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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

The Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit (STICU) provides comprehensive care to surgical, trauma, orthopedic and neurological patients requiring intense monitoring and nursing care. The 16 beds have bedside monitors. Patient care in the STICU includes early detection and prevention of complications, management of complex physiological problems, patient/family education and family psychosocial support systems.

• Critically ill, unstable patients in the need of intensive treatment such as ventilator support and continuous vasoactive drug therapy. As well as other critical medications.
• Patients who suffer from traumatic injuries or reversible diseases are admitted for aggressive medical and surgical treatment that cannot be provided elsewhere in the hospital. Examples are patients with:
  • Critically injured multi-traumas
  • Orthopedic trauma
  • Respiratory failure
  • Hemodynamically unstable patients requiring invasive monitoring and/or close observation
  • Acute neurological and/or traumatic events requiring continuous observation
  • Emergent or invasive surgical cases

Therapies in the STICU may include hemodialysis, continuous renal replacement therapy, and ventilation support which may include proning. Monitoring provided includes central venous pressure, arterial line, electrocardiogram, pulse oximetry, intracranial pressure monitoring, and apnea monitoring. We do a wide variety of bedside procedures including chest tube insertions, tracheostomy, peg tube placement, invasive wound care, external ventricular drain placement as well as other conscious sedation procedures.

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: Licensed to practice as an RN in Georgia.

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

• Minimum Experience: At least 1 year of RN experience - Demonstrated competence in RN I performance expectations or meets experience requirements upon hire

• Other:

Preferred Job Qualifications

• Preferred Licensure or other certifications: BSN

• Preferred Educational Requirements:

• 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 competence in RN I performance expectations in addition to:

• Serves as a highly engaged and full partner on the care team and responds willingly to care team member needs for assistance.

• Adapts to change and demonstrates flexibility

• Leads interdisciplinary rounds to facilitate appropriateness of care and smooth transitions across the continuum

• Positively impacts the work environment by displaying respect for individuals and the organization

• Exemplary Professional Practice

• Demonstrates competence in RN I performance expectations in addition to:

• Effectively applies the nursing process 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

• Demonstrates initiative and seeks formal and informal opportunities to improve clinical practice within specialty area

• Demonstrates critical thinking in the identification of clinical, social, safety, psychological, ethical and spiritual issues within the episode of care

• Effectively delegates care as appropriate while retaining accountability for the quality of care given to patients and families

• Demonstrates 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

• Incorporates Sister Simone Roach's 7 Cs of Caring: Ctheory by incorporating the seven Cs of Caring: Compassion, Competence, Confidence, Conscience, Commitment, Comportment, Creativity into daily work and practice

• New Knowledge, Innovation & Improvement

• Demonstrates competence in RN I performance expectations in addition to:

• Creates an environment of open dialogue, inquiry, and continuous development by asking for feedback and improving practice

• Identifies opportunities for quality improvement to colleagues and management.

• Applies evidence-based practice as a regular aspect of professional practice

• Ensures improvements in the practice setting by assuming responsibility for self-development in life-long learning.

• Serves as a resource for students

• Structural Empowerment

• Demonstrates competence in RN I performance expectations in addition to:

• Demonstrates an understanding of cultural intelligence, diversity, equity, and inclusion, lateral violence, and impairment and holds peers accountable for healthy relationships

• Demonstrating deep interdependence by valuing team member contributions, talents, and skills

• Models safe work hours, time management, efficiency, and stewardship

• Supports unit-based shared governance activities while on duty

• Actively participates in unit-based selfcare activities.

• Continually evaluate work processes with the goal of improvement, to achieve our strategic initiatives

• Achieves and maintains de-escalation training certification as appropriate for work unit

• Empirical Outcomes

• Demonstrates competence in RN I performance expectations in addition to:

• Supports in quality of care activities, evaluates the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice

• Supports unit-based activities aimed at the ownership improving the patient's experience, employee engagement, and/or nurse sensitive indicators on the unit with a focus on improvement

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.