Clinical Nurse, Surgery

Position Summary

To provide proficient nursing care for an individual or group of patients with less predictable problems and to provide leadership in the implementation of high-quality nursing care.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  Other duties may be assigned.

Dependent upon the area of assignment, performs all, or a combination of, the following:

• Uses advanced nursing knowledge and the nursing process to:

• Assess factors of the patient’s past and present physical, psychosocial, and cultural baseline, health problems, and external support systems which may impact on his/her ability to cope with the current health situation.

• Define a nursing problem list, based on assessment of the patient that reflects the consideration of the medical diagnosis and the patient’s problems.

• Define realistic, measurable goals related to each problem.

• Develop a nursing plan that is directed toward the optimal resolution of nursing diagnoses and prevention of future problems.

• Evaluates and documents a patient’s progress toward goals.

• Collaborates with the appropriate healthcare professionals in implementing a comprehensive plan of care.

• Provide an individualized plan of nursing care that assists the patient in maximizing participation in his/her care.

• Collaborate with the physician to revise the nursing plan of care and/ or goals as necessary.

• Implement appropriate patient education programs to meet individual health care needs.

• Assist physicians with day-to-day patient care

• Taking histories and assessing the reason for the visit.

• Assist with procedures and treatments

• Provide patient teaching when necessary

• Records nursing care using appropriate documentation.

• Demonstrates administrative and clinical leadership skills by:

• Planning, implementing and evaluating nursing care.

• Identifying and correcting situations not in accord with departmental policies and procedures.

• Evaluating requirements and patient needs.

• Serving as a role model in the area of professional behavior.

• Precepting, procedure, and clinical situations under the direction of the nurse manager.

• Maintains accountability for the delivery of nursing care and for aspects of care delegated to others.

• Adheres to ethical and legal standards of the hospital and the profession.

• Uses results of nursing research to support and/or change nursing practice.

Other Related Duties 

• Work as a telephone triage nurse

  1. To give advice to patients via telephone and in the office

  2. To assess the needs of patients via telephone

  3. To handle calls in order of priority

  4. To make appointments whenever necessary

  5. To assist with referrals from outside physicians

  6. To redirect calls when appropriate

  7. To work directly with other support staff to handle problems 

• Maintains professional expertise by earning contact hours through review of current Nursing literature and/or attending conferences.

• Develop goals in consultation with the nursing manager for professional growth and development.

• Participates in departmental meetings.

Minimum Qualifications

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education

• Associate's degree or higher in Nursing

Licenses/Certifications

• Current and valid D.C. license as a Registered Nurse or evidence of application for DC licensure AND a current out-of-state license

Experience

• A minimum of 2 years of relevant clinical experience is necessary.

Physical Requirements

• Walk, bend, twist, and reach above the shoulder frequently in an office setting.
• Must be able to occasionally lift or carry and frequently push or pull up to 100 lbs. as part of the role
• Regularly exposed to healthcare settings that may