running smoothly
• Handles patient documentation
• Inventories all items both pre- and post-surgery

Scrub Nurse, with the following additional duties:

• Selects and handles instruments and supplies used for the operation, passing them to surgeon
• Inventories all items both pre- and post-surgery
• Depending on setting, may also:
• Direct care provided by surgical technicians and support staff
• Float among various clinical services, where qualified and competent

Other Responsibilities

• Completes required orientation as directed by facility
• Follows facility and OSHA safety rules and procedures while on assignment
• Follows facility Unusual Occurrence Protocol
• Respects cultural and religious practices of patients
• Upholds HIPAA regulations
• Punctual and dependent for assigned/confirmed shifts

Skills/Qualifications:

• Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and can identify each patient's/employee’s requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs.
• Must possess knowledge and skill to care for infants (0-2 years), children (3-12 years), adolescents (13-18 years), adults (19-64 years) and geriatrics (65+ years).
• Must have demonstrated ability to interact positively with Administration, Directors, Managers, Supervisors, peers, co-workers, subordinates, patients and visitors
• Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form. Deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Requirements:

• Graduate of an accredited nursing program.
• Must maintain Registered Nurse license in active status with the WA Department of Health.

• Must maintain active BLS and ACLS certifications, PALS recommended.
• BSN preferred, CNOR certification encouraged.

• Previous inter-operative experience required. Preferably 2 years or more inter-operative experience, although any surgical experience will be taken in to consideration.

Work Environment:

Because patients need round-the-clock care, working hours include days, nights, weekends and holidays (including On-call requirements). The number of patients assigned per shift will vary with schedule and specialty. Nurses spend considerable time walking, bending, stretching and standing; they assist in patient transfers, so they must follow proper body mechanics to guard against injury. OR Nurses may face hazards from exposure to chemicals and infectious diseases; they may be exposed to anesthetic gases, drugs and radiation. The use of disinfecting and sterilizing agents may cause damage to skin and respiratory system.

The work of this position is performed inside, exposing the employee to indoor environmental conditions, protected from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes. The employee may be exposed to dust, pollens, pollutants, fumes, communicable diseases, bodily fluids, toxic substances, ionizing radiation, medicinal preparations and other conditions common a health care environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands:

While performing the responsibilities of this position, the employee is regularly required to stand for extended periods of time; push, pull and reach; occasionally bend, sit, stoop and stretch. The employee will need full range of body motion, including handling and lifting of patients, should have the hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity needed to operate a keyboard, photocopier, telephone, calculator and medical equipment. Normal range of hearing and eyesight to record, prepare and communicate appropriate reports are required; specific vision requirements: close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to focus. Occasionally lift and carry up to 50 pounds.

Salary Range: $35.83 - $67.91 per hour