RN CASUAL - PRE / POST HEART CENTER

Job Summary 

The RN assesses, plans, implements and evaluates the care for a designated group of patients. The RN coordinates, directs, and actively participates as an effective member of the interdisciplinary health care team, contributing to the efficient operation of the unit and promoting positive patient outcomes. 

Essential Job Functions              

• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending education workshops, review professional publications, establish personal networks, and participate in professional societies.
• Assure quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards, measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards, making or recommending necessary adjustments, and following system/hospital and nursing division's philosophies and standards of care set by state board of nursing, state nurse practice act, and other governing agency regulations.
• Protect patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
• Document patient care services by charting in patient and department records.
• Maintain continuity among nursing teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs using Nurse Knowledge Exchange techniques.
• Maintain patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
• Identify patient care requirements by establishing personal rapport with potential and actual patients, and other persons in a position to understand care requirements.
• Establish a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.
• Promote patient's independence by establishing patient care goals, teaching patient/family to understand condition, medications, and self-care skills, and answering questions.
• Maintain safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules and regulations; calling for assistance from health care support personnel.
• Resolve patient problems and needs by utilizing multidisciplinary team strategies.
• Maintain a cooperative relationship among health care teams by communicating information, responding to requests, building rapport, and participating in team continuous quality improvement and problem-solving methods.
• Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
• Ensure operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements by following manufacturer's instructions, troubleshooting malfunctions, calling for repairs, maintaining equipment inventories, and evaluating new equipment and techniques.
• Maintain nursing supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level, anticipating needed supplies, placing and expediting orders for supplies, verifying receipt of supplies, and using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results.

Specialty Job Functions

• Participates in initiatives to enhance the quality of patient care and customer service
  • Collects and documents pertinent information for ACC and STS national databases, core measure bench marking, quality assessment, including appropriate follow up contact.
  • Recognizes and reports unfavorable trends in outcomes and/or patient care processes.
  • Recognizes and reports impedances to favorable workflow and patient care processes.
• Demonstrates knowledge of advanced cardiac /radiology diagnostic/interventional pre/post procedural care nurse responsibilities
  • Completes initial pre/post assessment as defined by departmental policy. Ensures appropriate patient preparedness for procedure.
  • Functions independently in RN role for diagnostic cardiology procedures: TEE, cardioversion, pharmacological assisted ECHO, tilt table testing and stress testing.
  • Maintains strong clinical assessment skills in relation to post procedure complication recognition and appropriate treatment regimen.
  • Maintains skills required for arterial and venous site maintenance and care including sheath removal techniques and hematoma prevention / treatment and bleeding management.
  • Possesses the knowledge of hemodynamic assessment skills including blood pressure variations, right heart pressures, ejection fractions and IABP management.
  • Maintains knowledge and skills required for critically ill and ventilator assisted patients.
• Achieves and maintains expertise and knowledge of current treatment of cardiac and peripheral vascular disease.
  • Maintains the ability to function as a team member and adapt to the changing needs of the CCVM team.
  • Assures proficiency in new technology, equipment and supplies to ensure patient safety.
• Pursues self-development.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications 

• Graduate of an accredited Nursing Program required.

• One (1) year experience in critical care, cardiac cath lab or PCU/cardiac step-down unit.
• Strong leadership ability, good organizational skills, independent and critical thinking skills, sound judgment, and knowledge of legal aspects and liability of nursing practice.
• Strong ability to communicate complex and/or controversial topics and concepts to a wide and diverse audience.

• Basic working knowledge of computers and office equipment.

Preferred Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (BSN) preferred.

License, Certification & Clearances

• Current licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Pennsylvania required.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) approved curriculum of the American Heart Association (CPR and AED) program required.

• PA Act 153 Clearance with renewal (Act 33, Act 34, Act 73 FBI Clearance)
• Current NIH Stroke Scale or completion within six (6) months of hire/transfer into department
• Current ACLS or completion within six (6) months of hire/transfer into department

Supervisory Responsibilities

• This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities, but may serve as a coach and mentor for other positions in the department.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Incumbents will be scheduled based on operational need (rotate shifts, standby, on-call, etc.).
• Travel may be expected locally between Independence Health locations.

 Equal Employment Opportunity

Independence Health and its affiliated companies are Equal Opportunity Employers. It is their policy to prohibit discrimination of any type and to afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, or genetic information, or any other classification protected by law. Independence Health and its affiliated companies will comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

Disclaimer

This job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Moreover, duties, responsibilities and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

• Ability to perform the Essential Functions listed on the Physical Conditions and ability to perform the Essential Functions on the Working Condition chart below.

Work Environment:

Effective March 2020 or during pandemic: goggles, face shield and mask are required according to CDC guidelines

When lift requirement is in excess of 50#, lift assistance (2 person) and/or transfer device is required. Essential – Absolute Necessity. Marginal – Minimal Necessity. Constantly – 5.5 to 8 hours or more or 200 reps/shift. Frequently – 2.5 to 5.5 hours or more or 32-200 reps/shift. Occasionally – 0.25 to 2.5 hours or 2-32 reps/shift. Rarely – Less than 0.25 hours or less than 2 reps/shift.	Physical Condition	Essential	Marginal	Constantly	Frequently	Occasionally	Rarely	Never
	Extreme Heat							x
	Extreme Cold							x
	Heights							x
	Confined Spaces							x
	Extreme Noise(>85dB)							x
	Mechanical Hazards							x
	Use of Vibrating Tools							x
	Operates Vehicle (Company)							x
	Operates Heavy Equipment							x
	Use of Lifting/Transfer Devices	x				x
	Rotates All Shifts	x		x
	8 Hours Shifts	x			x
	10-12 Hours Shifts	x			x
	On-Call	x					x
	Overtime(+8/hrs/shift; 40/hrs/wk)	x				x
	Travel Between Sites							x
	Direct Patient Care	x			x
	Respirator Protective Equipment	x				x
	Eye Protection	x				x
	Head Protection (hard hat)							x
	Hearing Protection							x
	Hand Protection	x			x
	Feet, Toe Protection							x
	Body Protection	x				x
	Latex Exposure		x		x
	Solvent Exposure							x
	Paint (direct use) Exposure							x
	Dust (sanding) Exposure							x
	Ethylene Oxide Exposure							x
	Cytotoxic (Chemo) Exposure		Chemo Units		Chemo Units			X all other
	Blood/Body Fluid Exposure	x				x
	Chemicals (direct use) Exposure	x				x
	Mist Exposure							x
	Wax Stripper (direct use)							x
	Non-Ionizing Radiation Exposure							x
	Ionizing Radiation Exposure							x
	Laser Exposure							x

Physical Demands

When lift requirement is in excess of 50#, lift assistance (2 person) and/or transfer device is required. Essential – Absolute Necessity. Marginal – Minimal Necessity. Constantly – 5.5 to 8 hours or more or 200 reps/shift. Frequently – 2.5 to 5.5 hours or more or 32-200 reps/shift. Occasionally – 0.25 to 2.5 hours or 2-32 reps/shift. Rarely – Less than 0.25 hours or less than 2 reps/shift.	Physical Condition	Essential	Marginal	Constantly	Frequently	Occasionally	Rarely	Never
	Bending (Stooping)	x			x
	Sitting	x				x
	Walking	x			x
	Climbing Stairs		x				x
	Climbing Ladders							x
	Standing	x			x
	Kneeling		x				x
	Squatting (Crouching)	x				x
	Twisting/Turning	x				x
	Keyboard/Computer Operation	x			x
	Gross Grasp	x				x
	Fine Finger Manipulation	x			x
	Hand/Arm Coordination	x				x
	Pushing/Pulling(lbs. of force)	x			10#	50#
	Carry	x				25#
	Transfer/Push/Pull Patients	x			x
	Seeing Near w/Acuity	x		x
	Feeling (Sensation)	x			x
	Color Vision	x				x
	Hearing Clearly	x		x
	Pulling/Pushing Objects Overhead	x					x
	Reaching Above Shoulder Level	x				x
	Reaching Forward	x			x
	Lifting Floor to Knuckle	x					10#
	Lifting Seat Pan to Knuckle	x				50#
	Lifting Knuckle to Shoulder	x					20#
	Lifting Shoulder to Overhead	x					10#

When lift requirement is in excess of 50#, lift assistance (2 person) and/or transfer device is required.