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Northeast Georgia Health System is rooted in a foundation of improving the health of our communities.

About the Role:

Department Overview

General Surgery is a 44-bed nursing unit with four equipped with negative pressure and 2 with bariatric ceiling lifts. Care is rendered to patients with a variety of specialties including, but not limited to:

• Bariatric Surgery including Gastric Bypass, Gastric Sleeve, Duodenal Switch, and Revisional cases
• Urology diagnosis and procedures * Oncology Gynecology surgery
• General Surgery including major bowel procedures
• Vascular surgery procedures
• Plastic Surgery including skin grafts, flaps and reconstructive surgery
• Podiatry
• Other medical and surgical patients in times of high census

Nurses provide care and monitoring for patients with IV patient-controlled analgesia. Nurses are competent in the care of patients with the following: nephrostomy tubes, continuous bladder irrigations, biliary drains, Jackson Pratt drains, Constavac drains, epidurals, chest tubes, tracheostomy tubes, and peritoneal dialysis. Nurses who have completed competencies may access and de-access Portacaths, and perform negative pressure wound dressing changes.

Job Summary

Capable clinician with previous specialty experience preferred, focused on expanding knowledge and skills. Consistently provides effective direct care as part of the interdisciplinary team to a variety of complex patients. Seeks as well as provides feedback for improved clinical practice. Assumes a beginning clinical bedside leadership role and seeks mentoring in this process. Participates as a member on PNGC councils and Nursing Quality Teams as appropriate. Actively participates on Unit Council helping with plans to improve NDNQI nursing sensitive indicators, RN Satisfaction, Employee Engagement, Culture of Safety, and Patient Experience data. Works together with other care team members to recruit and retain an excellent nursing care team. For the new graduate clinical RN: focuses primarily on developing knowledge and skills and showing growth in ability to care for increasingly complex patients. Responsible for providing direct and safe patient care based on the nursing process, and for coordinating care for assigned patients on a shift to promote the achievement of clinical outcomes. Requires consultation with more experienced clinicians and accepts feedback as a constructive professional development tool.

Minimum Job Qualifications

• Licensure or other certifications: Graduated from an accredited nursing program and hold a current unencumbered license to practice as an RN in Georgia.

• Educational Requirements: Associate's Degree. ADN or Diploma required

• Minimum Experience: 0-1 year of RN experience - successful completion of new grad orientation or successful completion of an RN refresher course for acute care nurses

• Other:

Preferred Job Qualifications

• Preferred Licensure or other certifications: National certification in clinical specialty as eligible.

• Preferred Educational Requirements: BSN

• Preferred Experience:

• Other:

Job Specific and Unique Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Delivery of safe, effective, efficient care that meets population specific guidelines

• Actively works to make own and related teams successful, effectively communicates with patients, families and colleagues at all levels, shows consideration and respect or others and fosters customer service

• Effectively prioritizes, recognizes problems, and utilizes evidence based practice

• Demonstrates personal mastery, leadership of self and others, as appropriate, delegates appropriately, and supports NGHS shared governance model

• Basic computer skills necessary to operate computer systems used on unit

Essential Tasks and Responsibilities

• Transformational Leadership
  * Demonstrates accountability for professional development that improves the quality of professional practice and patient care
  * Makes recommendations for the improvement of clinical care and the health of the workplace
  * Developing the ability to change and demonstrate flexibility
  * Welcomes and participates in change initiatives
  * Engages and builds respectful and collaborative relationships among colleagues and other disciplines that contributes to a healthy work environment
  * Serves as an engaged member of a team supporting colleagues in service to patients and families
  * Participates in interdisciplinary rounds as department requires

  Exemplary Professional Practice
  * Applies basic nursing knowledge and skills within the framework of the organization's professional model of care, using the nursing process to meet the clinical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs of the patient and family
  * Formulates a plan of care and daily goals that takes into
  consideration the individualized needs of the patient
  * Consistently documents in the patient and unit record according to written health system standards of care in order to meet legal and regulatory patient care requirements
  * Seeks guidance, asks clarifying questions, and speaks up for safety to continuously improve nursing practice
  * Develops critical thinking in the identification of clinical, social, safety, psychological, ethical and spiritual issues within the episode of care
  * Demonstrates knowledge of Sister Simone Roach's theory by incorporating the Seven Cs of Caring: Compassion, Competence, Confidence, Conscience, Commitment, Comportment, Creativity in caring for patients and families
  * Demonstrates knowledge of principles of adult learning (and/or teaching children) and applies in teaching patients, families, students, and new staff
  * Provides detailed and appropriate teaching to patients and families to meet regulatory requirements and effectively prepare them for the episode of care as well as transitions from one level of care to another
  * Develops delegation skills as appropriate while retaining accountability for the quality of care given to patients and families
  * Provides safe therapeutic care in a holistic and systematic way by integrating knowledge, skills, and experiences to meet the needs of patients and families throughout the continuum
  * Develops a plan to connect the patient and family to the appropriate community resources to meet their post-acute care needs in conjunction with the interdisciplinary team
  * Responsible for conducting medication cross-checks to maintain patient safety and identify potential diversion activities
  * Incorporates national and organizational goals to improve quality, patient safety, and satisfaction
  * Creates a caring and compassionate environment for patients, families, and colleagues utilizing the Communicate with HEART tools
  * Identifies ethical situations within patient care or the workforce and seeks assistance
  * Develops the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with all members of the healthcare team including physicians and advanced practice providers; incorporates safety behavior and error prevention tools
  * Accepts assignments that gradually increase patient load and complexity

  New Knowledge, Innovation & Improvement
  * Actively engages in clinical development through the New Graduate Nurse Residency Program
  * Requests opportunities to learn safe, accountable, and autonomous practice from more experienced nurses
  * Routinely uses reflective practice to analyze situations and seeks feedback from peers, preceptors, and unit leader around performance
  * Demonstrates enthusiasm around continuous learning
  * Identifies and creates a plan for the continuation of learning and development
  * Identifies opportunities for improvement in the clinical area
  * Identifies patient and family needs for education and provides basic education to support the episode of care
  * Demonstrates a basic understanding of research, how it affects practice, and who/what resources are available to assist in providing evidence-based care

  Structural Empowerment
  * Demonstrates commitment to the QUEST for Excellence goals and values of patient, hospital, community, and nursing profession through cost containment measures, maintaining confidentiality, adherence to organizational policies and procedures, and ensuring patient safety
  * Demonstrates appropriate ethical decision-making
  * Make the safety of our patients and staff the #1 priority in all the work that we do; utilizes Error Prevention Tools
  * Demonstrates a passion for excellence by fostering a culture of transparency and open communication to improve processes
  * Demonstrates respectful compassion through an awareness of cultural intelligence, diversity, equity, and inclusion, lateral violence, and impairment
  * Cares for patients and self by planning a work schedule that supports safety, worked hours, and healthy lifestyle
  * Demonstrates an understanding of unit-based selfcare activities
  * Communicates with management any safety hazards in the workplace
  * Demonstrates an understanding of organizational workplace violence reduction strategies

  Empirical Outcomes
  * Demonstrates knowledge of how clinical practice impacts quality, patient safety, and satisfaction outcomes
  * Demonstrates responsible stewardship by being fiscally responsible and managing available resources

Physical Demands

• Weight Lifted: Up to 100 lbs, Occasionally 0-30% of time

• Weight Carried: Up to 50 lbs, Occasionally 0-30% of time

• Vision: Moderate, Frequently 31-65% of time

• Kneeling/Stooping/Bending: Frequently 31-65% of time

• Standing/Walking: Frequently 31-65% of time

• Pushing/Pulling: Frequently 31-65% of time

• Intensity of Work: Frequently 31-65% of time

• Job Requires: Reading, Writing, Reasoning, Talking, Keyboarding

Working at NGHS means being part of something special: a team invested in you as a person, an employee, and in helping you reach your goals.

NGHS: Opportunities start here.

Northeast Georgia Health System is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not tolerate discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, ethnicity, national origin, marital status, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected classification or status.