Staff Nurse- Critical Care Transport- 24 hours

Under general supervision, assumes 24-hour accountability to plan and provide direct professional nursing care for specified patients throughout the entire episode of service delivery as defined by population and unit. Provides nursing services to patients and families in accordance with the standards of practice of a professional nurse, CT Children’s policies & procedures, TJC, and State & federal regulations. Provides comprehensive, safe, and effective care during the transportation of critically ill infants and children.  

CLINICAL PRACTICE:

• On a daily basis, demonstrates clinical expertise and uses the nursing process to provide safe, appropriate patient care to a defined patient population according to CCMC and unit policies and standards. Maintains position specific skills and competencies and completes required ongoing education as needed.

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT: 

• Functions in the Emergency Department to the level of a primary care nurse.
• Functions as a primary responder in hospital for Code Blue, Medical Emergency Team activations, Rapid Response Team activations.
• Provides assistance in a float nurse/assistant role to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and inpatient medical-surgical areas as appropriate.
• Maintains critical care transport including:
  •IV placement (expert/role model)
  •IO placement
  •Advanced airway management including intubation and adjunct airway devices 
  •Arterial puncture 
  •Hemodynamic monitoring
  •Ventilator management
  •Preparation, infusion, and titration of vasoactive, sedative, and analgesic medications

DOCUMENTATION/COMMUNICATION: 

• Completes all required documentation in a timely manner, according to CCMC policies and standards; necessary information is effectively communicated to all members of the health care team. 
• Utilizes effective communication skills while interacting with other team members, healthcare professionals, referring and receiving facility staff, patients, and families.  

PATIENT/FAMILY PARTNERSHIP & EDUCATION: 

• Partners with child and family in evaluating outcomes.  
• Monitors, trends, and evaluates patient/family responses to treatment.  
• Provides appropriate education to patients and families regarding all aspects of care according to CCMC policies and standards; supports the organization’s efforts to patient/family education.

DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP: 

• The Transport Nurse is the designated team leader during transport episodes and will provide direct supervision to the EMS crew and any other team member configured for the patient’s care needs.
• Delegates duties and tasks associated with patient care to clinical staff according to hospital policy and their scope of practice. 
• As assigned, contributes to the leadership of the unit by participating in the professional development of others through preceptor/mentor activities.  
• Supports the unit/department’s work productivity and resource management activities.  
• Participates in team based and organizational quality improvement activities.
     
   

Education and/or Experience Required:

• A minimum of ASN/ADN required upon hire, BSN preferred. If ASN/ADN, must acquire BSN within 3 years of hire.

Education and/or Experience Preferred:

• Experience preferred: Minimum of 3 years of experience in a critical care nursing environment (ED, PICU, NICU, ICU, CICU)

License and/or Certification Required:

• Current State of Connecticut Registered Nurse Licensure required or nurse licensure compact (NLC) and maintained thereafter.
• CPR - Basic Life Support (BLS) required through American Heart Association.
• PALS - Pedi Advanced Life Support required within 6 months of hire
• ACLS  - Advanced Cardiac Life Support required within 6 months or hire.
• ENPC  - Emergency Nursing Pediatric Certification required within 12 months of hire.
• TNCC - Trauma Nurse Core Course required within 12 months of hire.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Theory, principles, techniques and practice of professional nursing. 
• State regulations regarding nursing practice.   
• Clinical standards of care. Documentation and patient record policies and standards. 
• Teaching techniques. Identification of learning needs and provision of patient/family education. 
• Developmental and population-specific patient & family assessment techniques and how to apply.

Skills:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community. 
• Basic proficiency in utilization of personal computers in networked Windows-based health care environment to access related software applications; locate, open, edit and print files and information utilized by the unit. Use of Internet as research tool.