Position Summary: The Registered Nurse provides direct patient care and collaborates with patients, families, peers, physicians, and the interdisciplinary healthcare team to deliver quality healthcare services. The nurse assesses patient needs, plans care, implements and evaluates medical and nursing regimens in alignment with nursing philosophy, policies, procedures, and standards. The Registered Nurse demonstrates leadership skills and a commitment to professional accountability and growth.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities Include:
- Understands and adheres to performance standards, policies, and behaviors.
- Provides respectful care that promotes mutual respect, shared decision-making, and informed consent, ensuring patient autonomy and dignity regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, language, or any protected status.
- In Labor & Delivery (L&D), provides respectful birthing care while upholding patient dignity and autonomy.
- Utilizes the nursing process to meet age-specific needs, covering all aspects of care including biophysical, psychosocial, education, safety/environment, and discharge planning.
- Prioritizes and makes informed decisions related to patient care and unit-based issues, taking appropriate actions.
- Administers blood and blood products following established policies.
- Collaborates and communicates effectively with the interdisciplinary healthcare team.
- Integrates patient rights and nursing ethics into daily practice.
- Adheres to infection control standards to minimize the risk of infections to patients and staff.
- Follows the tenets of the Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals.
- Delegates appropriate tasks to ancillary staff in accordance with the State Nurse Practice Act.
- Upholds the ANA Code of Nursing Ethics and adheres to nursing scope and standards of practice.
- Supports, promotes, and practices within the Professional Nursing Practice Model.
- Sustains and advances the Magnet model for nursing excellence.
- Actively participates in performance improvement initiatives.
- Completes required competency assessments and attends mandatory in-services and staff meetings.
- Utilizes cost-effective practices.
- Assumes Charge Nurse responsibilities as needed.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Education & Experience Requirements:
- Graduate from an accredited school of nursing with a current Registered Nurse (RN) license.
- BSN required.
- Knowledge of current nursing, medical, and health trends in patient care.
- One year of acute care nursing experience preferred for areas other than medical-surgical or step-down units.
- BLS certification (through American Heart Association) required.
- ACLS certification (through American Heart Association) required for all RNs, except NICU and OR nurses. Newly hired, inexperienced nurses must obtain this certification within 12 months; experienced nurses must obtain it within 6 months.
- PALS certification (through American Heart Association) required for RNs in specific departments (e.g., PACU, Pediatrics, Emergency, Ambulatory Surgery). New nurses must obtain certification within 12 months (inexperienced) or 6 months (experienced).
- NRP certification required for RNs in Mother-Baby, Labor & Delivery, and NICU, to be obtained within 6 months of hire.
- Oncology nurses must demonstrate either current cancer-specific certification in their specialty or earn 36 cancer-related continuing education nursing contact hours every 3 years.
- RNs in the Emergency Department must complete de-escalation training within 1 year of hire.
- Successful completion of the department and unit orientation program is required.