RN, Preop/PACU at CARTI in Little Rock, Arkansas

Job Description:

Responsible for the delivery of safe, effective, and quality patient-family centered care throughout the perioperative process in the CARTI Surgery Center. This role encompasses preoperative and postoperative care for all patient populations. The ideal candidate will be proficient in preparing patients for surgery and managing post-anesthesia recovery.

SPECIFIC JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Supports the mission, vision, and values of the organization.
2. Assesses patients at intervals as stated in policies and procedures.
3. Develops and implements individualized perioperative patient plans of care.
4. Documents nursing care accurately, completely, and legibly in the electronic health record.
5. Communicates effectively with supervisor/management, patients, visitors, physicians, and co-workers.
6. Collaborates effectively with other disciplines as applicable.
7. Participates in quality review and performance improvement projects.
8. Maintains required competencies and pursues professional growth.
9. Acts as a patient advocate and maintain privacy and confidentiality of individuals and health information.
10. Provides culturally competent, ethical care within legal standards of practice.
11. Uses critical thinking, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills to foster effective work relationships with team members.

PRE-OP SPECIFIC DUTIES:
1. Assesses, instructs, and prepares patients for surgery, ensuring informed consent and correct documentation.
2. Performs preoperative assessments, including vital signs and patient readiness for surgical procedures.
3. Initiates IVs, provide patient education about procedures, and addresses questions to ensure comfort.
4. Monitors patients for condition changes, reporting any alterations to physicians as necessary.
5. Administers medications according to physician orders and nursing protocols, ensuring proper dosage, route, and timing.

PACU SPECIFIC DUTIES:
1. Assesses and monitors post-operative patient status, including cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological systems, and pain levels.
2. Manages recovery from various types of anesthesia, interpreting data from monitoring devices and applying appropriate discharge criteria.
3. Provides acute pain management and interventions to maintain patient stability, including temperature regulation and infection prevention.
4. Educates patients and designated support persons on post-operative care, including pain management, wound care, and expected outcomes.

OTHER JOB REQUIREMENTS: This position may require additional hours outside the normal 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday work schedule.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: N/A

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, LICENSURE, REGISTRATION:
1. Associates degree or equivalent from two-year college program or technical school or nursing diploma
2. Graduate from an accredited school of nursing
3. Current registered nurse licensure in Arkansas
4. Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
5. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification
6. Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN) or Certified Ambulatory Peri-anesthesia Nurse (CAPA) certification, preferred

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES:
1. 1-year post-anesthesia care experience, required; 2 years perioperative services experience, preferred
2. Excellent computer and other basic office equipment skills
3. Expertise in IV therapy skills

REASONING ABILITY:
1. Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
2. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, or schedule form.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:
1. Must interact and communicate both verbally and in written form.
2. Must interact and exchange information regarding patients with physicians and other departmental personnel, and outside agencies on a frequent basis while respecting the confidentiality of patient information.

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.
1. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
2. The employee regularly is required to stand, walk, sit, use hand to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms.
3. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment involves potential exposure to blood and body fluids, communicable diseases, chemicals and other hazardous materials, radiation, and repetitive motions while performing the essential functions of this job. Team members are offered appropriate vaccinations and safety training.

COMMENTS:
This description is intended to describe the essential job functions, the general supplemental functions and the essential requirements for the performance of the job. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and requirements of a person so classified. Other functions may be assigned and management retains the right to add or change the duties at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

This position is a Safety Sensitive Position. The essential functions, physical demands, and mental competencies of this job require the employee maintain the ability to work in a constant state of alertness in a safe manner.