Registered Nurse – Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

Customer Value Partners•Cleveland, OH

23h•Onsite

About The Position

CVP seeks Registered Nurses to join our team in providing our Nation's Veterans with critical care services at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center (LSCVAMC) in Cleveland, OH. ICU RNs will deliver highly specialized, 24/7 direct nursing care across two critical care units: the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), a 12-bed unit serving complex post-surgical patients, and the Medical/Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (MICU/CICU), a 16-bed unit with step-down capability serving patients with severe medical and cardiac conditions. This role demands expert-level clinical judgment, proficiency with advanced life support equipment and therapies, and the ability to function effectively within a high-acuity, multidisciplinary team environment. Shifts are primarily 12 hours. Day, evening, night, weekend, and holiday availability is required.

Requirements

Must be eligible to obtain a Public Trust government security clearance; U.S. Citizenship is required.
Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate State agency and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Current, full, active, and unrestricted Registered Nurse license from the Ohio Board of Nursing or a current multi-state license from a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) state.
Minimum of two (2) years of direct patient care experience in a critical care or ICU setting within the last three (3) years; experience with surgical critical care or cardiac/medical ICU is strongly preferred.
Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the American Heart Association or equivalent accredited certifying body.
Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
Current CPR certification from an American Heart Association vendor.
Ability to speak, read, write, and understand English fluently.

Nice To Haves

VA experience is preferred.
Specialty certification in critical care nursing (CCRN) from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is preferred.
Experience with ECMO, CRRT, IABP, Impella, or LVAD management is highly preferred.
Proficiency in Electronic Health Record (EHR) documentation; experience with VA VISTA/CPRS systems is a plus.

Responsibilities

Provide continuous, 24/7 monitoring and direct nursing care for critically ill patients experiencing severe, life-threatening injuries, illnesses, or post-surgical complications.
Assess patient conditions, develop and implement individualized care plans in collaboration with physicians, intensivists, pulmonologists, cardiologists, nurse practitioners, and respiratory therapists.
Manage and monitor patients on advanced therapies including mechanical ventilation, BIPAP, high-flow oxygen, intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), Impella, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), therapeutic hypothermia, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD including HeartMate 2 and 3), and continuous cardiac monitoring via HemoSphere.
Administer and titrate vasoactive medications, anticoagulants, sedatives, analgesics, and other critical care pharmacological agents per established protocols and physician orders.
Perform and maintain central line care, arterial line monitoring, ventilator management, and other advanced invasive procedures in compliance with LSCVAMC policy.
Provide comprehensive post-surgical nursing care for patients following coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG), aortic and mitral valve repairs, cardiac and vascular aneurysm repairs, vascular bypasses and stentings, major abdominal procedures, thoracic surgeries, and complex ENT surgeries (SICU).
Manage patients with acute heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, diabetic ketoacidosis, acute stroke, pneumonia, acute respiratory failure, and GI bleeding (MICU/CICU).
Perform skin assessments and implement evidence-based interventions to prevent Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcers (HAPU).
Monitor intake and output every shift and more frequently as clinically indicated.
Review all laboratory data and electronic medical records, communicating critical values to the appropriate provider immediately.
Operate and troubleshoot defibrillators, EKG machines, cardiac monitors, and other emergency and critical care technical equipment.
Initiate life-saving measures in the absence of a physician and respond rapidly and appropriately to all medical emergencies.
Document all patient care accurately and completely in the EHR prior to the end of each shift.
Coordinate admissions, transfers, and discharges including communication with receiving units and care teams.
Provide education and emotional support to patients and families throughout the critical care experience.
Participate in continuous quality improvement activities, Unit Practice Council (UPC) meetings, Nursing Quality Council, Professional Practice Council, unit staff meetings, safety huddles, and bedside reporting as required.
Report all patient safety incidents to the COR within 24 hours in accordance with VA patient safety policy.
Maintain compliance with all VA, Joint Commission, and facility-specific policies, procedures, and standards of conduct.