Registered Nurse - Intensive Care Unit

Overview

The Registered Professional Nurse is responsible and accountable for prescribing, delegating, and coordinating all nursing care as defined by The New York State Nursing Practice Act. Comprehensive Critical care nursing focuses on assisting the critically ill patient to achieve his/her optimum health potential. This is achieved within the framework of the nursing process. The activities are carried out in collaboration with the care providers and other members of the healthcare team in response to patient and family needs. The Critical Care Registered Professional Nurse is responsible for care delivery and renders services to ICU and/or telemetry patients ranging from 18 years and older.

Responsibilities

In accordance with professional nursing standards and practices, the Critical Care nurse will provide nursing care to all critical care/telemetry patients with medical and surgical diagnoses.

Assessment

• Assesses patient’s physical, social, behavioral, and mental status through direct observation, interview, and medical record review.
• Includes assessment from history and data collection as obtained from the patient and/or care providers.
• Utilizes observational skills to assess patient’s needs.
• Documents a nursing assessment to include psychosocial, environmental factors, educational level, and needs.
• Obtains and reviews available data base and any data collected by other members of the health team (medical/surgical/other history, physical exam mental status, therapist reports, physician, and community referrals).
• Identifies medical problems resulting from psychological /mental illness and use of medications.
• Communicates findings with other members of the health team. (Social Worker, Case managers, therapist, physician).

Planning

• Identifies and addresses needs for admission based on acute medical/surgical diagnoses and presenting physical/psychological symptoms.
• Identifies and addresses patient level of education and learning needs.
• Makes appropriate referral to other disciplines and documents same.

Intervention/Implementation

• Management of clinical skills in the provision of nursing care and management of the patient including but not limited to: Identification of symptoms, Management of the disease entity, Treatment modalities, Administration of medications.
• Intervenes appropriately in medical/surgical emergencies utilizing crisis intervention.
• Utilizes critical care skills in assessment of patients and in interventions.
• Utilizes infection control procedures and protocols.
• Provides for psychosocial needs of all critically ill patients.
• Provides health teaching and medication instructions to patient/next of kin.
• Ensures that all procedures are performed based on established standards of care.
• Demonstrates competency in performing all procedures within the scope of practice and in accordance with Interfaith Medical Center.
• Investigates and communicates all required information regarding unusual occurrences and patient care incidents.
• Acts as a patient advocate.

Evaluation

• Revises the patient’s plan of care based on evaluation of interventions and expected outcomes in collaboration with other members of the health care team.

Qualifications

Education

• Associate degree in Nursing required.
• Bachelor's degree in Nursing preferred.

Experience

• Minimum two (2) years' Critical Care nursing experience required.

Knowledge And Skills

• Ability to communicate effectively in English both verbally and in writing.

Licenses, Certifications

• Current NY State RN License
• Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS)

Physical Requirements

Involves standing, walking, sitting, talking, hearing and bending. May include some repetitive motions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position without compromising patient care.

Key skills/competency

• Critical Care Nursing
• Patient Assessment
• Care Planning
• Emergency Intervention
• Medication Administration
• Infection Control
• Patient Advocacy
• Health Education
• Collaboration
• Documentation