Registered Nurse Patient Care

UnaSource Surgery Center•Troy, MI

10h•$25 - $48•Onsite

About The Position

UnaSource Surgery Center, located in Troy, Michigan, is a multi-specialty outpatient surgery center serving infants, children, adults, and seniors since 2002. With five operating rooms and 18 private patient care suites, the center treats over 7000 patients annually. This .60 FTE Registered Nurse position is responsible for delivering patient care that promotes safety and well-being for patients and staff. The role involves providing physical, educational, and technical care and support, with a strong emphasis on pre and postoperative assessment skills. This includes evaluating physical, psychosocial/family, cultural, personal beliefs or restrictions, cognitive abilities, and pain/comfort needs. The nurse will participate in policy and procedure development, identify and intervene in immediate pre and postoperative problems, and perform direct patient care. Key responsibilities include assessing and managing postoperative pain, assessing airway adequacy and intervening quickly, demonstrating proficiency with cardiac monitoring and interpretation, and understanding Phase I and Phase II recovery nursing principles. Ensuring continuity of care through communication with surgeons, anesthesiologists, OR personnel, and other staff is crucial. The position requires a high degree of responsibility, confidentiality, and discretion, with the ability to remain calm and effective in stressful situations, take initiative in emergencies, and prioritize, organize, and multi-task. The role supports the organization's mission and vision, promotes teamwork, and functions as a team member providing compassionate, collaborative, and trustworthy care. The nurse has a moral obligation to promote patient welfare, health, and safety, and to advocate for the patient.

Requirements

Graduate of accredited registered nurse program.
Valid registered nurse state license.
BLS, ACLS, PALS certification within one year of employment.
Knowledge of Pathophysiology of body systems and how anesthesia drugs affect each body system.
Knowledge of nursing unit standards of care in the POCU/PACU and patient room areas.
Knowledge of safety regulations along with policies and procedures (Universal Precautions).
Ability to verbally communicate accurate data to doctors, surgeons, and anesthesiologists in a quick and thorough manner.
Ability to write thoroughly enough for nursing care actions that could be defensible in a court system.
Math skills to calculate IV drip rates, antibiotic dosages, to convert medication dosages to CCs from bulk medication containers, and to calculate appropriate pain medications.
Reading skills to comprehend training manuals, physician orders, computer information, and data related to patient care in the POCU/PACU.
Ability to effectively explain and train other nurses.
Ability to prioritize nursing tasks according to standards of care in the POCU/PACU.
Demonstrate competency in total joint and complex spine perioperative nursing.
See well enough to read written/typed material, monitors, gauges, printouts, computers, etc.
Hear well enough to receive doctors’ orders over the telephone and to hear monitor alarms at all times.
Speak well enough to communicate ideas to doctors, other nurses, health care professionals, and family members.
Strength to physically maneuver patients around in bed.
Have use of hands and fingers to give injections, draw up medications into syringes, and assist doctor with any procedures.
Have mobility to move quickly in an emergency, to reach overhead and under beds, and to stand long periods of time.

Nice To Haves

One to three years’ experience in CCU, ICU, ER and/or PACU preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide physical, educational, and technical care and support.
Demonstrate strong assessment skills both pre and postoperatively, including physical, psychosocial/family, cultural, personal beliefs or restrictions, cognitive abilities, pain, and comfort needs.
Participate in the development and implementation of policies and procedures.
Identify immediate problems in the pre and postoperative phase and intervene appropriately.
Perform direct patient care preoperatively and postoperatively.
Assess, document, and manage postoperative pain.
Assess airway adequacy and intervene quickly and appropriately when necessary.
Demonstrate proficiency with cardiac monitoring and interpretation.
Demonstrate understanding and knowledge of Phase I and Phase II recovery nursing principles and expectations.
Ensure continuity of patient care by communicating with all surgeons, anesthesiologists, OR personnel and other staff any pertinent or abnormal findings.
Remain calm and effective in stressful situations and take initiative in emergency situations.
Prioritize, organize, and multi-task.
Support the organization mission and vision.
Promote teamwork and function as a team member providing care that encompasses compassion, collaboration, and trust.
Promote the welfare, health and safety of the patient, and advocate on the patient’s behalf whenever necessary.
Extubate patients with endotracheal and larynx-mask airway.
Assess airway quality and function.
Managing Patient Airway.
Connect airway to t-tube oxygen and suction airway as needed.
Place oral and/or nasal airways as needed.
Evaluate breath sounds and document.
Identify signs and/or symptoms of respiratory distress and intervene appropriately.
Administer breathing treatments as needed.
Properly position head for optimal airway function.
Use bag-valve-mask, suction equipment, oral and nasal airways, t-tubes, suction catheters, oximeters, mist puffers.
Assess integrity of surgical site.
Notify surgeon of increased bleeding, bruising, discoloration, temperature, heat, redness or swelling at site.
Identify signs and symptoms of infection.
Identify any drains and record amount of drainage.
Document type of dressing (4x4s, bandaid, ace wrap, etc.) and site.
Assess pain level and need for pain medications continuously until optimal response is obtained.
Administer pain and other medications with knowledge of dosage and effects.
Position patients comfortably and teach breathing techniques and alternatives for pain management.
Locate oxygen tubing, supplemental oxygen masks, t-tubes, and airway supplies efficiently.
Sign off doctor orders as received.
Perform surgeon’s orders (ice bags, medications including pain meds and antibiotics, elevation of extremities, etc.).
Monitor and record IV fluids, incisional drains, empty catheters, etc.
Obtain temperature and intervene as appropriate with warm blankets or heating or cooling methods.
Verify and validate patient and family awareness of discharge instructions.
Ensure that post-operative teaching is understood by patient/family by performance of tasks or repeating instructions verbally.
Identify discharge criteria.
Discharge patient according to discharge criteria to a responsible adult.
Provision of patient care to outpatient total joint and complex spine specialty patients.
Establish availability of responsible adult to provide home care and transportation home.
Verify family and patient education regarding pain management and medication, nourishment, activity, safety and follow-up care.
Provide written discharge instructions.
Obtain labs, referrals blood, X-rays using the correct process.
Competent and proficient in I-Stat testing.
Perform urine pregnancy tests according to anesthesia criteria.
Identify proper veins or capillaries to use for obtaining blood samples.
Competent and proficient in venipuncture.
Reassure and educate patient before procedure.
Identify correct collection device and/or vacuum tube for test to be performed.
Obtain blood sample for point of care and I-STAT testing as ordered by physician.
Obtain I-STAT for diabetic patients.
Attach leads and monitoring equipment correctly to patient to monitor patient’s vital signs and EKG.
Read and interpret values (EKG, B/P, heart rate, pulse oximetry) on monitors.
Troubleshoot and adjust equipment as necessary.
Annual completion of specified mandatory in-services.
Annual completion of six hours of total joint and complex spine specialty education.
Functions as a member of a multidisciplinary healthcare team, consults and collaborates with colleagues, peers, supervisors and other healthcare providers and promotes respectful relationships among colleagues.
Delivers care in a non-judgmental, compassionate and nondiscriminatory manner that is sensitive to diversity.
Delivers care in a manner that preserves and protects patient autonomy, dignity, respect and rights.
Evaluates factors related to safety, effectiveness, and costs to the outcome of optimal patient care.
Annual completion of specified competencies and in-services.
Report Incidents and Adverse Incidents per Center policy.