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Northeast Georgia Health System is rooted in a foundation of improving the health of our communities.

About the Role:

Department Overview

General Surgery is a 44-bed nursing unit with four equipped with negative pressure and 2 with bariatric ceiling lifts. Care is rendered to patients with a variety of specialties including, but not limited to:

• Bariatric Surgery including Gastric Bypass, Gastric Sleeve, Duodenal Switch, and Revisional cases
• Urology diagnosis and procedures * Oncology Gynecology surgery
• General Surgery including major bowel procedures
• Vascular surgery procedures
• Plastic Surgery including skin grafts, flaps and reconstructive surgery
• Podiatry
• Other medical and surgical patients in times of high census

Nurses provide care and monitoring for patients with IV patient-controlled analgesia. Nurses are competent in the care of patients with the following: nephrostomy tubes, continuous bladder irrigations, biliary drains, Jackson Pratt drains, Constavac drains, epidurals, chest tubes, tracheostomy tubes, and peritoneal dialysis. Nurses who have completed competencies may access and de-access Portacaths, and perform negative pressure wound dressing changes.

Job Summary

Capable clinician with previous specialty experience preferred, focused on expanding knowledge and skills. Consistently provides effective direct care as part of the interdisciplinary team to a variety of complex patients. Seeks as well as provides feedback for improved clinical practice. Assumes a beginning clinical bedside leadership role and seeks mentoring in this process. Is a professional member of VOICE professional nursing shared governance providing feedback on issues being addressed at meetings. Participates as a member on VOICE councils and Nursing Quality Teams as appropriate. Actively participates on Unit Council helping with plans to improve NDNQI nursing sensitive indicators, RN Satisfaction, Employee Engagement, Culture of Safety, and Patient Experience data. Works together with other care team members to recruit and retain an excellent nursing care team. For the new graduate clinical RN: focuses primarily on developing knowledge and skills and showing growth in ability to care for increasingly complex patients. Responsible for providing direct and safe patient care based on the nursing process, and for coordinating care for assigned patients on a shift to promote the achievement of clinical outcomes. Requires consultation with more experienced clinicians and accepts feedback as a constructive professional development tool.

Minimum Job Qualifications

• Licensure or other certifications: Licensed to practice as an RN in Georgia

• Educational Requirements: Associates Degree

• Minimum Experience:

• Other: One year of experience as a professional RN. New graduate RNs or those with less than one year of experience will be referred to the RN Residency Program.

Preferred Job Qualifications

• Preferred Licensure or other certifications: National certification in clinical specialty

• Preferred Educational Requirements: Bachelor of Nursing Degree

• Preferred Experience: Long Term Care: One year experience

• Other: Membership is professional organization

Job Specific and Unique Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Delivery of safe, effective, efficient care that meets population specific guidelines

• Actively works to make own and related teams successful, effectively communicates with patients, families and colleagues at all levels, shows consideration and respect or others and fosters customer service

• Effectively prioritizes, recognizes problems, and utilizes evidence based practice

• Demonstrates personal mastery, leadership of self and others, as appropriate, delegates appropriately, and supports NGHS shared governance model

• Basic computer skills necessary to operate computer systems used on unit
  

Essential Tasks and Responsibilities

• Clinical Skills and Knowledge: Demonstrates basic assessment skills. Demonstrates the 5 rights of medication administration. Manages care for basic patient assignment and progresses to care for increasingly complex patients. Accurately documents all aspects of the nursing process using the electronic medical record as applicable. Understands and complies with all DNV standards. Accesses and follows polices. Evaluates patient response to interventions and adjusts plan of care appropriately. Consistently coordinates interdisciplinary care. Uses resources effectively to reduce waste. Participates in PI processes. Participates in maintaining and monitoring the work environment to ensure compliance with DNV regulations. Coordinates discharge planning. Actively contributes to a culture of safety within the organization.

• Interpersonal Skills and Relationships: Includes the patient and family in patient care. Provides effective education appropriate for the learning needs of patient/ family. Demonstrates appropriate customer service behaviors. Participates in organizational and unit based customer service initiatives.

• Critical Thinking Skills and Innovation: Plans patient care based on assessment. Displays basic prioritization and time management skills. Evaluates patient's response to interventions and seeks support to adjust the plan of care. Utilizes resources on the unit to increase understanding of the care of unfamiliar patient populations. Recognizes signs of deteriorating patient and accesses appropriate resources. Reads nursing research/EBP articles. Participates in discharge planning with increasing responsibility and coordination. Demonstrates the ability to rapidly recognize and anticipate changes in patient status and takes appropriate action while maintaining professional composure. Recognizes existence of nursing practice trends and questions care as it relates to evidence based practice. Consistently and independently prioritizes patient care.

• Leadership and Professional Development: Supports unit goals. Demonstrates support of shared governance through awareness of initiatives. Completes a professional development plan and shows progress on personal learning goals. Supervises and ensures completion of task assigned to ancillary/support staff. Participates in the enhancement of the nursing profession and supporting the community. Appropriately delegates tasks. Seeks resources by actively consulting with the interdisciplinary team. Demonstrates support of shared governance through awareness of initiatives and by providing input. Serves in a unit leadership role(s). Serves as the Nurse in Charge as necessary fulfilling the following responsibilities: a. patient flow, b. matches given resources to patients for shift, c. escalates concerns using the chain of command.
  

Physical Demands

• Weight Lifted: Up to 100 lbs, Occasionally 0-30% of time

• Weight Carried: Up to 50 lbs, Occasionally 0-30% of time

• Vision: Moderate, Frequently 31-65% of time

• Kneeling/Stooping/Bending: Frequently 31-65%

• Standing/Walking: Frequently 31-65%

• Pushing/Pulling: Frequently 31-65%

• Intensity of Work: Frequently 31-65%

• Job Requires: Reading, Writing, Reasoning, Talking, Keyboarding

Working at NGHS means being part of something special: a team invested in you as a person, an employee, and in helping you reach your goals.

NGHS: Opportunities start here.

Northeast Georgia Health System is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not tolerate discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, ethnicity, national origin, marital status, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected classification or status.