Registered Nurse Critical Care

Acute Care Registered Nurse

The Registered Nurse is assigned to the Nursing and Patient Care Service. The section, care line, or department description and patient population served is as defined in applicable Scope of Service. The RN practices in a complex patient care setting with minimal supervision. The nurse is accountable as assigned as a primary nurse for care of a defined group of patients on his/her shift or for an entire episode of care.

• Applies the nursing process to systems or processes at the unit/team/group level to improve care. Demonstrates leadership by involving others in improving care.
• Supports and enhances patient self-determination. Serves as a resource for patients and staff in addressing ethical issues.
• Identifies and assesses resource utilization and safety issues, taking appropriate action.
• Acquires knowledge and skills to maintain expertise in an area of practice. Participates in educational activities to improve clinical knowledge and enhance role performance.
• Evaluates practice of self and others using professional standards, relevant statutes, and regulations. Takes action to improve performance.
• Uses group process to identify, analyze and resolve care problems.
• Educates colleagues and/or students and serves as a preceptor or mentor.
• Initiates/Participates in quality improvement activities that result in approved outcomes.
• Uses body of research to validate and/or change work group practice.
• Leads and organizes delivery of care to assure continuity of care and peer accountability for practice, including access to care and discharge planning.
• Uses sound clinical judgment in assessing, planning, implementing, documenting, and evaluating nursing care, based on the ANA Standards of Nursing Practice.
• Anticipates and recognizes medical/surgical/psychiatric emergencies and initiates or leads others to implement appropriate and timely actions.

Critical Care Registered Nurse

The Registered Nurse will provide expert direct and individualized nursing care to acutely ill patients based on the application of scientific nursing principles. The RN will be an expert in the cardiac arena, providing cardiac and pulmonary support, frequent physical assessments, lab evaluations, blood and blood products, ongoing cardiac and pulmonary artery monitoring, pain control, EKG interpretation, and complex dressing changes.

The Critical Care Staff RN has the additional responsibility for the emotional and psychosocial health of the patient, family, and significant others. The critical care staff RN supports the patients’ physical, spiritual, and psychological needs, in addition to providing family/significant others education and emotional support. The RN will possess the ethics and values that are consistent with the mission, values, priorities, goals, and resources of the Healthcare System.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements :

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.
• English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate State-accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or the District of Columbia.

Preferred Experience:

Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade:

• Nurse I Level I – An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional nursing practice/experience required.
• Nurse I Level II – An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 1 year of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelor’s degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience; OR a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional nursing practice/experience.
• Nurse I Level III – An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor’s degree in a related field and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a BSN with approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master’s degree in nursing (MSN) or related field with a BSN and no additional nursing practice/experience.
• Nurse II – A BSN with approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor’s degree in a related field and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master’s degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or meets basic requirements for appointment and has doctoral degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience required.
• Nurse III – Master’s degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience.

Physical Requirements:
Incumbent must possess the mental and physical ability to satisfactorily perform the duties of the proposed assignment. Physical requirements include visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. May involve potentially long periods of lifting, carrying, pulling, pushing, reaching above shoulder, walking, standing, sitting, kneeling, and repeated bending. Transferring patients and objects may be required. Safe patient handling equipment is provided. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations, operative/invasive procedures, or home settings. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must complete annual Employee Health as a condition of employment. The incumbent who provides care in home settings or other off-site locations may be required to drive, sit and/or ride in GSA vehicles for long periods of time.

In-direct patient care work is mostly sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to complete the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending and carrying of light items such as patient records and supplies. In-direct care staff may be assigned to work in direct care areas as needed.