RN - Cardiothoracic Surgery Stepdown

Responsibilities:

• Provides direct nursing care in accordance with established policies, procedures and protocols of the healthcare organization. Implements and monitors patient care plans.
• Monitors, records and communicates patient condition as appropriate.
• Monitors and documents patient's condition and effectiveness and timeliness of care and/or interventions.
• Evaluates, updates and revises plan of care to facilitate achievement of planned and expected outcomes.
• Serves as a primary coordinator of all disciplines for well-coordinated patient care.
• Administers prescribed medications and treatments in accordance with approved nursing protocol.
• Notes and carries out physician and nursing orders.
• Assesses and coordinates patient's discharge planning needs with members of the healthcare team.
• Assesses educational needs of the patient and significant others considering cultural issues and other special concerns.
• Provides teaching and educational material as appropriate.
• Validates and documents patient and family understanding of teaching.
• Maintains professional growth and development through ongoing formal and informal education and clinical nursing study.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education:

• Graduate from an accredited school of professional nursing. BSN preferred.

Certifications:

• Current state licensure as Registered Nurse (RN).
• Proof of Basic Life Support (BLS) through American Heart Association (AHA) must be presented upon hire.
• If in a Critical Care area an Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) through American Heart Association (AHA) Certification must be presented upon hire or within first year of employment.
• Within one year of hire RNs in Children's Hospital and Children's Hospital for Rehabilitation will achieve and maintain Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) through American Heart Association (AHA) with the exception of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit RNs who must achieve and maintain Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) through American Heart Association (AHA) provider status and RNs in the Special Delivery Unit, who must achieve and maintain Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) through American Heart Association (AHA).
• ONS Chemo/Bio course complete within 1 year of employment if employed on units inpatient and/or outpatient where chemo is administered.
• If in an Adult/Combined EDs, ACLS upon hire or within one year of beginning work in the Emergency Department.
• If in an ED, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) through American Heart Association (AHA) upon hire or within one year of beginning work in the Emergency Department.
• In Dedicated Trauma Centers, Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC - adult) or Emergency Nurse Pediatric Course (ENPC - pediatric) upon hire or within 24 months of beginning work in the Emergency Department.
• Vascular Access Registered Nurse (VARN) program attendance required and obtains either a Certified Registered Nurse Infusion (CRNI) or Vascular Access Board Certified (VA-BC) certification upon hire or within a year of hire in Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) areas.
• Any registered nurse or advanced practice nurse must obtain a cancer specific certification or demonstrate ongoing qualifying education within the timeframe of the facilities accreditation cycle, if they work in  medical oncology, radiation oncology,  cancer center or cancer clinic and/or administer chemotherapy within an accredited Cleveland Clinic facility.

Complexity of Work:

• Requires critical thinking skills, decisive judgment and the ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Must be able to work in a stressful environment and take appropriate action.

Work Experience:

• Minimum one year current acute care RN experience in a hospital setting required for acute care settings.
• Minimum one year current acute care RN experience and/or skilled nursing facility (SNF) experience required for SNF care settings.
• Minimum one year current acute care RN experience and/or rehab experience required for rehab care settings.
• Minimum one year current acute care RN experience and/or Emergency Department (ED) experience required for ED settings.
• Will consider licensed military RN experience.

Physical Requirements:

• Requires full range of body motion including handling and lifting patient, manual and finger dexterity, and eye-hand coordination.
• Requires standing and walking for extended periods of time.
• Requires corrected vision and hearing to normal range.
• Requires working under stressful conditions and irregular hours.
• Exposure to communicable diseases and/or body fluids.
• Medium Work - Exerting 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.
• Physical Demand requirements are in excess of those for Light Work.

Personal Protective Equipment:

• Follows standard precautions using personal protective equipment as required.