REGISTERED NURSE
DOU
SUMMARY: Reporting to the Director of Critical Care Services, the staff RN is a professional care giver who assumes responsibility and accountability for a group of patients for a designated time frame and provides care to these patients via therapeutic use of self, the nursing process, the environment/instrumentation, and other health care team members. If assigned as charge nurse, will serve as resource for coordination of activities on a single unit. Responsibilities as charge nurse include, but are not limited to, assessment of unit needs and available resources for current and oncoming shift(s) based on: patient classification, volume, individual and family needs, and special clinical procedures or interventions pending.

AGE SPECIFIC: Patient care employees must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to patients of all age groups--must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development through the life span, possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status, and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's needs in relation to age and to provide the care needed as described in the department's policies and procedures.

This position possesses the ability to obtain and interpret information considering age specific needs for the following age groups:
___    0-28 days     Neonate       X      12-18 yrs     Adolescent
___    29 days-18 mo days     Infant / Young Toddler               X      19-40 yrs     Young Adult
___    18 mo-3 yrs     Toddler       X      40-65 yrs     Middle Adult
___    3-6 yrs     Preschooler     X      >65 yrs     Older Adult
___    6-12 yrs     School Age         

QUALIFICATIONS:
  1. Current CA State licensure as a Registered Nurse required.
  2. Current CPR certification required.
  3. Current ACLS required by the end of orientation, (ACLS required by the end of six month orientation for new grad RNs).
  4. Documentation of recent critical care course, or equivalent experience required. Attendance of a critical care course required within first year of employment.
  5. BSN or equivalent experience if classified as an RN II.
  6. Experience and/or training in leadership preferred, if acting as charge nurse.

NOTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOOD AND BODY FLUID EXPOSURE:
The risk category for this position to potential exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens is indicated below:

  X   CATEGORY I: Tasks that will involve potential exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissue.
___ CATEGORY II: Tasks that may involve potential exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissue, and employment and employment may require performing unplanned Category I tasks.
___ CATEGORY III: Tasks that involve no exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissue and Category I and II tasks are not a condition of employment.

Standard precautions are utilized for the care of all patients. Category I and Category II employees are eligible for Hepatitis B vaccination at no cost to the employee.