Registered Nurse ICU Unit (Burn Center)

CentralCare is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Registered Nurse to provide full-time services at Brook Army Medical Center in the ICU Unit (Burn Center) in San Antonio, TX. This is a great opportunity for a Registered Nurse to support our military and their families as federal civilian contractors!

ICU (Burn Center) Registered Nurse Details:

Pay $50/hr. + differentials + $5.09/hour Health and Welfare

Paid Time Off (PTO): 80 hours accrued annually

Holidays: 11 paid federal holidays per year

INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (Burn Center)

Degree/Education:

• Degree/Education: Associate Degree or Baccalaureate Degree. Registered Nurses shall be a graduate of an Associate Degree or Baccalaureate Degree program from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). A copy of the college transcript and diploma shall be submitted.

• Certifications in addition to Basic Life Support: All HCWs shall maintain current certification in a basic provider cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) course through the American Heart Association (AHA), Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) from the American Red Cross (ARC). Web-based classes do not meet the MTF standards.

• Experience: A minimum of one year experience in the ICU.

• Board Certification: None

• Licensure: Current, full, active, and unrestrictive license to practice as a Registered Nurse. Possess and maintain a current active valid unrestricted registered nurse license in at least one U.S. state, District of Columbia, Commonwealth, territory or jurisdiction. All licenses shall be unencumbered and remain in effect during employment. The contractor shall provide the COR prime source verification of the nursing license, documentation shall include state, license number, expiration date, method of verification and names of verifying official.

SPECIALITY REQUIREMENTS:

• All personnel performing under this contract action shall remain employees of the Contractor, but shall perform services under the technical supervision of the Chief of the Department or their Government representative. Neither military (active or reserve) nor Government civilian personnel shall be employed to perform services under this contract action. The MTF Commander, Deputy Commander for Nursing, and Chief of Inpatient Services reserves the right to refuse the services of contract staff based on the lack of certification, credentials, licensure, or background checks.

Job Responsibilities.

• Contract nurses providing services under this contract shall perform the same clinical duties as those required of any military or government civil service nurse of similar experience assigned to the same unit. Contract individuals must be designated by BAMC, Department or Nursing Service personnel to provide charge nurse responsibilities, team lead, provide orientation, and other activities as deemed appropriate. All nurses may be rotated throughout BAMC's clinical areas however they will not be required to work outside their scope of practice.

• Performs critical care duties, to include: assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating age-specific nursing care across all ages. Demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the interrelationship of body systems in maintaining and restoring health. The ICU nurse shall provide labor intensive care to a variety of patients with numerous complex medical and surgical pathologies. Clinical documentation according to standard operating procedures including obtaining patient history pertinent family history and advanced medical directive information. Observes, assesses, and records symptoms, reactions, and progress; assist physicians during treatments and examinations; administered medication; administer prescribed treatments, completes admissions and discharges, and promotes convalescence and rehabilitation. RNs are responsible for monitoring and interpretation of collected data by the LVN’s and unlicensed assisted personnel, informing the medical staff as appropriate.

• Functions as a patient advocate. Assesses patient/ family knowledge level, develops and implements a plan of instruction and documents demonstrated level of understanding. Assessment plans will be targeted at age specific needs. Each nurse will manually and/ or electronically document all patient care given and the progress of the patient utilizing the Department of Nursing documentation standards in the patient’s medical record.

• Manages patients requiring hemodynamic monitoring, titration of vasopressor drugs, and a wide range of procedures where there is high risk for infection such as pulmonary artery catheters, arterial lines, central iv lines, external ventricle drainage devices, chest tubes, internal feeding tubes, endotracheal tubes and mechanically life support equipment.

• Communicates pertinent information to the charge nurse and/ or physician as appropriate. The RN verifies transcription of physician orders. The RN assesses the patient and plans for appropriate nursing care. The care provide is documented in the patient’s medical record along with their progress. RNs also develop and manage nursing care plans; instruct patients and their families in proper care; and help individuals and groups take steps to improve or maintain their health.

• Medications will be administered using the “five rights” and medications shall be administered within the scope of nursing practice and include intravenous, subcutaneous, oral, transdermal, rectal and intramuscular. Uses current resources to research medications prior to appropriate documented education in cancer chemotherapeutic drugs and administration.

• Assesses patient’s condition for potential or life-threatening crises and can distinguish between normal and admiral physical findings; initiates life saving measures in the absence of a physician. Knowledgeable of the pharmacology of the most commonly used emergency drugs, anticipate results, usual dosages, and their location on crash cart.

• Operates emergency equipment including, but not limited to, defibrillator, EKG machine, cardiac monitor and other equipment determined by MTF, unit and position. Depending on position and protocol, may serve as a member of Rapid Response Team or emergency code team.

• Manages and ensures proper procedures are followed with the tissue/skin bank and organ donor bank.

• Assist with management and/ or performs invasive procedures depending on scope of practice, such as pulmonary arterial catheter insertion, balloon pump management, temporary pacemaker insertion, arterial punctures, endotracheal intubations, and other invasive procedures.

• Performs a vast array of direct patient care procedures to include but not limited to range of motion exercises, lifting, turning, transporting and positioning patients, personal hygiene care, changing linen and clothing and feeding patients.

• Manages care of patients for a wide range of procedures of an advanced nature and difficulty where there is a high risk for infection and bodily functions are mechanically assisted by life support equipment.

• Registered nurses shall provide professional oversight for licensed practical nurses and unlicensed ancillary personnel. Plans and implements care with the collaboration of other healthcare providers. Calls report to the appropriate unit/ward ad provides pertinent data such as surgical procedures performed, patient problems, nursing diagnosis and actions, patient response, specialized care and equipment necessary to support the patient.

• Perform duties in accordance with established infection control protocols.

• Responsible for quality assurance/ risk management and responds to breaches of standard procedures which compromise the patient or staff members. May also serve as a project officer for select committees and participate in research projects that are consultative in nature and involve shared information or data gathering for new or existing technologies.

• Nurses who will assist in providing conscious sedation must have conscious sedation training provided at prior to providing conscious sedation.

• Registered Nurses shall utilize comprehensive knowledge of workload requirements in conjunction with knowledge of the composition and capabilities of assigned staff to distribute/ redistribute personnel resources in response to unforeseen patient care needs. Attends and participates in patient nursing reports, patient care conferenced, team/unit/clinic conferenced, discharge planning, and staff conferences as deemed appropriate by administrative officials. Participates in discharge planning as appropriate and convenes multidisciplinary patient care conferences to address complex medical nursing care needs.

• Demonstrates the ability to manage interpersonal relationships and maintains composure and reacts appropriately while relating to patients and families; manages distraught, irritable, unreasonable or angry individuals; and maintains positive rapport with all individuals involved in patient care.

• Demonstrates the ability to react with alertness and skill in any emergency situation, e.g. cardiac or respirator arrest, hemorrhage, shock, sever physical trauma and psychiatric reaction. Initiate life saving measures in the absence of a physician. Depending on position and protocol may serve as a member of the resuscitation or emergency code team.

• Assesses patient’s conditions for potential or life-threatening crises and can distinguish between normal and abnormal physical findings; initiates life saving measures in the absence of a physician. Knowledgeable of the pharmacology of most commonly used emergency drugs, anticipated results, usual doses, and their location on crash cart. Operates emergency equipment; defibrillator, EKG machine, cardiac monitor and other equipment as determined by MTF, unit and position.

• Performs other duties as assigned and in accordance with this PWS.

Staffing and Scheduling:

The schedule or scheduling process is as follows:

Work Schedule: Intensive Care (Burn Center) RNs: Normal duty hours for the positions shall be 0700- 1900, 1900- 0700 Monday thru Sunday to include weekends and holidays. The health care workers shall record the time worked and report time in accordance with MTF policy. Federal holidays are considered work days. Not included in, or billable as work hours are: lunch/ break periods; vacation/sick leave (80 hours); and continuing medical education (CME) training attendance ( up to 40 hours per year per FTE). All leave/ absences during normal work hours will be coordinated with and approved by the MTF Activity/ Department head/ supervisor. This position is mission essential.