Job Description

Overview

The Registered Professional Nurse is responsible for the management of patient care, utilizing the nursing process to assess, plan, implement and evaluate patient outcomes. The RN directs and guides the delivery of nursing care, patient education, engages the patient in mutual goal setting and collaboration in developing a plan of care direted toward achieving identified goals, and all care related activities, while maintaining standards of professional nursing collaborating with other disciplines as appopriate. The RN is responsible for care related activities of support personnel.

This RN is accountable to meet the unique demands of a fast paced renal replacement therapy environment meeting quality outcomes in an economically viable and customer friendly way. Professional nephrology nursing practice is compelx and multidimensional incorporating the Standards of Nephrology Nursing Practice and Professional Performance. These standards include assessment, issue identification, outcomes identification, planning, implementation of an identified plan, evaluation, quality of practice, education, professional practice evaluation, collegiality, collaboration, ethics, research, resource utilization, and leadership.

Special Criteria Details On-call as scheduled *WAIVER REQUIRED

Responsibilities * Practices within the boundaries of the NYS Practice Act for Registered Professional Nurses and provides care according to CVPH (generic & unit-specific) Standards of Care and Practice.

• Verifies and/or transcribes and implements physician orders.
• Provides nursing care to the patient requiring monitoring/intervention with \xe2\x80\x9cPoint of Care Testing\xe2\x80\x9d (e.g., fingersticks), patient care devices (e.g., PCA, Gemini, suction apparatus, dialysis equipment), input/output tubes/devices (e.g., NG tubes, urinary drains, surgical drains, enteral feeding tubes), and other such devices/treatments.
• Documents/communicates nursing care, physiological responses to other health care providers through verbal reports and patient record(s) as dictated
• Provides leadership and measures effectiveness of nursing care by providing supervision, delegation, monitoring/reassessment of all patient care as required
• Performs in crisis/emergency (e.g. code 99, 66) while maintaining a positive/ calm approach.
• Provides prioritized patient/family education.
• Provides nursing care for the patient requiring pain management (surgical, chronic and terminal) according to organization and unit standards.
• Provides nursing care to the patient requiring medication administration by the applicable routes to include controlled substances; Utilizes the pyxis system as required.
• Provides nursing care for the patient requiring blood/blood product therapy
• Provides nursing care for the patient requiring preventive skin care, wound management, pressure ulcer prevention/treatment and stoma care
• Provides nursing care to the patient requiring various respiratory therapy modalities such as oxygen therapy and use of the inspirometer.
• Provides nursing care for the patient with a tracheostomy and/or requiring suctioning (nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, or tracheal).
• Provides nursing care for the patient requiring specimens.
• Provides nursing care to the patient requiring restraints/ protective/ supportive devices, wandering/elopement, seizure and suicide precautions, and the patient on fall protocol.
• Demonstrates respect for the diversity of patient population providing comprehensive holistic care for the dying patient, including post mortem care and support of the patient\'s spirituality.
• Provides nursing care to the patient requiring IV therapy to include by various routes (e.g., peripheral, central), methods (e.g., continuous, intermittent, IVPB, IVP), and solutions/medications (e.g., TPN, PPN, lipid infusions, medicated drips).
• Manages conflict/identifies ethical dilemmas and assists patients and families in resolving.
• Supports fluctuation in patient care needs by overtime when required.
• Provides nursing care to the patients with acute and chronic renal failure from young adult to geriatric.
• Provides nursing care to the patients who are non-compliant with dialysis treatment plan.
• Provides nursing care to the patients with feelings of powerlessness.
• Provides nursing care to the patient with body image disturbance.
• Provides nursing care to the patient with sexual dysfunction.
• Maintains a safe and accessible water supply for hemodialysis.
• Provides nursing care to the patient requiring admission to the inpatient unit.
• Collects comprehensive data pertinent to the patient\xe2\x80\x99s health or situation.
• Analyzes assessment data to determine diagnosis or issues.
• Identifies expected outcomes for a plan individualized to patient or situation.
• Develops plan that prescribes strategies and alternatives to attain expected outcomes.
• Implements identified plan.
• Coordinates care delivery.
• Employs strategies to promote health and a safe environment.
• Evaluates progress toward attainment of outcomes.
• Systematically enhances quality and effectiveness of nursing practice.
• Attains knowledge and competency that reflects current nursing practice.
• Evaluates one\xe2\x80\x99s own nursing practice in relation to professional practice standards and guidelines, relevant statutes, rules and regulations.
• Interacts with and contributes to professional development of peer and colleagues.
• Collaborates with patient, family, and others in conduct o nursing practice.
• Integrates ethical provisions in all areas of practice.
• Integrates research findings into practice.
• Considers factors related to safety, effectiveness, cost, and impact on practice in planning and delivery of nursing services.
• Provides leadership in professional practice setting and profession.
• Provides nursing care to the patient with anemia.
• Provides nursing care to the patient with renal bone metabolism and disease.
• Provides nursing care to the patient with sub-optimal fluid volume status.
• Provides nursing care to the patient with dyslipidemia.
• Provides nursing care to the patient with ineffective coping.
• Provides nursing care to the patient with sexual dysfunction.
• Provides nursing care to the patient who requires assistance in becoming an active, comprehensive self-manager of his/her life with chronic disease.
• Provides nursing care to ESRD patients to maximize function in the four key domains.
• Provides nursing care to ESRD patients focusing on prevention/reduction of localized infection, sepsis, and bacterial colonization or infection due to a drug-resistant organism utilizing infection control practices as outlined in Medical Center policies/procedures/protocols.
• Provides nursing care to the patient with a dialysis vascular access.
• Provides nursing care ensuring treatment adequacy.
• Provides safe nursing care for patient receiving basic dialysis procedures.
• Advocates patient rights and provides guidance to ESRD patient and family on advance care planning and end of life care as outlined by CVPH policy/procedures and nephrology community standards.
• Provides nursing care to patient receiving Continuous renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT)
• Provides patients with safe and appropriate CRRT therapy.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications * Graduate from an accredited School of Nursing.

• Currently licensed as a Registered Professional Nurse in New York State.
• Minimum one year nursing experience required.
• Previous critical care experience preferred.
• Requires excellent customer service skills
• Demonstrates flexibility and willingness to learn new skills.
• Completion of CVPH Cardiac Arrhythmia Recognition Class within one year.
• Meets requirements of physical/pre-placement screening.

As applicable, the individual has training/competency in attending to the special needs and/or behaviors appropriate to the age of the patients for which care is being provided.

University of Vermont Health Network