Circulating Nurse; Registered Nurse

Yale New Haven Health•New London, CT

About The Position

The Circulating Nurse is a Registered Nurse who works under the supervision of the Nurse Manager/Clinical Coordinator. The RN assesses, plans, implements, evaluates, and supervises individual patient care according to unit policies and procedures, and supervises non-RN personnel on the assigned unit. When serving as charge nurse, the RN delegates and supervises unit activities. The position may require work on other nursing units based on staffing and patient distribution, along with other duties as assigned to maintain a high level of service. The role provides perioperative nursing care throughout the surgical case, including assessing and reassessing the patient, coordinating and documenting care, preparing the room and equipment, preventing patient injury, maintaining accurate operating room records, and assisting with sterile table and room preparation and cleanup. The nurse communicates patient status and care needs to the appropriate team members and supports patient and family education.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.
Proficient in computer software, including electronic patient records.
Able to use the internet to conduct literature searches regarding patient care.
Registered Nurse licensed in the State of Connecticut.
BLS certification required.

Nice To Haves

BSN preferred.
Previous peri-operative course curriculum and/or a minimum of one year of recent operating room experience preferred.
Certification in Peri-Operative Nursing (CNOR) preferred.

Responsibilities

Assess the patient's physical and psychosocial condition on an ongoing basis throughout the continuum of care.
Develop, communicate, and document an individualized plan of care with the patient, family, and healthcare team.
Implement and coordinate the plan of care in collaboration with the healthcare team.
Evaluate the plan of care, patient response, and readiness for discharge; revise the plan and make referrals as indicated.
Assess patient and family learning needs and readiness, provide education, and document outcomes.
Serve as a preceptor to new staff.
Function as a charge nurse, delegating and supervising unit activities when assigned to the charge role.
Meet performance expectations for customer service, teamwork, resource utilization, and staff and self-development.
Perform other duties as assigned or directed to support department or unit operations.
Explain procedures and the environment to patients in a manner appropriate to their comprehension.
Implement actions to prevent injury to patients across age groups from positioning, extraneous objects, hazards, medications, temperature, and infection.
Prepare and organize materials based on the patient's special needs, procedure, and/or surgeon.
Check and maintain specialty and department equipment and supplies as assigned.
Operate equipment safely according to manufacturer specifications; ensure instruments and equipment are working and arrange repair or replacement as needed.
Carry out case breakdown procedures to minimize downtime between cases.
Complete accurate operating room records.
Communicate and document patient status and care needs for appropriate team members.
Perform and document individualized physiologic and psychosocial nursing assessments, reassessing throughout the surgical case.
Adhere to the operating room dress code.
Assist with sterile table and room preparation and cleanup after procedures; handle contaminated materials and dispose of sharps and needles in appropriate containers.