Registered Nurse, Heywood Emergency Room

Heywood Hospital•Gardner, MA

1d•$40 - $79

About The Position

Under the direction of the nurse manager, the Registered Nurse performs direct and indirect patient care activities according to Emergency Department standards and must be able to function independently in the department. The role requires assessment, critical-thinking, and communication skills, along with the ability to work as part of a team. The nurse assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates patient care; provides treatment and education; coordinates discharge planning; delegates and supervises care; and documents patient status, interventions, and responses. Emergency Department duties include triage, pain assessment, medication and intravenous therapy, patient safety and mandated reporting, forensic evidence handling, disaster preparedness, violence-risk interventions, restraint monitoring, and recognizing and reporting changes in diagnostic results. The nurse also manages critical-care needs such as vasoactive medications, cardiac arrhythmias, thrombolytic and anticoagulation therapy, intubated patients, impaired gas exchange, medication reconciliation, and implementation of the VAP bundle. This is a temporary position scheduled for 36 hours, from 3:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., every other weekend and every other holiday. The stated pay range is $39.58–$78.93. The role has physical demands that include exerting 20–50 pounds of force occasionally, 10–25 pounds frequently, and up to 10 pounds constantly, as well as frequent reaching, handling, and feeling and occasional stooping, kneeling, and distinguishing colors.

Requirements

Associate degree in nursing required.
Current Massachusetts Registered Nurse license.
ACLS upon hire, or an active BLS card at hire and AHA ACLS certification within 60 days of hire.
AHA PALS certification within six months of hire.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor of Science in Nursing preferred.
Three to five years of Emergency Department experience preferred.
TNCC preferred.
ENPC preferred.
CEN preferred.

Responsibilities

Assess and reassess patients; plan, implement, and evaluate nursing interventions, plans of care, and patient goals.
Provide patient care in accordance with standards of care and practice, protocols, and established policies and procedures.
Respect patients as individuals and provide care that fosters dignity and positive self-regard.
Teach patients and families based on learning needs, readiness, and barriers to learning.
Plan and prepare patients and families for discharge collaboratively, incorporating support systems and resources as needed.
Delegate and supervise nursing interventions performed by others.
Prioritize patient care, seek appropriate assistance, reassign personnel as necessary, and recognize the need for emergency intervention.
Document pertinent data, therapeutic interventions, and patient responses thoroughly, accurately, and on time.
Provide timely, thorough reports to health care team members to support integrated services and continuity of care.
Promote learning for colleagues and self, including serving as a preceptor, instructor, or trainer and attending professional development programs.
Identify patient-safety risks and opportunities to reduce medical or health care errors, including reporting errors and incidents appropriately.
Identify ethical issues in care and develop a plan to address them.
Safely administer medications and intravenous therapy in accordance with orders, protocols, policies, and procedures.
Assess and document pain, reassess the effectiveness of pain control, and notify physicians as needed.
Perform and document initial assessments on patient arrival and implement triage protocols as needed.
Identify patients at risk for potential or alleged abuse; initiate safety plans for domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse; and complete mandated reports promptly.
Collect forensic evidence and maintain its chain of evidence according to policy and procedure.
Complete mandated reports for stabbings, gunshot wounds, burns, and sexual assault according to policy and procedure.
Maintain knowledge of disaster policies and procedures.
Identify patients at risk for violent behavior and implement appropriate non-violent interventions.
Understand indications for and alternatives to restraints, and monitor and document restraint use.
Recognize normal and abnormal laboratory and diagnostic results and promptly notify physicians of changes.
Safely administer vasoactive medications, understanding dosage, action, use, side effects, and titration parameters for critical drips.
Accurately identify cardiac arrhythmias.
Institute, monitor, and document thrombolytic and anticoagulation therapy standards and protocols.
Initiate and maintain care of intubated patients, including suctioning, troubleshooting, and weaning.
Interpret arterial blood gases, pulse oximetry, and clinical signs of impaired gas exchange or airway clearance accurately.
Obtain supporting information and complete required medication-reconciliation documentation for the Attending MD.
Implement VAP bundle components consistently according to protocol and alert the Nurse Manager, Director, or Nursing Supervisor to deviations by the Attending MD for case review and follow-up as indicated.
Perform other job-related duties as requested.