Job Description
The Special Care Nurse (SCN) is a professional registered nurse who is trained and demonstrates expertise in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of human responses to life-threatening problems. The SCN promotes the restoration of health as well as alleviation of suffering for persons and families facing critical illness. The SCN demonstrates professional accountability through continuous education and participation in quality review. CUSTOMERS SERVED: · Neonate/Infant (0-12 months) · Pediatric (1-12 years) · Adolescent (13-17 years) · Adult (18-70 years) · Geriatric (70 years and older) LICENSURE: Must be currently licensed in the State of Florida as a Registered Professional Nurse in accordance with Section 464.06 1 of Chapter 464 of the Florida Statutes. EDUCATION: Graduation from an accredited AS, diploma or baccalaureate degee nursing curriculum. BSN preferred. Completion of critical care course preferred. Current Basic Life Support and ACLS certification. EXPERIENCE: One year experience in critical care nursing. One year experience in acute care nursing with completion of a critical care course will be considered for admission to the preceptor program. EMPLOYMENT VARIABLES: ACLS is required within 6 months of employment. Membership in professional organizations, with special emphasis on AACN, is highly recommended. Certification in critical care nursing (CCRN) is encouraged. ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS Computer skills: Input data into computer programs. Communications skills: Answer telephones. Coordinate events/meetings. Interview others. Schedule appointments. Patient care skills: Maintain patient charts. EQUIPMENT, MACHINES & TOOLS USED: Computer equipment: CRT. Personal computer. Word processor. General office equipment: Calculator. Fax. Photocopier. Patient care equipment: Diagnostic equipment. Required protective equipment: Eye protection. Face protection. Gown. Lab coat or apron. Frequent non-sterile medical gloves. Sterile medical gloves. WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Environmental exposure: May be exposed to infections and contagious diseases. Regularly exposed to the risk of bloodborne diseases. Exposed to hazardous anesthetic agents, body fluids and waste. Exposed to hazards for electrical/mechanical/power equipment. Occasionally exposed to radiation hazards. May be exposed to biohazards, radioactive substances. Exposed to odors, chemicals and specimens. Exposed to housekeeping/cleaning agents/chemicals. Occasional exposure to unpleasant patient or unit elements. Exposed to unpleasant elements (accidents, injuries and illness). Temperature changes, variations in temperature from hot to cold. Hazards, conditions where there is danger to life, body and/or health. Atmospheric conditions that affect the skin or respiratory. Working conditions: Subject to hazards of flammable, explosive gases. Contact with patients under a wide variety of circumstances. Subject to varying and unpredictable situations. Handles emergency or crisis situations. May perform emergency care. Subject to many interruptions. Subject to long irregular hours. Occasional pressure due to multiple calls and inquiries. PHYSICAL DEMANDS (using the percentage range as listed): 0% = Never 1-33% = Occasional 34-66% = Frequent 67-100% = Continuous Requires full range of body motion, including: A. Standing/Walking: Frequent. Worker is on his/her feet the majority of the day to perform direct or indirect patient care as well as the monitoring functions of this job. B. Bending/Stooping (knees extended, standing with knees flexed): Frequent. Bending/stooping is required in most job activities (making beds, emptying catheters, bedpans, bathing patients, obtaining linens, and repositioning patients). C. Lifting/Handling: Frequent. Patients may weigh approximately 10 to 300 pounds. Assistance is available if patients need to be moved from bed to wheelchair, stretcher, bed scales, bedside commodes. These activities are frequentÂly performed with a push/pull technique. D. Carrying: Occasional (range of weight 1-30 pounds). Worker must carry food trays, medications, linens of various weights, charts, bedside commodes, chairs. E. Push/Pull: Frequent. Worker is responsible for performing a push/pull motion when maneuvering medicine carts, moving beds, stretchers, wheelchairs, life care pumps, crash carts, and physician chart racks over tile floors and carpeted floors. Push/pull activities are also required throughout the day with patient treatments (dressing F. Balancing: Occasional. May be necessary for the worker to steady a weak patient during ambulation, daily weights and transfers, or to react to a combative patient. G. Twisting/Turning: Frequent. Spent in turning activities in combination with lifting and bending. The employee may twist when obtaining supplies from various cabinets, restocking cabinets, maneuvering patients with chair-to-bed pivots, hanging I. V.'s, reading vital signs, dressing changes, suctioning, administering medication, feedings, measuring and emptying catheters, and performing emergency life-saving measures. H. Crouching/Stooping: Occasional. Crouching is necessary in a variety of patient care activities such as picking up an object from the floor, emptying bedside drainage bags, obtaining supplies on low shelves or medicines from medication carts, bathing or dressing patient. I. Kneeling: Occasional. Occurs most often when objects are dropped onto floor under another surface or when comforting family members. J. Reaching: Occasional. 1. Greater than shoulder height: Occasional, when worker reaches for supplies from storage shelves, manipulating overbed lights, IV poles, cardiac monitors. 2. Equal to shoulder height: Occasional, when worker reaches for supplies, operates patient education TV, uses wall-mounted sphygmomanometers, suction devices, and some charts. 3. Less than shoulder height: Occasional, when worker reaches for supplies, central monitoring units, and charts. K. Handling/Manual Dexterity: Continuous. Both fine and gross motor skills are needed bilaterally in all types of patient care activities. Working speed may be crucial in critical situations. L. Speaking/Hearing/Seeing: Continuous. 1. Speaking: Able to communicate orally with co-workers, patients and visitors. 2. Hearing with or without correction: Within 90 decibels and able to distinguish low- and high-pitch sounds through stethoscope. 3. Seeing with or without correction: a vision no worse than 20/60. Seeing depth perception is needed to judge steps and inclines within the hospital. Color perception is needed so fine color changes can be discriminated. SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. Adheres to hospital and nursing policies, procedures, and standards. 2. Utilizes the nursing process on a continual basis. 3. Supervises and acts as resource for ancillary personnel and other staff. 4. Maintains safe and therapeutic patient environment. 5. Participates in continuing education and inservice offerings. 6. Administers, observes, documents and reports effects of medications, IV therapy, and diagnostic measures in a safe and accurate manner. 7. All job requirements listed indicate the minimum level of knowledge, skills and/or ability deemed necessary to perform the job proficiently. The job description/performance appraisal is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Employee will be responsible to perform any other job-related instructions given by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodations. SUPERVISED BY: Associate Executive Director/DON, Nurse Manager, and Shift Supervisor when applicable. WORKERS SUPERVISED: LPN' s, Techs, NA' s, and WC' s. CONTACT WITH OTHERS: Constant contact with patients, visitors, physicians and other hospital staff personnel. BODY MECHANICS: Utilizes proper body mechanics. Demonstrate proper posture during all work activities, all lifting tasks, and all patient transfers. When appropriate, utilizes equipment or other persons to assist with lifting and/or patient transfers. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT STATEMENT: External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled, must be able to perform the essential job-specific functions (listed within each job-specific responsibility) either unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation to be determined by
Requirements
MUST BE A FLORIDA LICENSED REGISTERED NURSE WITH A MINIMUM OF 5YRS TO 10YRS EXP . IN STEPDOWN UNITS. SEE JOB DESCRIPTION
Contact Information
CONTACT JILL NORIEGA ICU/IMC DIRECTOR AT 305294 5535, EXT 4511