Registered Nurse - Infusion- Per Diem

Summary of Position: 

Provides professional nursing care to patients within the Outpatient Infusion Center, utilizing established policies and procedures, ensuring safe and effective care.  Services are provided based on the ages of the population served; Newborn through geriatric - 65 years or older and in collaboration with the multidisciplinary care team. The Infusion Center RN assesses, plans, implements and evaluates care in collaboration with the multidisciplinary care team. Demonstrates the knowledge and skill necessary to identify and meet the individualized needs of all patients served in the Outpatient Infusion Center.  Obtains insurance and medication preauthorization and pre-treatment physician screening appointments as needed.  The scope of care provided in the Outpatient Infusion Center involves the care of patients with various health problems with varied levels of complexity.  Takes an active role in shared governance. 

Qualifications

Education:

• Completion of an accredited Nursing program 

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

Experience:

• One year recent acute care nursing experience preferred

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Knowledge of nursing practices in the Infusion Center Dept

• Highly effective written and verbal communications skills. 

• Proficient computer skills as are required to document, communicate and enter information into the electronic medical records system.

• Must be able to work in a stressful environment and take appropriate action.

• Ability to collaborate with various departments in and outside of the Barton Health System in order to provide consistently exceptional patient care. 

Certifications/Licensure:

• Current California license or ability to obtain prior to start date.

• Current CPR/BLS certification by the American Heart Association (BLS for the Healthcare Provider) or ability to obtain prior to start date.

• Current PEARS certification prior to hire or must enroll and complete the first available Barton University courses or upon completion of orientation

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to walk, stand, sit, and talk or hear. 

• The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms.

• The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

• Lifts, positions, pushes and/or transfer patients.

• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

Working Conditions 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Routine Hospital/Healthcare & Office/Administrative conditions.

• Contact with patients and guests under a wide variety of circumstances.

• Regularly exposed to the risk of bloodborne diseases.

• Exposure to infections and contagious disease.

• Exposed to hazardous anesthetic agents, body fluids and waste.

• Subject to hazards of flammable and explosive gases.

• Subject to varying and unpredictable situations, including the handling of emergency or crisis situations.

• Subject to pressure due to irregular hours, frequent interruptions and stressful situations due to multiple demands.

• Occasional travel to various health system locations. 

 Essential Functions:

1.  Provides consistently exceptional care at all times.

2. Oversees the provision of patient care.  Evaluates outcomes, consults with healthcare team members as required and ensures adjustment of patient care plans to secure optimal care.

3. Ensures that systems assessments are performed at designated and appropriate intervals on all patients, recognizing disturbed physiology and abnormal parameters. 

4. Ensures that appropriate nursing actions are initiated on patients based on assessment findings.  Oversees staff practice to ensure that they are correctly analyzing, prioritizing and implementing standing, temporary and emergency job tasks in a timely fashion according to policy.

 

5. Medication administration is safe, accurate and timely; ensures Staff RN compliance to these standards:

• Follows all safety precautions related to patient ID, order confirmation, calculations and double-checking dose accuracy if applicable. 

• Follows procedure when removing meds from floor stock 

• Signs and ensures all narcotic wastage is witnessed.

• Documents all medication intervention to include rationale for PRN medications. 

• Reports all Adverse Drug Events (ADE) according to policy.

• Reports all Adverse Drug Events (ADE) according to policy.

ADE=ADR (Adverse Drug Reaction) & Medication Errors 

6. Monitors patient reaction and compliance with physician orders. Reports any untoward change in patient condition to appropriate individual.

7. Recognizes unusual conditions outside of his/her expertise and seeks guidance of colleagues or supervisors. 

8. Functions as a team leader: 

• Communicates effectively with healthcare team members; 

• Ensures timeliness and completeness of care;

• Ensures physical plant readiness;

• Supports team members offering assistance and guidance

9. Effectively coordinates and prioritizes scheduled procedures and care 

activities.  Initiates and follows through with insurance and medication preauthorization.  Coordinates needed appointments with physician offices for pre-treatment screenings.

10. Assists physicians with examinations, procedures and other processes related to direct patient care.

11. Ensures overall effectiveness of communication with patients and family including; treatment plan progress, procedures, and disposition.  Focuses on customer service needs and provides service recovery when indicated. 

12. Oversees that the patients learning needs, abilities, preferences and readiness to learn is assessed.   Effectively ensures education of patients, families, and significant others.  Interfaces appropriately with Case Management to ensure effective discharge coordination.

• Medication use and safety

• Nutrition interventions

• Safe use of medical equipment

• Management of pain 

• Rehabilitation techniques

• Use of other resources

13. Monitors and ensures accuracy of documentation in patient medical record. All aspects of patient care are accurately and completely documented.

14. Operates equipment and performs job related duties in a safe manner. Ensures proper functioning of equipment and follows procedure when equipment malfunctions. 

• Reports malfunctions to appropriate ancillary personnel (i.e. Clinical Engineering)

• Performs ongoing shift assessment providing effective inspection and follow for effective equipment operation

 

15. Orients, instructs and trains assigned personnel to unit functions.

16. Ensures completeness and accuracy of admitting information, consents for procedures, or any release forms. 

18. Actively participates in Shared Governance.

19. Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possesses the ability to identify each patient’s age-specific needs. All competencies are based on ages served and are detailed in the CBO document.

20. Demonstrates a working knowledge of regulatory and licensing standards and ensures that practice is compliant with standards

21. Responds to the needs of the department by performing other duties, as necessary.