Position Summary

The Surgery Nurse coordinates and ensures that the patient care is provided in a holistic manner. Demonstrate professional maturity and strives to maintain and improve the department standards.

Employment Type

Per Diem

Essential Responsibilities

1. Understands and follows hospital and department guidelines.

2. Makes assessment and identifies patients’ needs according to hospital policy. Uses clinical judgment when providing care and/or setting patient care goals. Creates a plan of action to meet those goals. Incorporates the physical, social and psychological needs in the process.

3. Identifies patient discharges planning needs and relays information to the appropriate department.

4. Administers medication and performs treatments according to hospital guidelines.

5. Reports patient clinical observation and medical outcome to pertinent person, i.e., physician’s department director, etc. Documents observations timely, accurately, and legibly in the medical record of the patient.

6. Delegates and follows up on aspect of patient care assigned to other disciplines, i.e., orderlies, technician’s clinical staff and others according to personnel capabilities, qualifications, hospital policy, and licensure or state regulatory guidelines.

7. Assists and works cooperatively with other hospital staff members as needed.

8. Coordinates with other disciplines to streamline and provide smooth patient care.

9. Provides patient and family education based on assessed needs.

10. Follows established documentation protocol.

11. Participates in the orientation of new personnel.

12. Attends to units/hospital and/or department required in-services or meetings according to policy.

13. Participates in unit/hospital QI activities as requested.

14. Provides sound management of supplies.

15. Assists in maintaining a clean and safe environment. Reports deviation to proper person.

16. Follows infection control and hospital safety guidelines.

17. Demonstrates competency in using hospital and patient care equipment.

18. Occasionally may require overtime.

19. Responsible for on-call schedule coverage as assigned.

20. Performs other assigned duties as required.

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrates knowledge as a surgical circulator nurse, recovery room, PACU, GI/outpatient nurse associated with position.

• Performs in a calm and professional manner during surgical procedures including crisis and emergency situations.

• Assists the anesthesiologist with all facets of care given in the operating room.

• Act as patients advocate in the operating room.

• Monitors patient’s conditions during local anesthesia.

• Demonstrates a cooperative effort with on-call coverage and assignment changes.

• Uses eyes, hands, and fingers to operate delicate and sensitive equipment.

• Work precisely and accurately.

• Provides quality nursing care by assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation.

• Ability to give instructions and to supervise staff.

• Assists with quality assurance studies and hospital committees as requested.

Physical Demands

Medium Work: Exerting up to 20 to 50 pounds of force frequently, up to 1/3 of the time to move objects. Requires walking or standing to a significant degree and requires sitting a minimal amount of time.

Environmental Conditions

Inside: Protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes.

Hazards

• Subject to exposure to infectious and contagious diseases.

• Subject to exposure to blood borne pathogens.

• Subject to exposure to hazardous anesthetic agents, body fluids, and wastes.

• Subject to hazards of flammable and explosive gases.

Reasoning Development

Apply principles of rational systems to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.

Mathematical Development

Be able to compute standard measures, weights, ratios, volumes as are common in Surgical Procedures.

Language Development

Reading: Read and understand instructions, safety rules, medical terminology and other written materials such as policies, procedures, etc.

Writing: Write letters, correspondence and other reports with proper format, punctuation, spelling and grammar, using all parts of speech.

Speaking: Speak with poise, voice control, and confidence using correct English and well-modulated voice.

Relationships to Data, People and Things

Data: Compiling: Gathering, collating, or classifying information about data, people or things. Reporting and/or carrying out a prescribed action in relation to information are frequently involved.

People: Speaking-Signaling: Talking with and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving assignments, instructions and/or directions to helpers, subordinates or assistants.

Things: Operating-Controlling: Starting, stopping, controlling and adjusting the progress or machines or equipment.

Qualification

Education:

• Graduate from an accredited school of nursing.

• Current State of Florida nursing license required.

• Current CPR certification required.

• Current ACLS certification required.

Supervisory Experience and Training:

Successful experience in the clinical setting with a minimum of two years in operating room and/or recovery room nursing management and/or equivalent experience in the operating room as surgical assist, scrub technician or foreign physician.

Job Knowledge:

Comprehensive knowledge of general nursing and surgical nursing theory and practice, supply, processing and distribution systems and procedures; new developments in nursing application and personnel administration.