Experienced Registered Nurse, Neurosciences Critical Care Unit, 36 hours, Day/Night Rotation

Essential Duties & Responsibilities: including but not limited to:

I.  Clinical Judgment and Decision Making: Ways in which nurses come to understand the problems, issues or concerns of patients/families, to attend to relevant/critical information, and to respond in concerned and involved ways.
A.    The Registered Nurse is expected to and is accountable for providing safe patient care by demonstrating organizational skills that maintain and coordinate safe delivery of quality care for assigned patients/families. 
•    Develops a culturally competent plan of care that identifies patient problems, expected outcomes, and addresses preventative measures.
B.    Performs systematic patient and family assessment relevant to practice settings.
C.    Delivers care that is specific to the age of the patient.
D.    Evaluates effectiveness of care and adapts plan based on patient/family response.

II. Professional Relationship: The professional relationship is based upon Lahey Clinic’s guiding principles and positive effective communication. This relationship extends beyond formal assessment to integrate the particular patient’s response and his/her religious/spiritual, ethnic and cultural beliefs into the plan of care.

A.    Establishes professional relationship with nurses, physicians and other colleagues and patients and families.
    •    The relationship includes the patient and family as a partner in care and is based upon Swanson’s Theory of Caring.
B.    Educates the patient and family about the patient’s illness and treatment including preventative measures appropriate to the patient.
C.    Supports Lahey Clinics commitment to community based activities both within the Lahey community and beyond.

III. Clinical Leadership:  The Registered Nurse supports the development of others and creates a practice climate of responsiveness and learning based on Benner’s Novice to Expert skills acquisition model.  This supports the retention and recruitment of clinically competent nurses.   The ability to lead and influence the reasoning of colleagues in the patient’s best interest depends on skillful comportment, authoritative clinical knowledge and wisdom, the conviction to act as an ethical agent despite adverse consequences, and the ability to listen and enhance others’ strengths.  

A.    Demonstrates professional behavior by adhering to unit policies and procedures, practice guidelines specific to the setting and the ANA Code of Ethics. 
B.    Demonstrates skills as a responsive team member.
C.    Demonstrates role of nurse as teacher.
D.    Demonstrate ability to fulfill role in Regulatory compliance and readiness.

IV. Clinical Scholarship: The Registered Nurse achieves clinical scholarship through experiences with patients, through collaboration with colleagues and leadership and through formal education. Learning is transformed into knowledge through self-reflection and analysis.

A.    Upholds standards of quality nursing care.
B.    Demonstrates a commitment to life long learning. 
C.    Demonstrates evidenced based practice (EBP) in nursing.

Organizational Requirements:
•    Incorporates Lahey Clinic Guiding Principles, Mission Statement, and Goals into daily activities.  
•    Complies with all Lahey Clinic Policies. 
•    Complies with behavioral expectations of the department and Lahey Clinic.
•    Maintains courteous and effective interactions with colleagues and patients.
•    Demonstrates an understanding of the job description, performance expectations, and competency assessment.
•    Demonstrates a commitment toward meeting and exceeding the needs of our customers and consistently adheres to Customer Service standards.
•    Participates in departmental and/or interdepartmental quality improvement activities.
•    Participates in and successfully completes Mandatory Education.
•    Performs all other duties as needed or directed to meet the needs of the department.

Minimum Qualifications:

Experience:

1. At least one full year of experience working as a Registered Nurse, preferably in an acute or sub-acute setting

2. Prior Neurosciences or Critical Care experience, preferred

3. Telemetry experience preferred

Education:

1. Graduate of a state approved and/or accredited School of Nursing

2. BSN preferred

Licensure, Certification, Registration:

1. Current license to practice professional nursing from the Massachusetts Board of Registration 

2. Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the American Heart Association required prior to start date

3. Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification from the American Heart Association, preferred

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities:

1. Demonstrates the necessary clinical skills and technical knowledge to provide care for patients according to Nursing Policy and Procedures.

2. Demonstrates the necessary clinical skills and knowledge to provide care for patients according to the unit-specific competencies.

3. Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.

4. Demonstrate critical thinking, service excellence and good interpersonal communication skills, ability to read/comprehend written instructions, ability to follow verbal instructions, PC skills

5. Lifting 75 lbs. minimum with frequent lifting and/or carrying of objects weighing up to 25 lbs.