RN - Emergency Dept. - PRN - Varying

Job Summary

The Emergency Department RN provides direct and indirect patient care in the emergency care setting Provides care that reflects initiative, flexibility and responsibility indicative of professional expectation with minimum supervision. Able to triage every patient that enters the emergency care system safely, rapidly, and accurately. The RN determines priorities of care based on physical and psychosocial needs, as well as factors influencing patient flow through the system. They communicate with Physicians about changes in patient's status, symptomatology, and results of diagnostic studies; they have the ability to respond quickly and accurately to changes in condition or response to treatment.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides direct patient care, evaluates outcomes, consults with other specialists as required and adjusts nursing care processes as indicated to ensure optimal patient care.
• Ability to perform a head-to-toe assessment on all patients and reassessments as per policy. This includes pediatric, adolescent and geriatric patients and the general patient population.
• Uses triage process to ensure timely and appropriate care to patients. Accurately assigns triage categories.
• Ability to adequately assess and reassess pain. Utilizes appropriate pain management techniques. Educates the patient and family regarding pain management.
• Ability to monitor hemodynamic status of patient and correctly interpret the results.
• Demonstrates knowledge of cardiac monitoring, identifies dysrhythmias and treats appropriately.
• Ability to perform waived testing (point-of-care testing) per Clinical Laboratory’s and the patient care unit’s policies and procedures.
• Ability to interpret the results of waived tests; takes appropriate action on waived test results.
• Maintains current knowledge of medications and their correct administration based on age of the patient and his/her clinical condition.
• Follows the seven (7) medication rights and reduces the potential for medication errors.
• Prepares, hangs, monitors and discontinues IV fluids.
• Maintains accurate and continued nursing documentation including patient histories, conditions, treatments, responses and assessment of changes.
• Performs all aspects of patient care in an environment that optimizes patient safety and reduces the likelihood of medical/health care errors.
• Supports and maintains a culture of safety and quality.
• Treats patients and their families with respect and dignity. Identifies and addresses psychosocial, cultural, ethnic and religious/spiritual needs of patients and family. Functions as liaison between administration, patients, physicians and other healthcare providers.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and the skills necessary to provide age appropriate care to the patients served. Able to interpret data about the patient’s status in order to identify each patient’s age specific needs and provide care needed by the patient group.
• Interacts professionally with patient and family and involves patient and family in the formation of the plan of care.
• Formulates a teaching plan based on identified learning needs and evaluates effectiveness of learning; includes family in teaching, as appropriate.
• Maintains established departmental policies and procedures, objectives, performance improvement program, safety, environmental and infection prevention and control standards.
• Maintains a safe, comfortable and therapeutic environment for patients and families in accordance with hospital standards.
• Ensures an adequate stock of supplies and proper functioning of equipment.
• Assists in cost containment through appropriate ordering and conserving of supplies and equipment.
• Cooperates with other staff to achieve departmental objectives, maintain good employee relations and interdepartmental objectives.
• Demonstrates the ability to assist physicians with procedures in the Emergency Department.
• Leads one or more employees performing similar work; supervises temporary employees and employees who do not supervise; trains new employees; allocates and monitors work of others.
• Participates in performance improvement activities.
• Enhances professional growth and development through participation in educational programs, current literature, in-service meetings and workshops; shows responsibility for own professional practice and ongoing education.
• Adheres to dress code, appearance is neat and clean.
• Completes annual education requirements.
• Maintains regulatory requirements.
• Maintains patient confidentiality at all times.
• Completes in-services and returns in a timely fashion.
• Attends annual review and department in-services, as scheduled.
• Actively participates in performance improvement and continuous quality improvement (CQI) activities.
• Complies with all organizational policies regarding ethical business practices.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.