JOB TITLE: Registered Nurse – OP/PACU - NWSC
REPORTS TO: Clinical Administrator/Clinical Supervisor

JOB SUMMARY
The Pre-Op/PACU Registered Nurse (RN) provides comprehensive, safe, and individualized nursing care to patients throughout the perioperative experience, including outpatient services, preoperative care, postoperative recovery, PACU, and procedural sedation. The RN utilizes the nursing process to assess, plan, implement, evaluate, educate, and coordinate patient care from admission and preparation through recovery and discharge.

The RN collaborates with the Clinical Supervisor, Clinical Administrator, surgeons, anesthesia providers, and other members of the healthcare team to promote patient safety, efficient patient flow, continuity of care, and a positive patient experience.

Responsible for supervising: LPN and/or CNA as assigned within established scope and delegation requirements.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse license authorizing practice in Wyoming, or an applicable multistate license issued under the Nurse Licensure Compact.
• National perioperative certification preferred.

EXPERIENCE

• Prefer at least 2 years of experience in an acute care or surgical services area.
• Previous Pre-Op, PACU, perioperative, critical care, emergency, or ambulatory surgery nursing experience preferred.

SKILLS

• Must possess a high degree of confidentiality in all matters with the ability to manage sensitive and confidential situations with tact, professionalism, and diplomacy.
• Must be able to interact effectively with a wide variety of people.
• Demonstrates teamwork, respect, and commitment to patient-centered care.
• Knowledge of perioperative/post-anesthesia care nursing principles.
• Demonstrates clinical competency in ambulatory and perioperative nursing care.
• Strong patient-assessment, critical-thinking, clinical judgment, and emergency-response skills.
• Ability to obtain and communicate pertinent medical history and provide clear preoperative and postoperative patient education.
• Knowledge of airway management, postoperative recovery, pain and nausea management, medication safety, and discharge assessment appropriate to assigned responsibilities.
• Ability to make appropriate nursing decisions, recognize changes in patient condition, and escalate concerns promptly.
• Knowledge of aseptic technique and infection control principles.
• Must be well motivated, organized and able to prioritize multiple tasks.
• Accuracy, attention to detail, timeliness, dependability, and ability to manage changing clinical priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Effective computer and keyboarding skills.
• Must have ability to learn and use Microsoft Office Suite products including Outlook.
• Ability to learn new computer software applications.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS
BLS, ACLS, and PALS required (AHA).

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Perform and document comprehensive nursing assessments on admission and throughout the preoperative and postoperative phases of care.
• Plan, implement, evaluate, and document individualized nursing care in accordance with patient needs, provider orders, policies, and established standards of practice.
• Verify and support completion of required preoperative documentation, patient identification, procedure and site verification, allergies, medications, diagnostic information, consents, and other clinical requirements prior to surgery or procedure.
• Communicate significant assessment findings, changes in patient condition, or clinical concerns promptly to anesthesia providers, surgeons, the Clinical Supervisor, and/or the Clinical Administrator as appropriate.
• Carry out provider orders accurately and timely and document medications, treatments, interventions, assessments, and patient responses.
• Provide postoperative nursing care, including airway and respiratory assessment, cardiovascular and neurologic monitoring, pain and nausea management, surgical-site assessment, and other recovery care appropriate to the patient's condition.
• Assess patient readiness for progression through recovery and discharge and ensure applicable discharge criteria and provider requirements are met prior to discharge.
• Provide and document preoperative and postoperative patient and family education, including medications, activity, diet, wound care, pain management, warning signs, follow-up instructions, and emergency contact information as applicable.
• Conduct preoperative telephone assessments and patient instructions and postoperative follow-up calls assigned in accordance with Center processes.
• Administer medications and treatments safely within RN scope of practice and in accordance with provider orders, policy, and medication-safety requirements.
• Recognize changes in patient condition and initiate appropriate nursing interventions and emergency response measures within scope of practice.
• Provide appropriate nursing direction, delegation, and supervision to LPNs and CNAs as assigned and consistent with applicable scope-of-practice and Center requirements.
• Follow infection-prevention, standard precautions, bloodborne-pathogen, hazardous-material, sharps-safety, and personal protective equipment requirements.
• Protect patient rights, privacy, dignity, and confidentiality and maintain the confidentiality of Center information.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and timely clinical documentation and communicate patient-care information effectively during handoffs and transitions of care.

SECONDARY FUNCTIONS

• Maintain assigned patient-care areas in a safe, clean, organized, appropriately stocked, and ready condition and communicate supply or equipment concerns to the appropriate personnel.
• Assist in other clinical areas of the Center when appropriately trained and competency-validated and when consistent with RN licensure and scope of practice.
• Complete daily department tasks, monthly outdates, and survey compliance checks as scheduled.
• Communicate questions and concerns through chain of command as appropriate.
• Participate in orientation, mentoring, education, and competency activities for nursing and ancillary clinical staff as assigned.
• Maintain knowledge of Center emergency procedures and demonstrate competency in responding to clinical emergencies.
• Participate in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), infection prevention, safety, emergency preparedness, staff education, meetings, and other Center activities as assigned.
• Attend mandatory in-service, yearly education day and department meetings. Enhance professional growth by attending educational offerings pertaining to Perioperative Nursing.
• Work with other departments in coordinating smooth transfer of patients.
• Perform other nursing responsibilities assigned by the Clinical Supervisor or Clinical Administrator and appropriate to the individual's education, licensure, training, competency, and scope of practice.