Registered Nurse - Dialysis

It's more than a career, it's a calling

MO-SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital 1201 Grand

Worker Type:

PRN

Job Highlights:

St. Louis University Hospital is seeking an experienced Dialysis RN to join our dynamic team in a fast-paced, acute care setting within a Level 1 Trauma Center. This is not a chronic dialysis role—you will be providing life-saving dialysis treatments to critically ill patients, often in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams including residents.

Peritoneal dialysis experience strongly preferred.

Job Summary:

The Registered Nurse-Dialysis is a professional practitioner who assesses, manages, directs, and provides nursing care activities during the patient's hospital stay and coordinates planning with other disciplines utilizing a patient/customer driven approach. Provides direct patient care in settings where patients require complex assessments and interventions in accordance with established policies, procedures and protocols of the healthcare organization.

Job Responsibilities and Requirements:

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serves as a dialysis clinical resource and supervises care delivered by support staff. Assesses daily dialysis patient care needs and develops and distributes patient care assignments.
• Performs comprehensive nursing assessment/reassessment. Documents dialysis specific assessment and findings.
• Provides patient reassessment documenting pertinent observations according to the patient plan of care, changes in condition, status and/or diagnosis, response to care, procedures, etc., and standards of care.
• Assesses and documents patient education needs.
• Collaborates with interdisciplinary team to ensure quality outcomes for the dialysis patient. Evaluates the effectiveness of dialysis treatments and identifies any issues that affect desired patient outcomes.
• Participates in quality improvement activities to include collection of data for the dialysis unit's Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) plan and maintains ownership of regulatory compliance requirements.
• Responds to complaints about patient care and manages through established channels.
• Works with internal and external resources to maintain machine maintenance and partnership with home dialysis departments.
• Performs surveillance and testing of dialysis water treatment equipment and dialysis water (such as chlorine, pH, water cultures) to ensure that these machines are operating within the parameters set within the manufacturer guidelines.
• Demonstrates a working knowledge of dialysis laboratory tests and dialysis medications. Demonstrates clinical competence and knowledge in cannulation of dialysis access and proper care and use of central lines. Demonstrates an in-depth understanding of infection control and prevention of transmission of blood borne pathogens.
• Provides patient education/teaching applicable to the patient's medical condition.
• May provide input for hiring, training, directing, developing, and evaluating staff.
• Applies the existing body of evidence-based practice and scientific knowledge in health care to medical-surgical nursing practice, ensuring that nursing care is delivered based on patient’s age-specific needs and clinical needs as described in the department's Scope of Service.
• Will treat dialysis patients at the location where they are admitted to the hospital, including the Emergency Department as needed.
• Works in a constant state of alertness and safe manner.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION

• Graduate of accredited school of nursing or education equivalency for licensing

EXPERIENCE

• No experience required

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Constant use of speech to share information through oral communication.
• Constant standing and walking.
• Frequent lifting/carrying and pushing/pulling objects weighing 0-25 lbs.
• Frequent sitting, reaching and keyboard use/data entry.
• Frequent use of vision and depth perception for distances near (20 inches or less) and far (20 feet or more) and to identify and distinguish colors.
• Frequent use of smell to detect/recognize odors.
• Frequent use of hearing to receive oral communication, distinguish body sounds and/or hear alarms, malfunctioning mac