CLINICAL NURSE I - MEDICAL/SURGICAL - 6S

Cook County•Chicago, IL

2d•$38 - $52•Onsite

About The Position

The Clinical Nurse I is a professional care worker responsible and accountable for providing and coordinating safe, effective, individualized nursing care to critically ill patients and supportive care to significant others. The nurse assesses patient needs and pain, implements and evaluates nursing care according to established standards, and applies scientific nursing principles, problem-solving, and teaching and learning practices. The role provides holistic, patient-centered care to patients with acute and chronic medical and surgical conditions. Care is individualized for patients admitted for illness, surgery, diagnostic testing, or observation, and takes age-specific needs into account. Nurses work in a multidisciplinary team to support medical management, health promotion, safe healing and recovery, complication prevention, patient and family education, and coordinated care. The position is based in the Medical/Surgical General Medicine/Oncology Unit 6S at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital. The shift is 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., working 36 hours per week and 72 hours per pay period. The normal staffing ratio is 1:5, with staffing adjusted according to patient acuity and unit census. Nursing staff report to the Nurse Manager, who works with the Director of Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer.

Requirements

Be licensed as a Registered Nurse in Illinois, or be able to obtain an Illinois RN license two weeks before starting employment; provide proof at interview if already licensed.
Have active Basic Life Support (BLS) certification or be able to obtain it within two weeks of starting; provide proof at interview if already certified.
Knowledge of medical/surgical equipment and its safe use.
Strong verbal and written communication skills for communicating with staff at all levels and patients from diverse cultures and age groups.
Emergency response skills.
Accurate mathematical skills for calculating medication levels using factors such as weight and age.
Ability to apply the nursing process and technical skills to patient-care delivery.
Ability to make decisions under pressure.
Ability to see and hear clearly, including with correction, distinguish regular and high-pitched sounds, and discriminate the source of sound.
Ability to demonstrate rapid physical and mental coordination and use both legs, hands, and fingers.
Attention to detail, accuracy, and precision.
Knowledge of required unit forms and reports and the ability to use them in day-to-day operations.
Commitment to professional growth and maintaining competency in nursing practice.

Nice To Haves

One to five years of acute-care experience.
CMSRN certification or another specialty certification.
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification.

Responsibilities

Identify, plan, and provide care for patients’ total needs, taking age-specific needs into account.
Perform initial and ongoing patient assessments and data collection, including biophysical, psychosocial, environmental, self-care, educational, and discharge-planning factors.
Formulate individualized plans of care based on assessed needs, desired outcomes, and age-related requirements.
Implement care safely and skillfully according to established patient-care and nursing-practice standards.
Evaluate care effectiveness and revise interventions as appropriate.
Document assessments, treatments, medications, procedure tolerance, condition changes, interventions, and patient outcomes.
Develop, implement, and evaluate educational services or programs for patients.
Make appropriate and timely decisions in crisis or emergency situations.
Perform or direct cardiopulmonary resuscitation activities.
Safely operate equipment needed to provide care in assigned clinical areas.
Work and communicate effectively with a variety of individuals.
Provide general direction, guidance, and coordination of patient care provided by other levels of nursing staff.
Apply knowledge of standard operating policies and procedures.
Demonstrate awareness of patient and family rights and ethical and legal issues.
Participate in unit staff orientation and staff-development activities.
Maintain accountability for professional practice, growth, and development.
Perform other duties as assigned.