Perioperative Registered Nurse (Circulator / Sedation) - PRN

Position: Perioperative Registered Nurse (Circulator / Sedation)

Shift: PRN

Required Education and Experience:
1.    Minimum associate degree in nursing.
2.    Current, valid certification in the state of Georgia as Registered Nurse.
3.    Current, valid AHA Healthcare Provider training (BCLS and ACLS).

Preferred Education and Experience:
1.    Bachelor’s degree in nursing.
2.    Experience working as a registered nurse in a critical care environment.
3.    Experience in the surgical environment of at least 1 year PACU.

Essential Functions:
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function.

Consults and coordinates with health care team members to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate patient care plans.

Assesses patient condition prior to surgery and verifies completion of required pre-operative documentation, labs, and consents.

Prepares patients for surgical or procedural intervention including IV initiation, medication administration, and patient education.

Confirms surgical site verification and patient identification according to hospital safety protocols.

Ensures all requirements in the patients’ chart are met prior to processing for surgery.

Serves as the circulating nurse during surgical procedures by coordinating patient care activities within the operating room.

Maintains a sterile and safe surgical environment and ensures adherence to infection prevention standards.

Assists surgical team members by obtaining necessary equipment, supplies, and instrumentation during procedures.

Performs surgical counts in accordance with hospital policy. Participates in surgical counts and immediately reports and initiates appropriate corrective actions for any count discrepancies in accordance with hospital policy prior to wound closure.

Documents intraoperative activities including patient condition, medications, implants, and surgical events.

Advocates for patient safety and ensures compliance with surgical safety protocols and surgical time-out procedures.

Administers prescribed medications and evaluates responses to treatments/interventions.

Maintains an accurate record of all patients’ care in the pre/post operative record.

Appropriately manages patient’s pain and nausea with appropriate reassessments.

Provides care for a wide variety of medical patients; including pre- and post-surgery patients.

Initiates patient education plan, as prescribed by physician. Educates patients and significant others how to manage their illness/injury by explaining post-treatment home care needs.

Monitors vital signs, recognizes emergencies, and notifies the appropriate personnel.

Explains discharge instructions to patient, family, responsible adult.

Prepares and restocks recovery area.

Changes dressings, inserts catheters, and starts IVs.

Records all care information concisely, accurately, completely, in a timely manner, in the appropriate format, and on the appropriate forms.

Helps coordinate any pre-operative/post-operative needs of the patient.

Responsible for following physician written orders and implements orders as soon as possible.

Administers and monitors moderate (conscious) sedation medications under the direction of the physician or credentialed provider in accordance with hospital policy and regulatory standards.

Provides continuous physiologic monitoring of patients during procedural sedation including cardiac rhythm, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, respiratory status, and level of consciousness.

Maintains readiness to manage airway support and sedation-related complications, initiating appropriate interventions and emergency response in accordance with ACLS protocols.

Accurately documents sedation assessments, medications, monitoring parameters, and patient responses throughout the procedure and recovery period.

Collaborates with physicians and the perioperative team to ensure safe sedation practices, patient stability, and appropriate transition to recovery or discharge.

Monitors patients recovering from anesthesia and procedural sedation including assessment of airway, vital signs, neurological status, and pain level.

Recognizes complications or emergencies and promptly initiates appropriate interventions.

Ensures economical use of supplies and equipment.

Determine when patients are ready to move to Phase II recovery.

Competencies:
1.    Customer/Patient Focus.
2.    Ethical conduct.
3.    Flexibility.
4.    Accuracy.
5.    Thoroughness.
6.    Time Management.
7.    Initiative.
8.    Personal Effectiveness/Credibility.
9.    Stress Management/Composure.
10.    Teamwork Orientation.
11.    Technical Capacity.
12.    Communication Proficiency.
13.    Leadership.
14.    Learning Orientation.

Supervisory Responsibility:
This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Work Environment:
This position operates in a health care setting.  This role requires regular walking to various locations around the hospital.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to fumes or airborne particles and some mechanical equipment.  The employee is occasionally exposed to a variety of patient conditions and elements.  The noise level is moderate to quiet.

Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.

This position is very active and requires standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, and climbing all day.  The employee must frequently lift or move objects and patients weighing over 50 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:
This is a PRN (as needed) position in a health care facility open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Working during inclement weather may be required.  Shifts may vary, but working hours may be up to approximately 12 hours. 

As PRN, this position requires working at least one shift per month. 

At Will Statement:

Monroe County Hospital is considered at will.  “At will” means that you may terminate employment at any time, with or without cause or advance notice. “At will” also means that Monroe County Hospital may terminate employment at any time, with or without cause or advance notice, as long as federal and state laws are not violated.

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee of the job.  Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.