Registered Nurse, RN - Step Down Unit

Independence Health System Careers•Mount Pleasant, PA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Registered Nurse assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates care for a designated group of patients. The RN coordinates, directs, and actively participates as an effective member of the interdisciplinary health care team, contributing to efficient unit operations and positive patient outcomes. The role provides direct oversight of graduate nurses, LPNs, technical partners, ALS technicians, nurse externs, and unit clerks. This includes conducting initial comprehensive assessments, interpreting those assessments to initiate the interprofessional plan of care, and supervising delegation of duties within team members’ scope and capabilities. The RN provides specialized care for patients with arrhythmias, including interpreting rhythm strips and using appropriate treatment protocols, and cares for patients requiring ventilator support or invasive monitoring, including Swan-Ganz catheters, arterial lines, and CVP monitoring. The position may involve rotating shifts, standby or on-call scheduling, and local travel between Independence Health locations. Other related duties may be assigned.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited nursing program.
Strong leadership ability and organizational skills.
Independent and critical-thinking skills and sound judgment.
Knowledge of the legal aspects and liability of nursing practice.
Ability to communicate complex and/or controversial topics and concepts to a wide and diverse audience.
Current licensure to practice as a Registered Nurse in Pennsylvania.
Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through an American Heart Association-approved CPR and AED curriculum.
Act 33 clearance with renewal, Act 34 clearance with renewal, and Act 73 FBI clearance.
Current ACLS certification or completion within one year of hire or transfer into the department.
Current NIH Stroke Scale certification or completion within six months of hire or transfer into the department.
A nursing refresher course may be required if the employee has not worked in an acute care setting during their most recent three consecutive years of professional employment.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Nursing.
Critical care experience.
Open-heart experience.
One year of Med/Surg or PCU experience.

Responsibilities

Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate care for a designated group of patients.
Coordinate, direct, and participate as an effective member of the interdisciplinary health care team.
Maintain professional and technical knowledge through education workshops, professional publications, professional networks, and professional societies.
Assure quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards, measuring outcomes against care goals and standards, recommending adjustments, and following applicable nursing and regulatory standards.
Follow infection-control policies, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
Document patient care services in patient and department records.
Maintain continuity among nursing teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs using Nurse Knowledge Exchange techniques.
Protect confidential information and maintain patient confidence.
Identify patient care requirements by establishing rapport with patients and others who can help clarify care needs.
Provide emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.
Promote patient independence by setting care goals, teaching patients and families about conditions, medications, and self-care, and answering questions.
Maintain a safe and clean work environment and call on health care support personnel when needed.
Resolve patient problems and needs using multidisciplinary team strategies.
Support cooperative relationships among health care teams through communication, responsiveness, rapport-building, quality improvement, and problem-solving.
Ensure equipment operation by completing preventive maintenance, troubleshooting malfunctions, arranging repairs, maintaining inventories, and evaluating equipment and techniques.
Maintain nursing supplies inventory, anticipate needs, place and expedite orders, verify receipts, and use supplies and equipment as needed.
Conduct initial comprehensive assessments, interpret findings to initiate the interprofessional plan of care, and oversee and supervise delegation of duties to designated care team members.
Interpret and treat arrhythmias, review rhythm strips, and use appropriate drug-administration protocols for arrhythmia treatment.
Provide care to patients requiring ventilator support and invasive monitoring, including Swan-Ganz catheters, arterial lines, and CVP monitoring.
Perform other related duties as assigned.