RN - Intensive Care Unit

Job Summary

The RN is a Registered Nurse who is responsible for the professional nursing care of all assigned patients in accordance with established standards of care and within the scope of the current Nurse Practice Act.  The RN is responsible for meeting the physical, psychosocial, and emotional needs of the patients assigned to his/her care.  The RN is responsible for maintaining the patient’s medical record with proper documentation of nursing observation and actions taken.  The RN prescribes, delegates, and coordinates the rendered nursing care.  Utilizing the nursing process, the RN is responsible for maintaining a safe a therapeutic environment at all times.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited school of nursing and current licensure as a registered nurse by the Mississippi Board of Nursing.
• ACLS, PALS, TNCC certification within 6-9 months of hire
• Participates in continuing education concerning critical care nursing
• ICU experience/general nursing experience preferred

Job Relationships

• Responsible to the ICU Director and Supervisor following the OCH chain of command
• Workers supervised: Environmental Services, EMTs, and students assigned to the ICU.  Supplemental Nursing staff as applicable.

Physical Demands

Note:  “Occasionally”= 1%-33% of the workday; described as performance once every 3 minutes.

           “Frequently”= 34%-66%; described as performance once every 1 ½ to 3 minutes.

           “Continuously”= 67% to 100%; described as performance once every1 ½ minutes to continuously

• Standing/Walking – Continuous. The nurse is on his/her feet the majority of the day to perform direct and indirect patient care as well as completing other assigned functions of their job.
• Sitting- Frequent. The RN is required, at times, to sit at various desks for charting and other tasks such as in-services and filing.
  • Bending- Frequent. Bending is required in most job activities in patient care.  Employee should be able to maneuver in small areas, such as plugging in electrical equipment in emergency situations.
  • Climbing/Reaching- Occasional. Employee should be able to climb small ladders or step stools when placing supplies on storage shelves, using bedside cardiac monitors, etc. 
  • Push/Pull- Frequent. The nurse often performs push/pull motion when transporting patients and moving equipment on various floor surfaces.
  • Handling/Lifting- 0 to 24 pounds: Frequent; 25-100 pounds: Occasional. Employee may need to lift and help handle objects from 1-300 pounds.  Assistance in moving patients and use of push/pull activity is frequently done.
  • Manual Dexterity

  HANDS – Simple Grasp – Continuous

                    Firm Grasp – Frequent

                    Fine Manipulation – Frequent

  FEET – Standing and walking continuous and/or frequent

  Both find and gross motor skills are needed in areas such as venous punctures, physical examinations, writing, and adjustments of machinery.  Foot controls are used with some equipment.

  • Speaking/Hearing/Seeing – Continuous

  SPEAKING – Able to communicate verbally with co-workers, patients, and visitors

  HEARING – Functional with or without correction

  SEEING – Functional with or without correction

  Patient Population

  The patient population for ICU ranges from 3 days old to 90+.  Specific age broken down is as follows:

  0-10 years < 1 %                               51-70 years – 33%

  11-20 years – 9%                              71- 90 years – 34%

  21- 50 years - %22                               90 + years – 1%

Lengths of stay range from hours to weeks.  The average length of stay is 2 days.  Patient census ranges from 0-6 patients; the average is 2.5 – 3.5 patients per day.