Overview

Nurse (Clinical/Emergency)

Fort Carson, CO: Located just south of Colorado Springs, Ft. Carson combines scenic beauty, pleasant residential areas, and cultural activities to satisfy every taste. It is an unusually well-rounded military community which offers a variety of recreational and cultural opportunities. World-class ski resorts are available within a short 2 1/2 hour drive, golf courses and biking trails are available on the installation as well as in the surrounding community. Numerous colleges and universities are available for continuing education.

(Fort Carson Landscape)

Working for the Department of Defense comes with an abundance of benefits and perks to include competitive compensation packages, paid-time off, medical benefits, student loan repayments, and retirement package with Thrift Savings Plan to include matching employer contributions. For more information, please visit the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/benefits/

Responsibilities

MAJOR DUTIES

Serves as a clinical nurse in the Emergency Department providing the full range of professional nursing care and treatment to a wide variety of patients, from newborn to geriatrics, arriving in critical condition as a result of trauma, suicide attempts, cardiac arrest, respiratory distress, drug overdose, falls, etc. Provides continuous observation and monitoring and must intervene to prevent complications to restore hemodynamic stability within hospital and EMS transport to higher care. Provides coordination and management of patient care to patients and families within a continuum of care. Performs triage within the scope of practice. Delegates patient care activities as appropriate within a care management assignment. Functions within professional and hospital standards. (LPNs and Medics work under the supervision of a Clinical Nurse)Assists the physician in the performance of Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) and other specialized procedures to include insertion of chest drainage tubes, tracheotomies, emergency thoracotomies, gastric lavage, suturing lacerations, etc. Independently recognizes life threatening situations and acts to correct these. Administers oxygen, intravenous fluids, blood transfusions and all types of medications during emergent events to include intravenous, intraosseus, subcutaneous, intramuscular, by mouth and rectal routes. Operates specialized medical equipment such as resuscitators, defibrillators, electrocardiographs, oxygen apparatus, intravenous pumps, rapid intravenous infusers, and infant servo-warmer. Implements physician orders and initiates a nursing plan of care for individual patients. Assesses patient status and documents appropriately. Keeps physician informed of any changes or need for additional treatment. Changes dressings, prep wounds, removes sutures, inserts urinary catheters, inserts oro and nasogastric tubes, and applies splints and dressings. Collects urine, stool, sputum, genital, and blood specimens. Prepares specimens for lab and transports as required. Arranges transfer of patients to appropriate inpatient care areas upon release by physician. Arranges transfer of patients to higher levels of care. Accompanies critical patients as deemed by physician to higher levels of care. Performs nursing skills within a ground ambulance. While accompanying patient on ground ambulance, communicates via radio to higher levels of care. Trained as an ACLS provider, holds primary responsibility for critical patients during transfers within the medical facility.As a Charge Nurse in the Emergency Department, performs a variety of administrative duties and data collection as an extension of and in support of the Clinical Head Nurse. Makes nursing care assignments to various skill levels of professional and ancillary health care personnel. Assigns staff to patient care duties based on patient condition/status, expertise and scope of practice. Monitors and oversees staff performance to ensure work is accomplished in an acceptable, safe, and timely manner. Ensures that patient responses to treatment and medical/surgical emergencies are appropriately documented. Verifies physician orders written during tour of duty. Advises attending physicians of significant changes in patient condition in a timely manner. Responsible for narcotic accountability. Monitors and oversees staff during orientation/preceptorship periods. Responsible for all nursing operations in the Emergency Department in the absence of the Head Nurse. Makes independent triage decisions based on assessment and management skills for all patients entering the Emergency Department.As a staff nurse in the Emergency Department, performs nursing triage within the ambulatory care arena. Makes independent triage decisions based on assessment and management skills for all ambulatory patients seen in the Emergency Center. Screens patient health history, complaints, medications, and identify health related conditions that may impact the patient's health status. Screens patient lab data and notify physician of abnormal results. Performs specific point of use testing consisting of urinalysis, urine HCG, glucometer specimens, and arterial blood gases, documents results, and performs quarterly testing. Ensures authorization for procedures has been appropriately completed and documented. Monitors patients or directs monitoring of patients during and after procedures. Coordinates patient referral to ancillary healthcare, Community Health, Dietary, Social Work. Functions within the scope of practice for a professional Registered Nurse, hospital regulations, and policies. Coordinates patient care activities. Manages patient records. Follows quality improvement and internal control activities for the ambulatory setting to include risk appraisals, chart audits, trend identification and reporting corrective actions. Receives, investigates, and documents on patient complaints pertaining to their shift in the Emergency Department.Utilizes knowledge of professional nursing theories, principles, and procedures in planning, providing, administering, overseeing, and documenting professional patient care, in accordance with nursing standards of practice, licensed independent provider (LIP), and established policies and procedures. Utilizes the nursing process to formulate patient care plans; identifies, documents, and implements nursing care, appropriate to patient care problems. Obtains patient history and completes a full nursing assessment. Identifies and documents the effectiveness of care provided and revises care plan, as needed. Utilizes critical thinking to select the course of action in implementing healthcare provider orders and interpreting their appropriateness to the patient’s present condition. Collaborates with healthcare providers to make changes to nursing care plans. Establishes criteria and evaluates/assesses effectiveness of patient treatment. Interprets and ensures compliance with established policies, procedures, and standards of care and practice. Collects and interprets health information; identifies wellness and risk factors, along with variations from norms, and makes an assessment. Utilizes professional nursing methods and processes to identify and manage immediate health care needs for non-urgent patient problems; recommends self-care, as appropriate, for nursing assessment, and as advised by approved clinical protocols. In the absence of a physician, independently determines and implements proper emergency/lifesaving measures, often identifying and interpreting life threatening conditions; facilitates transfer to the emergency department, as necessary.Sets up, operates, and monitors medical equipment; remains aware of the patient’s condition and takes appropriate action, as needed. Monitors safety hazards, ensuring immediate actions are taken to resolve or correct. Interprets findings and reports to the healthcare provider, those findings which indicate a detrimental variation in the progress of the patient.Instructs patients and family members regarding disease processes and provides emotional support, as needed. Educates and enhances health prevention and promotion to strive for a state of wellness. Serves as facilitator to mediate complaints and concerns of patients, family members, and staff by taking immediate action to resolve or refer to a higher level. Collaborates with an interdisciplinary team to develop strategies to improve patient care services. Collaborates with designated personnel, utilizing a proactive approach to solve problems and develop projects to improve work flow processes. Determines staffing requirements and skill mix. Plans, delegates, and directs nursing care, based on patient care requirements and staff skill levels. Serves as mentor to newly assigned staff, as assigned.

PERFORMS OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

Basic Requirement :Degree: A graduate or higher level degree, bachelor's degree, associate degree, or diploma from an accredited professional nursing educational program is required. This education must have been accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education, or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.).Licensure: A current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a professional nurse from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States; and you must have passed the National Council Licensure Examination.Foreign Degree: A degree from a Foreign Nursing School. Official certification from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools is required for individuals who graduated from foreign nursing schools.