Bed Planner RN-Part Time Days

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare • Lake Forest, IL

6h • $41 - $65

About The Position

The Bed Planner reflects Northwestern Medicine’s mission, vision, and values; follows its Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program; and complies with applicable policies, procedures, guidelines, and regulatory and accreditation standards. This role determines appropriate levels of care and coordinates patient admissions, transfers, and bed placement by aligning clinical needs with operational resources and insurance benefits. The position works with physicians, nursing operations, unit charge nurses, Patient Care Services, registration staff, and other departments to support safe, efficient patient flow and a smooth admission experience.

The Bed Planner reviews charts and other available clinical information, responds to bed requests and transfer orders in the electronic medical record, coordinates appropriate placement and patient movement between levels of care, and addresses throughput barriers. The role also supports documentation, referrals, data collection, reporting, audits, downtime procedures, and process improvement. The position is part-time, 24 hours per week (0.6 FTE), on a day shift.

Requirements

• Registered Nursing license issued by the State of Illinois.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
• Two years of patient care experience in a hospital setting.
• Ability to multitask quickly and accurately process multifactorial stimulation.
• Critical-thinking skills and decisive judgment.
• Ability to work with minimum supervision.

Nice To Haves

• Past experience in admissions, discharge planning, and/or case management.
• Master of Science in Nursing.
• Membership in a professional nursing organization.

Responsibilities

• Determine the most appropriate level of care and coordinate a smooth admission by aligning clinical needs with operational processes and insurance benefits.
• Review patient charts to assess the appropriate level of care.
• Assign patients to appropriate units based on clinical assessment while balancing organizational resources.
• Coordinate bed placement with unit charge nurses and Patient Care Services, including consideration of location and staffing.
• Collaborate with nursing operations leaders to address throughput issues.
• Serve as an access-point resource for physicians, staff, and patients.
• Respond to and assign bed requests and transfer orders in the electronic medical record.
• Document unusual occurrences and patient relations issues and make appropriate referrals to risk management, infection control, and quality departments.
• Use appropriate downtime procedures for bed placement when applicable.
• Assist with data collection and reporting related to throughput and bed placement; perform chart audits as requested by the manager or director.
• Collaborate with admitting physicians on the appropriate site and level of care, including alternate levels of care available to meet patient needs; confer with physicians about clinical and level-of-care questions when needed.
• Use available tools and resources to develop a complete clinical assessment and notify physicians and staff of concerns or variations.
• Communicate complete and accurate handoffs to the oncoming shift and complete admission forms and paperwork thoroughly.
• Arrange transportation when necessary, coordinate services, and notify points of entry of patients’ anticipated arrivals.
• Coordinate admissions with registration staff to obtain accurate patient demographics as indicated.
• Refer appropriate cases to patient financial services, risk, peer review, infection control, and patient relations.
• Coordinate patient activity and movement between levels of care; identify potential throughput barriers and proactively alert upper management to anticipated delays.
• Demonstrate Northwestern Medicine’s I-CARE values and maintain a friendly, approachable, professional demeanor and appearance.
• Use effective service recovery skills to address problems or service breakdowns.
• Contribute to teamwork across departments, communicate effectively, respect diverse opinions and styles, and acknowledge others’ contributions.
• Use organizational and unit or department resources efficiently; manage work schedules and complete tasks on time.
• Contribute to continuous improvement, cost reduction, streamlined work processes, and the improvement and growth of services.
• Demonstrate interest in personal growth and development beyond routine educational sessions.
• Support the growth and development of new and current co-workers and contribute to departmental cohesiveness.
• Network with people in similar roles for ongoing learning, best-practice sharing, and process refinement.

Benefits

• Tuition reimbursement
• Loan forgiveness
• 401(k) matching
• Lifecycle benefits
• A range of benefits intended to support employees’ physical, emotional, and financial well-being and provide protection for unexpected life events

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time