General
Position Summary
Nurses care for people who are sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled.
Under general supervision by the ED physician, they deliver care to patients utilizing the nursing process of assessment, planning, intervention, implementation, and evaluation, in accordance with established philosophy.
Nurses collaborate with other professional disciplines to ensure effective patient care delivery and achievement of desired patient outcomes.
Nurses effectively interact with patient and significant others, while maintaining the standard of professional nursing.
ER Nurses provide care for patients from various types of illness or trauma requiring emergency attention and must be able to recognize and effectively treat life-threatening conditions.
ER Nurses provide direct and individualized nursing care to patients based on the application of scientific nursing principles.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Collects current symptoms, as well as a detailed patient history and then consults and coordinates with health care team members to assess, plan, implement and evaluate patient care plans
- Performs triage, while considering both physical and psychosocial elements
- Manages basic and advanced life support needs and stabilizes patients until the attending physician is available, based upon nursing standards and protocol
- Initiates corrective action whenever information from monitoring equipment shows adverse symptomatology
- Records patients’ current vital signs
- Works directly under physicians, assisting them during exams, diagnostic testing and treatments
- Prepares and administers medications (orally, subcutaneously, through an IV, etc.) and records prescribed medications.
- Reports adverse reactions to medications or treatments in accordance with the policy regarding the administration of medications by a licensed registered nurse
- Provides IV therapy
- Cleans and bandages wounds
- Provides basic, bedside care
- Maintains proper supplies and appropriate medical equipment to care for patients
- Reports any suspected abuse to the appropriate agencies
- Displays professionalism while completing multiple urgent tasks in a timely manner
- Initiates patient education plan, as prescribed by physician. Teaches patients and significant others how to manage their illness/injury, by explaining: post-treatment home care needs, diet/nutrition/exercise programs, self-administration of medication and rehabilitation, as well as provides referrals to other healthcare professionals for follow-up treatment
- Records all care information concisely, accurately, and completely, in a timely manner, in the appropriate format, and on the appropriate forms
- Follows facility and OSHA safety rules and procedures
- Respects cultural and religious practices of patients
- Upholds HIPAA regulations
- Performs other position-related duties as assigned management
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Sound understanding of Emergency Room dynamics and work flow
- Sound understanding of nursing practice and nationally accepted standards of practice
- Cognitive skills as related to the Emergency Department
- Critical thinking and problem solving abilities
- Good Communication skills with ability to communicate appropriately with all age groups
- Ability to perform under stress and cope with difficult situations
- Good time management and organizational skills
Work Experience, Education, and Certifications
- Current Registered Nurse License, in good standing with the State of Tennessee nurse licensing board
- 1 year of Emergency Room nursing experience is preferred
- Basic Life Support completed prior to working in the Emergency Department
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support must be obtained within 90 days of hire date
Working Conditions
Because patients need round-the-clock care, working hours include days, nights, weekends, and holidays.
Nurses spend considerable time walking, bending, stretching, and standing, so they must follow proper body mechanics to guard against injury.
Because of the fast-paced and variable environment of emergency rooms, ER Nurses must possess good stress coping skills and be able to relate to people of all ages and backgrounds.
They must be able to work accurately around frequent interruptions.
Nurses may face hazards from exposure to chemicals and infectious diseases.
In addition, they treat patients that may be confused, irrational, agitated, and/or uncooperative.
Physical Requirements / Demands
- Ability to lift twenty (20) pounds. Moving, lifting, or transferring of patients may involve lifting of up to fifty (50) pounds
- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods
- Ability to bend, lean, and stoop without hindrance; requires a full range of body motion
- Fine motor skills
- Visual acuity; normal range of hearing
- The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, talk, and hear.
- The employee is frequently required to walk and reach forward with hands and arms.
- The employee is occasionally required to sit, stoop, kneel, or crouch.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
- The overall physical demand rating for a job of the nurse falls within the Medium classification (exerting 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects).
- Physical Demand requirements are in excess of those for (Light Work) according to the Dictionary of Occupational Titles.
