Registered Nurse (RN - Hospital) - Home Health & Hospice

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Coordinates total nursing care for patients, participates in patient and family teaching and provides leadership by working cooperatively with ancillary nursing and other patient team personnel in maintaining standards for professional nursing practice in the clinical setting.

Full-time benefitted position working 72 hours per two weeks. Days are Monday - Friday with every 4th weekend and every 5th holiday. Night call is one night every 2 weeks and one weekend every 9th weekend.   

JOB FUNCTIONS

• Maintains the standards of nursing care and implements the policies and procedures of the hospital and clinical services.
• Maintains the standards of nursing care and implements the policies and procedures of the hospital and Nursing Department.
• Evaluates patient eligibility, status and current coverage of service requirements. Collaborates with Home Health Manager or      designee prior to admission.
• Assesses the patient's condition and nursing needs; sets goals; prescribes appropriate nursing action to meet those goals and the physical, psychological, social and rehabilitative needs of the patient, including discharge planning.
• Reports pertinent observations and reactions regarding patients to the appropriate person (i.e., physicians) and records those observations accurately and concisely.
• Initiates and develops individualized nursing care plans for assigned patients.
• Administers medications and performs treatments to assigned patients.
• Provides for instruction of patient and family in use of specialized equipment.
• Participates in Hospice/HH call rotation consisting of nights, weekends and holidays.
• Participates in economical  utilization of supplies and ensures that equipment is maintained in a clean and safe manner.
• Participates in orientation of new personnel and peer performance evaluations of nursing staff.
• Coordinates nursing care of patients when scheduled for therapy or procedures by other departments.
• Establishes and maintains communications and utilizes teaching opportunities with patients and other significant individuals.
• Assists with or institutes emergency measures for sudden adverse developments in patients such as cardiac arrest.
• Participates in the maintenance of a clean and safe environment.
• Participates in staff development programs. 
• Delegates and supervises Home Health Aide per CMS Conditions of Participation and Nursing Standard of Practice.
• The above statement reflects the general duties considered necessary to describe the principal functions of the job as identified, and shall not be considered as a detailed description of all the work requirements that may be inherent in the position.

Qualifications/Requirements for This Position 

1. Preparation and Training - Work requires a professional level of knowledge acquired by completing an accredited RN nursing education program. Must hold RN licensure from the ND State Board of Nursing for the current year. Position requires completion of BLS CPR. Position is   required to attend Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) training in the appropriate timeframe according to department orientation checklist. 
2. Work Experience - Requires 1 year general Medical/Surgical nursing experience. Preferable 1 year Home Health or Community Health experience. 
3. Attendance - Punctual and regular attendance is an essential responsibility of each employee at JRMC. Employees are expected to report to work as scheduled, on time and prepared to start working. Employees are also expected to remain at work for their entire work schedule.
4. Analytical Ability - 
5. Independent Judgement - 
6. Contact and Interpersonal Skills - Aware of high degree of visibility in community representing JRMC Home Health Agency.   Considerable contact with physicians and personnel from other departments and residents of area served. 
7. Supervising the Work of Others - May be required to plan, assign work to and check the work of 1 to 5 nursing personnel doing related work on the shift. Supervision is provided to LPNs, Nurse Techs, Nursing Aides and Ward Clerks. 
8. Responsibility for Welfare of Others - High frequency with which work performed by the staff RN may result in very serious physical or emotional harm to others. It is the responsibility of the professional RN to continuously uphold the highest degree of performance within currently defined and acceptable nursing practice standards.
9. Responsibility for Making Decisions and Recommendations - Independent nursing judgment is often required by the   professional RN based on established policies and procedures. Substandard performance in nursing skills or judgment may adversely affect patient care, patient welfare and hospital goodwill.
10. Mental / Visual Effort - Must be able to work with terminally ill patients and their families to effectively cope with death and   dying. Visual acuity necessary for reading charts and working with medical devices; color perception necessary for interpreting testing procedures involving color comparisons.
11. Working Conditions - Exposure to patients with infectious diseases, unsanitary conditions within patient's residence. Exposure to elements at higher risk than usual due to extensive travel by car and working in adverse conditions in residences.
12. Promotion - No formal line of promotion. 
13. Background Check -  A comprehensive background check and drug screening will be conducted as a condition of employment for this role. 
14. Drug Screen -  A urine drug screening is required for all positions and must be completed within 30 days of the date of hire.
15. Physical Requirement - These are physical requirements of the position that may be performed as part of daily duties. Inability to meet one or more of these physical requirements will not automatically disqualify a candidate or employee from the position. Upon request for reasonable accommodation, JRMC may be able to adjust or excuse one or more of these requirements, depending on the requirement, the essential functions to which it relates and the proposed accommodation.

EMPLOYEE REQUIREMENTS -

Visual Observation - Continuously

Standing - Rarely

Walking - Rarely

Sitting - Continuously

Hands and Finger Dexterity - Frequently

Reaching with Hands and Arms - Rarely

Climbing - Rarely

Stooping/Kneeling/Crouching/Crawling - Rarely

Hearing/Listening - Continuously

Tasting or Smelling - Rarely

Working Inside - Continuously

Working Outside - Rarely

Working in Extreme Heat - Rarely

Working in Extreme Cold - Rarely

Working with Hazardous Materials - Rarely

Noise - Continuously

Working in Dirt/Dust - Never

Driving - Never

Lifting / Carrying / Pushing / Pulling: 

Up to 10 pounds - Occasionally

Up to 25 pounds - Rarely

Up to 50 pounds - Never

Up to 75 pounds - Never

Up to 100 pounds - Never

Over 100 pounds - Never