Professional Staff Nurse - 6 South

UPMC • Erie, PA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Professional Staff Nurse (RN) is an integral member of the care delivery team, responsible for providing high-quality patient care and coordinating care for a designated group of patients and their families. The nurse uses critical thinking, clinical judgment, and effective communication to collaborate with physicians, interdisciplinary team members, patients, and families to achieve optimal outcomes. Professional Staff Nurses demonstrate leadership, accountability, and commitment to excellence while fostering teamwork, patient safety, and continuous professional growth.

The position is on 6 South, a 43-bed cardiovascular, renal transplant, and surgical specialty acute care unit at UPMC Hamot. This fast-paced medical-surgical unit cares for adults recovering from cardiothoracic, vascular, and bariatric surgeries, as well as kidney transplant donors and recipients. Nurses care for patients requiring telemetry and oxygen monitoring, including CPAP, BiPAP, and Optiflow therapies, and gain experience with glycemic control, vasoactive medications, hemodynamic monitoring, anti-arrhythmic therapies, electrolyte replacement, and continuous cardiac monitoring.

The nurse applies the nursing process within Relationship Based Care, develops patient-centered plans, provides patient and family education, supports colleagues and learners, and participates in quality improvement and evidence-based practice. The position is full-time, on nights. Title and salary are determined based on education and nursing experience.

Requirements

• Zero to two years of experience.
• Current licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse in the state where the facility is located, or a license covered by a licensure compact agreement with that state.
• CPR meeting AHA standards, including didactic and skills demonstration components, within 30 days of hire.
• Graduate nurses must complete the licensure examination within six months of hire or within one year of graduation, whichever comes first.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive, caring relationships with executives, managers, physicians, non-physician providers, ancillary and support staff, other departments, and patients and families.
• Ability to work productively and effectively in a complex environment, handle multiple or changing priorities, and work with specialized equipment.
• Good clinical judgment and critical-thinking, analytical, and problem-solving abilities related to patient care.
• Critical-thinking skills necessary to apply and lead others in applying the nursing process.
• Mobility and visual manual dexterity.
• Physical stamina for frequent walking, standing, lifting, and positioning of patients.
• For hires and current employees working on an out-of-state NLC license who change residency to the state where the facility is located, apply for licensure in that state within 60 days of the residency change.
• The listed licensure, certification, and clearance requirements include RN or Temporary Practice Permit (TPP), BLS or CPR, ACLS, NIH Stroke Scale (NIH), and Act 34. ACLS and NIH Stroke requirements are due within one year of hire or transfer.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
• UPMC-approved national certification.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain productive working relationships with colleagues, patients, families, and external partners; demonstrate accountability, enthusiasm, motivation, and commitment.
• Promote healthy relationships, understand cultural differences, and communicate workplace safety hazards.
• Maintain a balance between work and personal life, and model safe work hours, time management, and a healthy lifestyle.
• Apply adult learning principles when teaching patients, families, students, and new staff; provide appropriate education about care and transitions.
• Support the development of students, new staff, and colleagues, and serve as a preceptor when appropriate.
• Seek feedback and foster open dialogue, inquiry, and continuous professional development.
• Apply the nursing process within Relationship Based Care to create a healing environment and develop daily patient goals and holistic plans of care with patients as partners.
• Use critical thinking to identify clinical, social, safety, psychological, and spiritual patient-care issues.
• Communicate patient conditions effectively to other care providers and recommend changes to patient care or unit practices as appropriate.
• Maintain comprehensive patient documentation that supports communication among caregivers.
• Incorporate professional organization, business unit, and health system goals to improve patient safety, quality, and satisfaction.
• Create a compassionate, patient-focused experience and build healing relationships with patients, families, and colleagues.
• Pursue professional development that improves nursing practice and patient-care quality.
• Participate in unit-based shared governance, goal setting, and improvement of the quality of care and practice environment.
• Work as an engaged partner on the care team, respond to requests for assistance, and adapt flexibly to change.
• Participate in unit-specific quality improvement efforts, identify improvement opportunities, and take responsibility for patient satisfaction.
• Use research and evidence-based practice to improve clinical care, discuss quality improvement opportunities at multidisciplinary rounds, and influence patient plans of care.

Benefits

• Up to a $20,000 sign-on bonus for eligible experienced nurses.
• Up to 5.5 weeks of paid time off annually, plus seven paid holidays.
• Career ladder opportunities that reward experience, education, and professional growth.
• Tuition reimbursement up to $6,000 per year for employees and eligible dependents.
• Educational discounts, including no-cost RN-to-BSN and MSN pathways.
• Collaborative environment focused on professional development and clinical excellence.
• Premium pay differential for qualifying night-shift or weekend-shift programs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed