Clinical Resource Nurse

Clinical Resource Nurse

Tufts Medical Center is a world-renowned academic medical center that has been caring for patients across New England for more than 200 years. As the principal teaching hospital of Tufts University School of Medicine and a nationally respected research institution, we are known for delivering groundbreaking, patient-centered care across more than 100 specialties and services, from primary care to our Level I Trauma Center to the region’s leading heart transplant program. 

Nurses are at the heart of that mission. 

As a Magnet® designated organization, Tufts Medical Center offers nurses the opportunity to practice at the highest level grounded in teamwork, clinical inquiry, and a culture of continuous improvement. We are committed to advancing nursing through evidence-based care, shared decision-making, and strong interdisciplinary collaboration. 

Schedule: 36 hours, Day/Night rotating shifts

Job Overview 

Under the direction of the Clinical Nursing Director, the Clinical Resource Nurse Specialist (CRN-S) is responsible for upholding and driving the standard of practice within the medical center as set forth by national and professional organizations, and the most current evidence-guided practice. This role is responsible for fostering a culture of support and safety for the front-line teams through rounding, debriefing, education, and responding to consults and medical emergencies throughout the medical center. The CRN-S is autonomous, self-driven, and serves as a general resource throughout all adult nursing departments and across all shifts. They are experts on policies and procedures, as well as house-wide patient care equipment. They also serve as an advisor a nurse can consult with over a specific patient nursing assessment and plan, and they are clinical experts in the management of critically ill unstable patients. The overall goal of this role is to improve patient outcomes, communication, morale, camaraderie, job satisfaction, and to provide support to staff. The CRN-S communicates regularly with nurses, physicians, managers, pharmacy, respiratory, and personnel from various departments. They are a leader within the nursing department who provides direction and guides priorities for patient care. 

Job Description 

Minimum Qualifications: 

1. Bachelor’s degree in Nursing (BSN). 

2. Registered Nurse (RN) license. 

3. Basic Life Support (BLS) certification 

4. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification. 

5. Three (3) years of experience in critical care nursing. 

6. Certifications (i.e. ACLS, PALS) relevant to the department and type of care being provided may be required.

Preferred Qualifications: 

1. Master’s degree in health-related field. 

2. Specialty nursing certifications. 

Duties and Responsibilities: The duties and responsibilities listed below are intended to describe the general nature of work and are not intended to be an all-inclusive list.  Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned. 

1. Demonstrates clinical expertise, integrating nursing theory and practice.  Employs evidence-based practice in decision-making and patient care. 

2. Interacts with staff nurses for the purpose of assessing the care provided and the nurses' capabilities to provide care in changing circumstances. 

3. Uses clinical skills to provide ongoing assessment and evaluation of nursing care. 

4. Coordinates and directs patient care to ensure patients' needs are met and hospital policy is followed. 

5. Analyzes early warning score report and evaluates patients accordingly. 

6. Collaborates with members of the health care team related to patient plan of care 

7. Responds to hospital-wide medical emergencies & demonstrates ability to practice in variety of patient care areas and settings. 

8. Assists in care of high-acuity patients (may include tasks such as travel assistance, administering moderate sedation, lab draws/IV placements, nasogastric tube placements, ABGs, etc). 

9. Manages the critical ill unstable patient on the general floor, and assists in transfer to higher level of care. 

10. Develop/maintain/communicate updated nursing policies. 

11. Utilizes the nursing process for the delivery and management of patient's care across the continuum of care appropriate to the developmental age of the patient population. 

12. Demonstrates the ability to be flexible, organized and function well under stressful situations. 

13. Provide and facilitates peer feedback to advance nurses, Clinical Care Technicians (CCTs) and Unit Coordinators (UCs) knowledge, skill and practice. 

14. Supports the ongoing development of staff through coaching, mentoring and role modeling. 

15. Embraces multiple techniques to facilitate learning such as of simulation, case studies and debriefing. 

16. Collaborates with other members of leadership team in providing appropriate educational opportunities for licensed and unlicensed personnel. 

17. Provides in-services/educational opportunities such as but not limited to: Functions as a super-user for new equipment, therapies and information systems; Evidence based practice; and or Quality, safety and regulatory readiness 

18. Provides real time/ bedside demonstration and fostering just-in-time education. 

19. Supports orientation and acclimation of new staff. 

20. Collaborates with unit leadership for feedback of staff development and participates in needs assessment and planning as needed. 

21. Communicates and consistently supports the philosophy and goals of the medical center. 

22. Supports professional governance. 

23. Guides and mentors staff in career development and advancement. 

24. Enhances own professional growth and development through participation in educational programs, keeping current with literature, in-service meetings, and workshops. 

25. In collaboration with the interdisciplinary team: Ensures excellence in outcomes for all quality, safety, patient experience metrics and regulatory requirements; Participates in the identification of patient safety issues and highlights these to the Nursing Leadership Team; Leads and ensures completion of debriefing for medical emergencies, and events such as falls; Provides advisement for data collection methods for quality indicators; and Seeks out opportunities to enhance patient outcomes in concert with the goals of the Medical Center. 

Physical Requirements:  

1. Prolonged, extensive, or considerable standing and walking. 

2. Lifts, positions, pushes and / or transfers patients. 

3. Considerable reaching, stooping, bending, kneeling, crouching. 

4. Regularly exposed to the risk of blood borne diseases. 

5. Contact with patients under wide variety of circumstances. 

6. Subject to varying and unpredictable situations. 

7. Handles emergency and crisis situations. 

Skills & Abilities: 

1. Clinical reasoning, which includes clinical decision-making, critical thinking, and a global grasp of the situation, coupled with nursing skills acquired through a process of integrating formal and experiential knowledge. 

2. Ability to facilitate patient, family and staff learning across the care continuum.  Contributes to a learning environment characterized by safe discourse, mentoring and team development. 

3. Demonstrated leadership abilities; able to work under stressful situations; possesses good oral and written communication skills and is able to effectively work in a changing environment. 

4. Ability to effectively communicate with patients, families, physicians, and healthcare team 

5. Excels at demonstrating the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care to patients in the relevant area of nursing practice 

6. Ability to be flexible, organized and function well under stressful situations.  

7. Excels in demonstrating the knowledge and skills necessary to care for patients in the relevant area of nursing practice.