Registered Nurse-Labor-Delivery-Postpartum Full-Time Nights

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare•DeKalb, IL

About The Position

The Registered Nurse-Labor-Delivery-Postpartum provides inpatient nursing care at Kishwaukee, reflecting Northwestern Medicine’s mission, vision, and values and complying with organizational policies and regulatory standards. The RN uses the nursing process to provide high-quality, evidence-based care to patients and families, taking developmental needs and abilities into account. The nurse assesses assigned patients, develops and updates individualized plans of care, coordinates with patients, families, and interdisciplinary team members, administers medications and treatments safely, and evaluates responses to interventions. The role includes patient and family education, pain management, discharge planning, accurate documentation, and timely communication of changes in patient status.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
Current State of Illinois Registered Professional Nurse license.
American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
An Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is acceptable with a commitment to obtain a BSN from an accredited program within three years of the first day of employment in a clinical nurse role.

Nice To Haves

Strong interpersonal skills.
Ability to collaborate with others.
Strong analytic abilities.

Responsibilities

Assess each assigned patient according to unit guidelines, considering age-specific physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and environmental factors.
Recognize signs of abuse or neglect and follow hospital policy for reporting potential abuse or neglect.
Assess patient and family educational needs, abilities, learning preferences, and readiness to learn.
Anticipate potential problems related to the patient's condition, adjustment to disease, complications, knowledge needs, discharge needs, and family support.
Develop and update the nursing plan of care based on assessment and nursing diagnosis, involving the interdisciplinary team and patient, family, or significant others.
Assess and include patient and family education and discharge planning needs in the plan of care.
Communicate with physicians and other healthcare providers by reporting and recording pertinent observations and reactions.
Assess patient responses to treatment, recognize and analyze symptoms or changes in condition, and initiate appropriate nursing interventions.
Prioritize care for assigned patients and adjust priorities as patient status or unit activity changes.
Participate in discharge planning from admission, documenting teaching, patient and family understanding, and timely referrals.
Apply standards of care and appropriate age-specific interventions, documenting care safely and promptly and consulting with the team or clinical development coordinator as needed.
Follow OSHA standards and applicable guidelines, policies, and procedures.
Include patients, families, and significant others in developing the plan of care, providing care, and teaching.
Administer prescribed medications and perform treatments safely, using medication administration as an opportunity to educate patients and families.
Provide pain management, comfort, and support to patients and families.
Anticipate patient needs and coordinate care activities with hospital departments, healthcare providers, and community agencies.
Reassess patients according to their condition, standards of practice, and hospital policy.
Evaluate diagnostic data promptly and intervene appropriately.
Document treatments, assessments, and patient responses to nursing actions and interventions accurately and comprehensively.
Communicate changes in patient status to the charge nurse, physician, and other healthcare team members as appropriate.
Evaluate patient and family responses to teaching, including understanding, acceptance, and compliance.
Initiate patient care conferences with the interdisciplinary team and revise the plan of care based on patient response.
Evaluate the quality of care provided, including nursing assessments and plans of care.