The Registered Nurse (RN) is responsible for assessing, planning, implementing, evaluating, and, when appropriate, delegating patient care to a designated group of staff. The RN collaborates with physicians, medical professionals, and interdisciplinary team members to ensure the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care.

This role provides care to neonate, adolescent, and adult patients, utilizing principles of growth and development to meet each patient’s unique physical and psychosocial needs. All care is delivered in accordance with Carroll Hospital’s mission, policies, and regulatory standards.

Clinical Care & Patient Safety

• Collect and document comprehensive patient health data while maintaining privacy and confidentiality

• Apply the nursing process and principles of growth and development in all aspects of patient care

• Promote therapeutic relationships with patients and families

• Maintain a safe working environment by adhering to Carroll Hospital policies and procedures

• Identify, document, and report outcome variances and critical values using read-back procedures within required timeframes

• Implement infection prevention practices and patient safety precautions, including fall prevention and restraint use per policy

• Adhere to medication administration standards, including medication reconciliation and the Five Rights of medication administration

• Utilize appropriate safety equipment and safe patient-handling procedures

Care Coordination & Communication

• Communicate effectively with physicians, associates, patients, and families to ensure care plans and interventions are understood and implemented

• Coordinate human, material, and financial resources to support patient care and discharge planning

• Promote patient flow by adhering to admitting and transfer timeframes

• Ensure all transfer processes are completed, including medication reconciliation, valuables documentation, and inter/intrafacility transfer paperwork

• Utilize established chain of command to resolve issues, complaints, or concerns

Clinical Judgment & Professional Practice

• Demonstrate strong clinical judgment, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills

• React appropriately to changes in patient condition by coordinating interventions with the healthcare team and family

• Activate additional resources when needed, including the Critical Outreach Team (COT) and other hospital response teams

• Accept accountability and responsibility for professional practice and workload management

• Promote efficiency and seek opportunities to improve processes and outcomes

Leadership & Professional Development

• Display leadership skills and teamwork in daily practice

• Serve as a mentor or preceptor to support professional growth and a positive practice environment

• Participate in unit-based drills, peer review, and quality improvement initiatives

• Attend a minimum of three educational activities annually and share new knowledge with staff

• Participate in initiatives related to regulatory standards, including National Patient Safety Goals and prevention of never events

• Competent to work in at least two of the following three areas:

  • Labor & Delivery

  • Mother/Baby

  • Special Care Nursery (SCN)

Unit-Specific Competencies Include:

• Labor & Delivery: Proficient in fetal monitoring interpretation and timely interventions

• Special Care Nursery: Independently stabilizes and transfers unstable infants; anticipates needs and recognizes changes in infant status

• Mother/Baby: Performs thorough head-to-toe assessments; identifies subtle changes in condition and notifies providers appropriately

• Maryland Board of Nursing RN License – Required

• American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) – Required