Registered Nurse - NICU - Full Time - Shift

Kern Medical • Bakersfield, CA

9h • Onsite

About The Position

Kern Medical is seeking a Registered Nurse for their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on a full-time basis. This role is crucial in creating and sustaining an environment that supports compassionate care through authentic presence with patients and families, building trusting relationships, and embracing mind, body, and spirit modalities to mobilize patient strengths and abilities toward healing. The nurse will collect and document patient data, interpret assessment data to identify risk factors, and collaborate with the healthcare team to develop individualized care plans. Responsibilities include implementing nursing and physician orders safely, prioritizing nursing actions, establishing nursing diagnoses, and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions. The role requires anticipating and managing rapidly changing situations, prioritizing and responding quickly to emergencies, and performing the nursing process consistent with scientific principles and hospital policy. The nurse will coordinate patient care activities, partner with patients and families to assess learning needs and co-develop plans, and design teaching methods. They will also coordinate and participate in patient care rounds and conferences, contribute to team building, and assist with training and orienting new staff. Quality of care is maintained by adhering to therapeutic standards and evidence-based practices, and patient and employee safety is ensured through infection control policies, medication administration, and controlled substance regulations. The nurse will participate in staff meetings, professional governance councils, and contribute to the evaluation and standards development for nursing practice. Completing all competencies, mandatory classes, and educational coursework is required, along with demonstrating commitment to lifelong learning and adhering to hospital policies and the RN scope of practice. Knowledge of ANA Code of Ethics, ANA Scope and Standards of Practice, and KMC Professional Practice Model is expected, along with monitoring practices for patient and employee safety and identifying opportunities for continual improvement. The nurse will demonstrate clinical knowledge and skill in the care of populations served by Kern Medical facilities. Other functions include performing other job-related duties as assigned, training staff, orienting new staff, and serving as a mentor.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited registered nursing program with a Bachelor or Associate’s degree preferred, and a valid and unrestricted license issued by the State of California to practice as a Registered Nurse; Or Possession of an active temporary license issued by the State of California to practice as a Registered Nurse.
• Employees must maintain all health requirements designated by Kern Medical Center.
• Possess and maintain a current American Heart Association Healthcare Provider Basic Life Support (BLS) card.
• Depending on assignment, incumbents may be required to possess and maintain specific certificates of competency or complete designated education as a condition of employment.
• Knowledge of: Theory, techniques and practices of nursing; medical terminology, instruments and equipment; the uses and effects of medicines and narcotics.
• Skill in: Following oral and written instruction and maintain concise and complete records.
• Demonstrate the practical and theoretical knowledge of nursing care specific to the assigned work area/specialty; meet the content and performance criteria specific to each defined specialty, including the nursing process, leadership/professional development, and unit operation; demonstration of standard techniques of record maintenance and report writing; using computers and related software applications; keyboarding and using standard office equipment; follow oral and written instruction; communicate both orally and in writing sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction; prepare and maintain concise and comprehensive required records and reports; establish and maintain effective work relationships with staff, other hospital employees, patients and their families; dependent upon area of practice or department assignments, demonstrates clinical knowledge and skill in the care of populations served by Kern Medical facilities.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor or Associate’s degree preferred

Responsibilities

• Creates and sustains an environment that supports compassionate caring through authentic presence with the patient and family, building trusting relationships, creates connections that embrace mind, body, spirit modalities to mobilize the patient’s strengths and abilities toward healing.
• Collects and documents data for assigned patients according to prescribed methods.
• Interprets assessment data to determine whether patient has physiological and/or psychosocial risk factors, records and reports variances from normal parameters.
• Collaborates with the patient, family and members of the healthcare team to develop individualized plan of care based on existing and potential patient problems, observable patient responses.
• Implements nursing and physician orders safely
• Uses education, experience and interpretation of assessment data to prioritize appropriate nursing actions; Establishes nursing diagnoses, uses appropriate resources to formulate a written plan of care; evaluates the effectiveness of nursing interventions and revises patient care plans, as necessary.
• Anticipates and effectively manages rapidly changing situations by rapid grasp of changes in patient status and problem situations.
• Prioritizing and responds quickly and appropriately to identify the need for and activation of emergency protocols and assistance.
• Performs and documents the nursing process consistent with scientific principle and hospital policy as required by patient assignment using critical thinking and nursing judgment.
• Implements the medical and nursing care plans and coordinates patient care activities with nurses, physicians and Advanced Practice Providers.
• Partners with the patient/family to assess learning needs, priorities and level of understanding and co-develops plan.
• Designs teaching methods and plans accordingly; follows through on teaching plans developed to instruct patients and their family members regarding; testing, procedures and disease process; knowledge and skills essential to coping with illness, and promotion of optimum health.
• Coordinates and participates in patient care rounds and conferences.
• Understands team dynamics and collaborates effectively within the care team.
• Contributes to team building through participation in unit programs and meetings; contributes to positive morale, using constructive and effective conflict resolution skills.
• Assists with training staff members and orienting new staff; works collaboratively with clinicians to manage patient care.
• Assures quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards and evidence-based practices, measuring outcomes against patient care goals and hospital or regulatory standards.
• Provides safe care to patients and protects employees by adhering to approved infection control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures and controlled substance regulations.
• Participates in staff meetings, professional governance councils (unit or organizational level), evaluation and standards development for nursing practice, nursing recognition and well-being activities.
• Completes all competencies, mandatory classes and educational coursework as required by the Department of Nursing.
• Attains knowledge and competence that reflects current nursing practice.
• Demonstrates commitment to lifelong learning.
• Adheres to hospital-approved policies and procedures.
• Adheres to RN scope of practice, as defined by BRN licensure.
• Is knowledgeable of and is compliant with ANA Code of Ethics, ANA Scope and Standards of Practice, and KMC Professional Practice Model
• Monitors own practices and assists in monitoring others for practices related to patient and employee safety and compliance to standards and policies.
• Looks for opportunities for continual improvement in patient care and the work environment.
• Demonstrates clinical knowledge and skill in the care of populations served by Kern Medical facilities.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.
• Trains staff members, orients new staff and serves as a mentor to staff as an experienced clinician and manager of care.

Benefits

• New Hire Bonus : $6,000.00
• New Hire Premium : +6% of base rate of pay, matched up to 6% if contributed to Deferred Compensation Plan.
• Shift Differential Pay : P.M. shift (7:00 PM - 7:30 AM) = 10% of base pay.
• Holidays
• Paid Time Off
• Retirement
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance
• Participation and company contributions into the Kern County Employees’ Retirement Plan.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree