Dickson Ambulatory Surgery Center Job Description
Position Title: Preop/PACU RN
Reports To: Clinical Director
Position Summary:
Assists in the daily clinical operations of the Preop/PACU in accordance with established federal, state and accreditation standards and facility policies and procedures. Participates in direct patient care, including maintaining a clean, orderly, and safe environment.
Minimum Requirements:
- Education/Experience/Licenses/Certificates/Eligibility: Current Tennessee RN license and BLS required. Preop/PACU experience required. Knowledge of regulatory standards. ACLS required.
- Eligibility: All employees must be able to provide proof of their identity and their right to work in the United States.
Skills/Knowledge/Ability:
- Interpersonal: Actively participates in the development of a healthy work environment. Uses interpersonal skills to establish and maintain healthy interpersonal relations, which include functional trust, positive feedback and constructive criticism. Good communication skills: oral and written.
- Critical Thinking: Ability to make sound nursing judgment based on nursing theory. Demonstrates primary nurse accountability through coordination, communication and continuity of patient care. Must be able to assess, prioritize, plan and implement direct patient care. Assumes responsibility for competency of practice and takes initiative for professional development and continuing education.
- Knowledge: Working knowledge and experience in preop/PACU from hospital or ambulatory surgery center including direct patient care. Ability to adhere to work schedule and manage time appropriately. Ability to utilize resources in a timely, organized and cost effective manner.
- Machines, Equipment, Work Aides: Telephone and fax. Knowledge of patient monitoring equipment.
- Physical Demands/Work Environment: See the Physical Demand Analysis form for information specific to this position.
Essential Competencies/ Performance Expectations:
- Clinical Skills
- Assesses patient/significant others understanding of disease process and need for surgical intervention.
- Performs pre/post operative teaching to patient/significant other.
- Demonstrates appropriate nursing management and intervention preoperatively and postoperatively.
- Assess the patient for level of recovery from anesthesia.
- Provides effective airway management postoperatively.
- Assesses and manages postoperative complications, such as nausea and vomiting.
- Provides wound assessment and management to ensure uncomplicated wound healing.
- Provides safe medication administration.
- Manages patient complications/emergencies preoperatively and postoperatively.
- Utilizes aseptic technique and infection control principles to establish and maintain intravenous access.
- Reports significant patient information to medical staff appropriately.
- Demonstrates knowledge and skill in caring for the latex sensitive patient.
- Initiates and follows procedure protocol.
- Demonstrates appropriate care for the patient experiencing pain.
- Demonstrates techniques to relieve patient's pain and evaluates the effectiveness of the techniques used.
- Documents patient response during postoperative period.
- Facilitates actions and activities that support accountability to practice.
- Identifies and initiates problem resolution.
- Actively participates, develops, and implements activities and measures promoting quality care.
- Documentation
- Demonstrates knowledge of medical record policy and procedure in management of patient information.
- Participates in medical records QAPI.
- Communication
- Listens respectfully, gives feedback directly, honestly and talks with others to clarify differences.
- Effectively communicates and interacts with patients (using translation services when needed), their family, and other external and internal clients (including fellow employees) from diverse backgrounds.
- Quality
- Demonstrates a willingness to look at new ideas and work in a changing environment.
- Understands, verbalizes and participates in the quality improvement process.
- Supports initiatives designed to improve individual and organizational performance.
- Provides appropriate patient care across the age span.
