Registered Nurse - Total Joint

Job Summary

The RN Clinical Nurse is a proactive member of an interdisciplinary team of licensed and unlicensed care givers who ensure that patients, families and significant others receive individualized high quality, safe patient care. They practice in a clinical environment that is administered by Nurse Managers and other leaders and is supported through the Wellstar Shared Governance Model. The framework for practice is steered by the Wellstar Professional Practice Model and evidence-based practice and research.

Core Responsibilities and Essential Functions

Exemplary Practice and Outcomes

• Performs the Nursing Process (assessment; diagnosis; identification of outcomes; planning; implementation and evaluation) in the performance of clinical care using evidence base practice, uses analytical/critical thinking and ensuring that care is individualized; coordinating care through effective partnerships recognizing that caring is central to achieve optimal patient care outcomes
• Provides relationship-based patient centered care that is consistent with population specific characteristics (e.g. age, gender, disease, etc) in a manner that adapts service delivery to reflect an understanding of cultural diversity
• Always partners with the patient and significant others (as appropriate) using such appropriate method for setting and purpose (e.g., bedside shift report; interdisciplinary rounds; just in time and planned patient teaching; keeping the patient and significant others updated and making the patients goals the focus of the plan of care
• Practices using current clinical practice standards

Teamwork and Collaboration

• Coordinates the delivery and documentation of safe quality patient care that promotes the professional care delivery model. This includes, but is not limited to diverse and inclusive interdisciplinary communication methods (interdisciplinary rounds, case review, etc); completion of timely documentation and promotion of a respectful, inclusive clinical environment
• Demonstrates teamwork and collaboration by practicing in a manner that is fiscally responsible and promotes the recruitment and retention of all healthcare team members
• Participates and supports performance improvement inclusive of all stakeholders, research and research utilization to promote safe, quality patient care including initiating and/or leading such activities as well as, promoting an inter/intra-disciplinary process and actively supports/participates in shared governance at all levels in the system

Professional Development and Initiative

• Completes all initial and ongoing professional competency assessment, required mandatory education, population specific education
• Serves as a preceptor and/or or mentor for other professional nurses (and staff or students for all disciplines) to ensure that there is a current and future qualified workforce, modeling the professional practice of nursing and creating a healthy work environment

Evidence Based Practice and Research

• Promotes Evidence based practice, nursing research and performance improvement in nursing. Participates in activities such as value analysis as part of the decision-making process in evaluating patient care products
• Upholds all health care system/organizational policies and procedures and clinical competencies put forth by this job description and professional association including legal, regulatory and accreditation requirements and standards ensuring by way of example, such goals as TJC Patient Safety Goals and Wellstar Health Systems safety absolutes
• Participates in data collection, poses relevant clinical questions to advanced evidence-based practice. Consults appropriate experts and uses appropriate resources and evidence to address practice questions

Resources and Support

• Proactively plans for the care of patients across the care continuum in the course of giving direct patient care
• Participates in the development of protocols and procedures when called upon or through self-initiation in collaboration with care managers and other members of the health care team to achieve best practice outcomes (i.e., decrease in re-admission rates; avoidable days; adverse events; etc)
• Supports efficient and effective use of human and material resources
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Complies with all Wellstar Health System policies, standards of work, and code of conduct