Reports to the Patient Care Service Manager. Provides professional nursing services. Assesses the needs of patients and initiates, implements and evaluates individualized plans of care. Collaborates with other professional, clinical and ancillary staff in providing quality care to patients.

MISSION, VALUES and SERVICE GOALS

• MISSION: We deliver outstanding care, inspire health, and connect with heart.
• VALUES: Trust. Respect. Integrity. Compassion.
• SERVICE GOALS: Personally connect. Keep everyone informed. Be on their team.

Provides professional nursing services by:

• Performing the priority (high risk, high frequency) technical procedures safely, effectively, efficiently, and legally.
• Establishing and/or revising priorities for job/patient care activities based on the acuity of the need, resource availability, customer/patient preference/request, consideration for other department or staff priorities, timelines and plans.
• Responding to data indicating potential or actual risk to an individual's physical or emotional health by initiating action to correct, reduce or prevent the risk.
• Advocating for the patient or family when necessary to achieve appropriate outcomes.
• Maintaining accountability for own and delegated actions and decisions. Bases actions and decisions on scientific principles/logic, successful experiences, intuition, standards of practice/protocols, and organizational values.
• Seeking supervision, consultation, or assistance when unable to perform effectively or safely independently.
• Using internal and/or external resources to resolve and/or prevent problems that cannot be managed independently.

Provides information to and directs others to provide quality patient care by:

• Developing or revising a plan of care for assigned patients based on initial and ongoing data. Includes measurable goals/outcomes; reflects values, preferences and limitations of patient and/or family; identifies interventions to achieve outcomes/goals; addresses pertinent physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and learning problems/needs.
• Initiating or maintaining interventions to assure continuity of safe-effective care for patients across the entire continuum of care.
• Modifying, continuing or discontinuing interventions, goals, or time frames, according to evaluation of effectiveness, efficiency and/or patient satisfaction.
• Documenting, consistently and within established guidelines, assessments, interventions, actions, data collection results and outcomes of interventions.
• Using interpersonal communication strategies with all members of the team in order to achieve desirable and acceptable outcomes or responses and perception of satisfaction by those involved.
• Delegating to other staff members based upon acuity/complexity of need, role definition and ability to perform, collective needs of patients, families and unit. Maintains accountability for achieving appropriate outcomes/goals associated with delegated acts.

Performs other functions to maintain personal competence and contribute to the overall effectiveness of the department by:

• Maintaining awareness of advances in clinical specialty.
• Contributing to the department's ability to achieve and maintain clinical excellence, customer focused-service excellence, fiscal responsibility, innovative and talented people, and the best place to work.
• Following through and completing other job-related assignments or requests for assistance.
• Contributing to the development of co-workers through positive role modeling, resource assistance and direct feedback.

ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Associate complies with the following organizational requirements:

• Attends and participates in department meetings and is accountable for all information shared.
• Completes mandatory education, annual competencies and department specific education within established timeframes.
• Completes annual employee health requirements within established timeframes.
• Maintains license/certification, registration in good standing throughout fiscal year.
• Direct patient care providers are required to maintain current BCLS (CPR) and other certifications as required by position/department.
• Consistently utilizes appropriate universal precautions, protective equipment, and ergonomic techniques to protect patient and self.
• Adheres to regulatory agency requirements, survey process and compliance.
• Complies with established organization and department policies.
• Available to work overtime in addition to working additional or other shifts and schedules when required.

Education and Experience:

• The knowledge, skills and abilities as indicated below are normally acquired through the successful completion of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and a current license to practice as a Registered Nurse in Michigan. Candidates hired after January 1, 2014, must have or obtain a BSN within five (5) years of employment as a Registered Nurse or will have the option to become certified in their area of specialty (unless grandfathered). The certification must be maintained based off of accrediting body standards.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Demonstrates a high level of knowledge and competency in performing nursing care procedures, assessments, treatment and techniques.
• Demonstrates advanced analytical skills necessary to solve complex problems and make decisions related to patient care.
• Demonstrates the interpersonal skills necessary to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, patients, visitors, physicians and others.
• Demonstrates ability to communicate, both verbally and in writing, in a clear and concise manner.
• Requires an understanding of the need to be responsive and reasonably adaptable for scheduling purposes, when necessary, due to extenuating circumstances in support of co-workers and department functions.
• Requires the ability to work independently, take initiative and be self-motivated.

Working Conditions:

• Works in a patient care environment requiring physical exertion, frequent changes in job demands, and certain undesirable patient care activities.
• May be exposed to biohazards.

Physical Demands:

• Requires the physical ability and stamina (i.e., to walk/stand for prolonged periods of time, push carts/wheelchairs up to 50 pounds, to position/lift patients at a maximum of 35 pounds unassisted, over 35 pounds requires assistance, provide CPR, etc.) to perform the essential functions of the position.