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Northeast Georgia Health System is rooted in a foundation of improving the health of our communities.

About the Role:

Department Description:

The Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit (STICU) provides comprehensive care to surgical, trauma and neurological patients requiring intense monitoring and nursing care. The 16 beds have bedside monitors. Each monitor has electrocardiogram, NIBP, O2 saturation, and three pressure modules with the capability of adding one additional pressure module, CO2 module or temperature module.

Patient care in the STICU includes early detection and prevention of complications, management of complex physiological problems, patient/family education and family psychosocial support systems.

• Critically ill, unstable patients in the need of intensive treatment such as ventilator support and continuous vasoactive drug therapy.
• Patients who suffer from traumatic injuries or reversible diseases are admitted for aggressive medical and surgical treatment that cannot be provided elsewhere in the hospital. Examples are patients with:
• Critically injured multi-traumas
• Respiratory failure
• Hemodynamically unstable patients requiring invasive monitoring and/or close observation
• Acute neurological and/or traumatic events requiring continuous observation

Therapies in the STICU may include intracranial pressure monitoring, peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, continuous renal replacement therapy, and ventilation support which may include proning. Monitoring provided includes central venous pressure, pulmonary artery, arterial line, electrocardiogram, pulse oximetry, intracranial pressure monitoring, and apnea monitoring.

Job Summary

Capable clinician with previous specialty experience preferred, focused on expanding knowledge and skills. Consistently provides effective direct care as part of the interdisciplinary team to a variety of complex patients. Seeks as well as provides feedback for improved clinical practice. Assumes a beginning clinical bedside leadership role and seeks mentoring in this process. Is a professional member of VOICE professional nursing shared governance providing feedback on issues being addressed at meetings. Participates as a member on VOICE councils and Nursing Quality Teams as appropriate. Actively participates on Unit Council helping with plans to improve NDNQI nursing sensitive indicators, RN Satisfaction, Employee Engagement, Culture of Safety, and Patient Experience data. Works together with other care team members to recruit and retain an excellent nursing care team. For the new graduate clinical RN: focuses primarily on developing knowledge and skills and showing growth in ability to care for increasingly complex patients. Responsible for providing direct and safe patient care based on the nursing process, and for coordinating care for assigned patients on a shift to promote the achievement of clinical outcomes. Requires consultation with more experienced clinicians and accepts feedback as a constructive professional development tool.

Minimum Job Qualifications

• Licensure or other certifications: Licensed to practice as an RN in Georgia

• Educational Requirements: Associates Degree

• Minimum Experience:

• Other: One year of experience as a professional RN. New graduate RNs or those with less than one year of experience will be referred to the RN Residency Program.

Preferred Job Qualifications

• Preferred Licensure or other certifications: National certification in clinical specialty

• Preferred Educational Requirements: Bachelor of Nursing Degree

• Preferred Experience: Long Term Care: One year experience

• Other: Membership is professional organization

Job Specific and Unique Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Delivery of safe, effective, efficient care that meets population specific guidelines

• Actively works to make own and related teams successful, effectively communicates with patients, families and colleagues at all levels, shows consideration and respect or others and fosters customer service

• Effectively prioritizes, recognizes problems, and utilizes evidence based practice

• Demonstrates personal mastery, leadership of self and others, as appropriate, delegates appropriately, and supports NGHS shared governance model

• Basic computer skills necessary to operate computer systems used on unit
  

Essential Tasks and Responsibilities

• Clinical Skills and Knowledge: Demonstrates basic assessment skills. Demonstrates the 5 rights of medication administration. Manages care for basic patient assignment and progresses to care for increasingly complex patients. Accurately documents all aspects of the nursing process using the electronic medical record as applicable. Understands and complies with all DNV standards. Accesses and follows polices. Evaluates patient response to interventions and adjusts plan of care appropriately. Consistently coordinates interdisciplinary care. Uses resources effectively to reduce waste. Participates in PI processes. Participates in maintaining and monitoring the work environment to ensure compliance with DNV regulations. Coordinates discharge planning. Actively contributes to a culture of safety within the organization.

• Interpersonal Skills and Relationships: Includes the patient and family in patient care. Provides effective education appropriate for the learning needs of patient/ family. Demonstrates appropriate customer service behaviors. Participates in organizational and unit based customer service initiatives.

• Critical Thinking Skills and Innovation: Plans patient care based on assessment. Displays basic prioritization and time management skills. Evaluates patient's response to interventions and seeks support to adjust the plan of care. Utilizes resources on the unit to increase understanding of the care of unfamiliar patient populations. Recognizes signs of deteriorating patient and accesses appropriate resources. Reads nursing research/EBP articles. Participates in discharge planning with increasing responsibility and coordination. Demonstrates the ability to rapidly recognize and anticipate changes in patient status and takes appropriate action while maintaining professional composure. Recognizes existence of nursing practice trends and questions care as it relates to evidence based practice. Consistently and independently prioritizes patient care.

• Leadership and Professional Development: Supports unit goals. Demonstrates support of shared governance through awareness of initiatives. Completes a professional development plan and shows progress on personal learning goals. Supervises and ensures completion of task assigned to ancillary/support staff. Participates in the enhancement of the nursing profession and supporting the community. Appropriately delegates tasks. Seeks resources by actively consulting with the interdisciplinary team. Demonstrates support of shared governance through awareness of initiatives and by providing input. Serves in a unit leadership role(s). Serves as the Nurse in Charge as necessary fulfilling the following responsibilities: a. patient flow, b. matches given resources to patients for shift, c. escalates concerns using the chain of command.
  

Physical Demands

• Weight Lifted: Up to 100 lbs, Occasionally 0-30% of time

• Weight Carried: Up to 50 lbs, Occasionally 0-30% of time

• Vision: Moderate, Frequently 31-65% of time

• Kneeling/Stooping/Bending: Frequently 31-65%

• Standing/Walking: Frequently 31-65%

• Pushing/Pulling: Frequently 31-65%

• Intensity of Work: Frequently 31-65%

• Job Requires: Reading, Writing, Reasoning, Talking, Keyboarding

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Northeast Georgia Health System is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not tolerate discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, ethnicity, national origin, marital status, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected classification or status.