Acute Inpatient Registered Nurse - RN

Purpose and Scope

The professional registered nurse Inpatient Services RN CAP 1 is an entry level designation into the Clinical Advancement Program (CAP). This position is accountable and responsible for the provision and coordination of clinically competent care including assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation for an assigned group of patients. This may include delegation of appropriate tasks to direct patient care staff including but not limited to RNs, LVN/LPNs and Patient Care Technicians. As a member of the kidney disease health care team, this position participates in decision-making, teaching, leadership functions, and quality improvement activities that enhance patient care outcomes and program operations.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Performs all essential functions under the direction of the Supervisor and with guidance from the Educator, Preceptor or in collaboration with another Registered Nurse.
• Performs ongoing, systematic collection and analysis of patient data pre – during – post treatment for assigned patients and documents in the patient medical record, makes adjustments and modifications to treatment plan as indicated and notifies Supervisor, Physician, patient's primary nurse and others as may be indicated.
• Assesses, collaborates and documents patient/family's basic learning needs to provide initial and ongoing education to patients and family.
• Recognizes aspects and implications of patient status that vary from normal and reports to or collaborates with appropriate health team members for input including but not limited to Supervisor, appropriate physician, and the contracted facility primary Nurse.
• Directs and provides safe effective patient care for assigned patients as prescribed for all modality specific treatment procedures.
• Assesses daily assigned patient care needs and collaborates with direct and ancillary patient care staff as needed.
• Initiates and coordinates communication with FKC and Non-FKC dialysis providers and appropriate contracted facility personnel as needed to provide continuity of patient care.
• Performs the implementation, administration, monitoring, and documentation of patient's response to prescribed intradialytic transfusions, including appropriate notification of adverse reactions to physician and appropriate blood supplier.
• Administers medications as prescribed and documents appropriate medical justification and effectiveness.
• Initiates and assists with emergency response measures.
• Serves as a resource for health care team, participates in staff training and orientation of new staff as assigned.
• May be asked to provide specialized nursing care instruction to hospital/facility staff as stipulated contractually.
• May be assigned to assist in an Outpatient facility on an as needed basis.
• Required to complete CAP requirements to advance.
• Performs all other duties as assigned by Supervisor.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• The position provides direct patient care that regularly involves heavy lifting, moving of patients and assisting with ambulation. Equipment aids and/or coworkers may provide assistance.
• This position requires frequent, prolonged periods of standing and the employee must be able to bend over.
• The employee may occasionally be required to move, with assistance, machines and equipment of up to 200 lbs., and may lift chemical and water solutions of up to 30 lbs. as high as 5 feet.
• The work environment is characteristic of a health care facility with air temperature control and moderate noise levels.
• May be exposed to infectious and contagious diseases/materials.
• May be asked to provide essential functions of this position in other locations with the same physical demands and working conditions as described above.
• Day to day work includes, desk work, computer work, interaction with patients, facility/hospital staff and physicians.
• The position requires travel to training/meeting sites and between assigned facilities.
• Position requires participation in on-call rotation, night, weekend, holiday or as defined by individual program needs.

Supervision

Assigned oversight of Patient Care Technicians/LVN/LPNs/RNs as a designated Nurse in Charge, after meeting all the following:

• Successful completion of all FKC education and modality specific training requirements for new employees.
• Must have a minimum of 9 months experience as a RN.
• 6 months experience in acute dialysis as a RN.

Education and Licensure

• Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing.
• Current appropriate state licensure.
• Current or successful completion of CPR BLS Certification
• Must meet the practice requirements in all states in which he or she is employed.

Experience and Required Skills

• Entry level for RNs with less than 2 years of Nephrology Nursing experience as an RN
• Minimum 9 months experience as a Registered Nurse, 12 months (preferred).
• 6 months acute dialysis experience (preferred)
• Hemodialysis and/or ICU experience (preferred).