Registered Nurse Observation Unit

Job Description:

The Registered Nurse (RN) is a professional caregiver who assumes responsibility and accountability for assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating the care of patients. The staff RN utilizes the nursing process by use of technology, therapeutic intervention, evidence-based practice and coordination of care with other health team members.

The Observation Unit is a 16-bed, nurse-led department dedicated to providing high-quality, patient-centered care for adult patients requiring short-term observation, treatment, and ongoing assessment. The unit serves patients who are clinically stable but require additional monitoring, diagnostic testing, therapeutic interventions, or care coordination to determine the most appropriate next step in their care.

Our interdisciplinary team partners closely with physicians, advanced practice providers, case management, pharmacy, rehabilitation services, and ancillary departments to deliver efficient, evidence-based care with a focus on patient safety, quality outcomes, and timely disposition. Common patient populations include those requiring evaluation and treatment for chest pain, transient ischemic attack (TIA), dehydration, respiratory conditions, heart failure exacerbations, infections requiring short-term IV therapy, pain management, blood transfusions, and other conditions appropriate for observation-level care. 

The Observation Unit emphasizes rapid assessment, frequent reassessment, patient education, and coordination of care to support safe discharge home or transition to a higher level of care when needed. Through collaborative teamwork and a commitment to clinical excellence, the unit promotes efficient throughput, enhances the patient experience, and supports optimal healthcare outcomes.

Position Details

·       Benefits Eligible: Yes

·       Shift Details: Full time, 36 hours/week, variable shifts

·       Department: Observation Unit

·       Primary Location: Lutheran Hospital

Essential Functions

• Assess: Performs appropriate assessment of physical, social, and psychological status (including cognitive, communicative, and developmental skills as appropriate). Seeks and evaluates information acquired from other members of interdisciplinary team: patient, family, physician, non-nursing disciplines, support staff, others.
• Plan: Uses assessment information and critical thinking skills to collaboratively develop individualized plan of care. Actively seeks patient, family, team, and physician involvement to develop plan of care including needed education. Collaboratively plans and prepares patients for further support needs once the current episode of care outcomes are met (i.e., teaching, referrals, and follow-up).
• Implement: Directs the interdisciplinary care team via delegation, coordination, and collaboration as appropriate. Provides or delegates care consistent with plan of care, guidelines of care and professional licensure provisions. Demonstrates the ability to set priorities and to coordinate and organize patient care delivery through effectively managing time, supplies, and resources.
• Evaluate: Evaluates patient response to interventions through review of achievement of goals, clinical outcomes, patient, and family satisfaction. Revises plan of care as indicated and reassesses changes as appropriate.
• Professionalism: Promotes nursing profession and participate in development of others.
  Integrates legal and ethical standards into practice, complies with regulatory standards, practices within scope of licensure, provides accurate & timely documentation, and understands legal implications of care delivery.

Skills

• Patient Care Delivery
• Nursing Fundamentals
• Interdisciplinary Teams
• Documentations
• Professional Etiquette
• Accountability
• Patient Care Coordination
• Communication
• Patient Evaluation
• Critical Thinking

Minimum Qualifications

• Current license to practice as a Registered Nurse in state of practice. Valid compact licenses must be transferred to the state of practice within 60 days of the start of employment.
• RNs with less than 12 months of experience must obtain their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) within four (4) years of their hire date.
• Basic Life Support Certification (BLS) for healthcare providers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN). Education must be obtained from an accredited institution. Degree will be verified.

* Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is required as of the job description's last update on 4/27/2025. Employees hired or promoted prior to this date will be held to the minimum requirements that were in place at the time of their promotion or hire.

Physical Requirements

• Ongoing need for employee to see and read information, labels, assess patient needs, operate monitors, identify equipment and supplies.
• Frequent interactions with patient care providers, patients, and visitors that require employee to verbally communicate as well as hear and understand spoken information, alarms, needs, and issues quickly and accurately, particularly during emergency situations.
• Manual dexterity of hands and fingers to manipulate complex and delicate equipment with precision and accuracy. This includes frequent computer use and typing for documenting patient care, accessing needed information, medication preparation, etc.
• Expected to lift and utilize full range of movement to transfer patients. Will also bend to retrieve, lift, and carry supplies and equipment. Typically includes items of varying weights, up to and including heavy items.
• Need to walk and assist with transporting/ambulating patients and obtaining and distributing supplies and equipment. This includes pushing/pulling gurneys and portable equipment, including heavy items. Often required to navigate crowded and busy rooms (full of equipment, power cords on the floor, etc.)
• May be expected to stand in a stationary position for an extended period of time.
• For roles requiring driving: Expected to drive a vehicle which requires sitting, seeing and reading signs, traffic signals, and other vehicles.

Location:

Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital

Work City:

Wheat Ridge

Work State:

Colorado

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

36

The hourly range for this position is listed below. Actual hourly rate dependent upon experience. 

$37.45 - $57.29

We care about your well-being – mind, body, and spirit – which is why we provide our caregivers a generous benefits package that covers a wide range of programs to foster a sustainable culture of wellness that encompasses living healthy, happy, secure, connected, and engaged.

Learn more about our comprehensive benefits package here.

By applying for a position with Intermountain, I acknowledge that I will comply with all applicable Intermountain policies and expectations. If applying for a remote or hybrid role, this includes remote work expectations related to confidentiality, information security, work schedules, conflicts of interest, and use of company equipment. I further acknowledge that outside employment or activities may not interfere with job responsibilities or create a conflict of interest with Intermountain. Actual or reasonably perceived conflicts may be grounds for disqualification from consideration or, if hired, corrective action up to and including termination of employment.

Intermountain Health is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

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