Discharge Unit RN 7a-7:30p

Frederick Health•Frederick, MD

7d•$36 - $55

About The Position

The Discharge Nurse is a centralized clinical resource who proactively identifies, tracks, coordinates, and escalates barriers that delay safe inpatient discharge. The role works across inpatient nursing units and with providers, case management, pharmacy, ancillary services, transportation, and the Discharge Lounge to support reliable progression of medically ready patients through discharge. It emphasizes real-time coordination, standardized barrier tracking, interdisciplinary communication, and hospital throughput. The Discharge RN supplements, but does not replace, the responsibilities of the primary inpatient nurse, provider, case manager, or other discipline. The position requires an RN eligible for or currently licensed in Maryland or a compact state, an associate degree in nursing, and CPR certification. A BSN is preferred or may be obtained within five years of employment. BLS certification is required of all nurses within 90 days of hire. Additional unit-specific certifications are required within one year of hire for the nursing units listed in the posting. The schedule is Monday through Friday, three 12-hour shifts per week, with holidays assigned. The role reports to the Department Manager and also receives supervision from the Director or Hospital Supervisor. The role involves patient contact across the designated patient population, exposure to blood or body fluids, infectious diseases, hazardous materials, and technical and heavy equipment. Physical demands are classified as medium-heavy work, with lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling requirements described in the posting.

Requirements

Eligible for or currently licensed as a Registered Nurse in Maryland or a compact state.
Associate degree in Nursing required.
Certified in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
BLS certification required within 90 days of hire.
Must demonstrate and maintain current knowledge and skills in providing appropriate care or contact for the age groups designated for the nursing department.
Must meet the physical demands described as medium-heavy work, including lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling as specified in the posting.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor of Science in Nursing preferred, or willingness to obtain within five years of employment.
Experience with patient flow, discharge coordination, care transitions, case management, or quality improvement preferred.
Unit-specific certifications, when applicable, must be completed within one year of hire: Chemotherapy for 2C (Oncology/Thorasic); ACLS for 4B, 4A, 4G, 2G (Telemetry), ICU, OR, Cath Lab, PACU, ENDO, and Pre-Op; NRP and C-EFM within three years for L&D and OB/OR; NRP for Family Center and NICU; PALS for Peds/Peds ED; and ACLS, PALS, and Base Station for Emergency Dept.

Responsibilities

Identify anticipated and medically ready discharges early and maintain real-time awareness of discharge status and outstanding requirements.
Use a standardized process to identify and track barriers, including medications, transportation, follow-up arrangements, durable medical equipment, consults, diagnostics or procedures, placement or disposition needs, home coordination, and patient or family concerns.
Coordinate with providers regarding outstanding clinical requirements and completion of discharge orders when clinically appropriate.
Partner with case management, social work, care coordination, pharmacy, nursing units, ancillary departments, and transportation to address barriers within each discipline’s scope.
Facilitate timely communication between inpatient units and the Discharge Lounge and identify eligible patients for transfer based on established lounge criteria.
Prioritize coordination activities according to clinical readiness, anticipated discharge timing, unresolved barriers, transportation needs, and operational demand.
Escalate unresolved or time-sensitive barriers through established pathways to the appropriate discipline or leader.
Provide real-time problem solving and closed-loop follow-up on barriers until resolved, transferred to the responsible discipline, or appropriately escalated.
Communicate anticipated discharge volume, recurring barriers, and operational concerns to appropriate leaders and interdisciplinary teams.
Collaborate with transportation services and inpatient teams to support timely movement of discharge-ready patients from inpatient beds.
Document or track discharge barriers, interventions, escalation, and disposition in the designated electronic or operational system.
Participate in discharge-throughput and performance-improvement initiatives, including review of recurring barrier trends and opportunities for process redesign.
Maintain patient privacy and confidentiality and comply with hospital policies and applicable regulatory requirements.