RN Vascular Access Team (VAT) (Casual), West Penn Hospital

Highmark Health•Pittsburgh, PA

About The Position

The Registered Nurse on the Vascular Access Team (VAT) at West Penn Hospital provides specialized vascular-access care to improve patients’ hospital experiences and reduce pain and stress. The all-RN team uses autonomous, collaborative, and patient-advocacy practices to determine appropriate vascular-access devices. Team members use advanced technology for PICC line insertions and are competent in ultrasound-guided vascular-access device insertions. The team also supports staff education and training to improve patient outcomes. The Registered Nurse assesses human responses and plans, implements, and evaluates nursing care for assigned individuals and families. The RN is fully responsible for actions as a licensed nurse and accountable to patients for the quality of care delivered. The position includes professional leadership, collaboration, delegation, patient and family communication, quality and safety work, and ongoing professional development. This role is casual.

Requirements

Current Pennsylvania RN licensure or current multistate licensure through the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC).
Act 34 Criminal Background Clearance Certificate.
Act 33 Child Abuse Clearance Certificate.
Act 73 FBI Fingerprinting Criminal Background Clearance Certificate.
CPR certification.

Nice To Haves

Certification in the area of specialty.
At least 1 year of IV insertion experience, central line management, or guided ultrasound IV insertion.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership in a professional practice setting and contribute to team development through role modeling and mentoring.
Assign or delegate tasks based on patient needs and the skills of RNs, LPNs, and support staff; assign duties and lunches when acting as charge nurse.
Consider safety, patient condition, intervention complexity, and outcome predictability when making assignments or delegating tasks.
Give peers verbal and written feedback about clinical practice and role performance, and share knowledge and skills with colleagues.
Help foster a culture where staff can acknowledge mistakes and take appropriate risks.
Participate in interdisciplinary evaluation of clinical care and health services.
Promote patient-safety initiatives, participate in department quality initiatives, and ensure appropriate order sets are used.
Supervise, delegate to, and evaluate assigned LPNs within their scope of practice, as appropriate.
Use the nursing process to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate individualized patient care in accordance with prescriptions and applicable policies, involving patients and families.
Develop culturally and age-appropriate expected outcomes with patients, families, and other healthcare providers.
Analyze individuals’ and families’ health status to determine care needs, comparing findings with norms when possible.
Assess and document changes in patient condition, notify the physician and/or supervisor, and intervene appropriately.
Accept assignments outside the primary unit and perform duties within individual competency.
Pursue ongoing learning, use current research and other evidence to maintain and develop clinical skills, and promote the profession through participation in professional organizations.
Participate in peer review and seek feedback to identify strengths and professional-development needs.
Meet hospital time and attendance guidelines.
Continuously assess patient and family satisfaction and participate in department-specific satisfaction initiatives.
Communicate compassionately with patients and families, assess their concerns, and attempt to resolve them.
Use effective time-management skills to complete assigned duties within the work shift.