NICU Delivery Room Assessment Nurse Supplemental Tier B 7p-7a

Under general supervision, provides direct patient care to assigned patients.

Education:

BSN from an accredited School of Nursing preferred

Experience:

At least 1 year of NICU and or L&D experience required; 2 years’ experience preferred

Skills:

Interpersonal communication (oral and written) skills required in order to educate and comfort patients and their families, maintain effective contacts with a variety of hospital personnel, and maintain appropriate documentation records

Proficiency in developing nursing plan of care, implementing effective nursing care, and evaluating outcome of nursing intervention

Licensures, Certifications:

Current registration with the Maryland State Board of Examiners of Nurses as a registered nurse

Completion of "Healthcare Provider" CPR course, bi-annually

NRP, bi-annually

Physical Requirements:

Ability to stand and walk almost constantly up to ninety 90% of work time and lifting and positioning patients up to fifty 50% of work time

Ability to concentrate and pay close attention to detail and often in stressful situations

Working Conditions:

Normal patient care environment with possible exposure to excessive noise, dust, temperature

Exposed to adverse working conditions due to performance of patient care activities and exposure to communicable diseases

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

Utilization of Nursing Process

Assessment

• Attends all deliveries
• Upon delivery, performs initial infant assessment using NRP guidelines
• Assigns Apgar scores and completes L&D Delivery Record
• Communicates with NICU MD, Advanced Practitioner, and charge nurse in the event that infant needs to be transferred
• Performs initial infant blood glucose by heel stick as per policy
• Compiles database and formulates nursing diagnosis.
• Utilizes physical assessment and interviewing techniques.
• Anticipates need for intervention by other disciplines.
• Determines priorities for patient care needs or problems.
• Reassesses the patient as indicated by changes in condition and/ or  response to treatment(s)

Planning

• Ensures that infant warmers in birthing rooms and operating rooms are stocked with the appropriate equipment and functioning properly
• Checks the Neonatal Resuscitation cart at the beginning of each shift
• Communicates infant supply needs to Supply and Equipment Specialist as necessary to ensure that supplies and equipment are readily available
• Initiates and updates a written nursing plan of care for patients by incorporating scientific and psychosocial principles that support the nursing diagnosis.
• Incorporates information obtained from nursing care planning conferences into written nursing plan of care.
• Coordinates patient, family, significant other, and health team members in the planning of hospital and post-discharge care.

Implementation

• Performs infant vital signs per policy while infant in L&D
• Encourages skin to skin with patient
• Encourages breastfeeding within the first hour of life when appropriate. Provides patient education and assistance when necessary.
• Performs clinical nursing skills independently.
• Administers medications, IV therapy and treatments appropriately and accurately.
• Initiates appropriate emergency procedures as necessary.
• Appropriately delegates and coordinates the duties of ancillary personnel.
• Communicate the patient's status and plan of care through written documentation in the patient's medical record
• Verbally communicates the patient's status to physicians, nurses and other health care professionals.
• Communicates in a therapeutic manner with the patient, family and visitors.
• Applies teaching/learning principles in education of patient and family.
• Other duties assigned by the charge nurse.

Patient Care Coordination

• Communicates and coordinates care with the NICU and Newborn Nursery throughout the shift                      
• Manages daily patient assignment by appropriately setting priorities.
• Delegates responsibility appropriately and monitors the nursing care
• delivered to patients by ancillary personnel.
• Coordinates patient activities with other disciplines.

Teaching and Quality Improvement

• Educates the family on the following:        
• Expected initial infant assessment findings after delivery
• Importance of skin to skin contact
• Importance of early and exclusive breastfeeding
• Dev