Care Team Registered Nurse
POSITION SUMMARY: As a Care Team RN, this individual provides direct patient care in a care team through participating with the clinician in visits (especially acute co-visits, new patient exams and hospital follow-up visits), performing RN procedures, addressing needs of walk-in and call-in patients, providing patient education, integrating spiritual care, and coordinating care for complex patients on the care team.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
ADDRESSES NEEDS OF WALK-IN AND CALL-IN PATIENTS
- Interviews patients to determine patient care needs
- Documents initial assessment and intervenes according to triage protocol and nursing standards of care
- Responds quickly and appropriately to urgent/emergent medical problems
- Prioritizes patient needs according to level of acuity
- Assists in the care and transfer of acutely ill patients to EMS services
- Demonstrates sound clinical judgment and decision-making, not working outside the level of training
- Documents all clinical interactions completely and efficiently in the patientโs EHR chart
- Begins basic teaching relevant to current complaint as appropriate, i.e. reviews standard guidelines for the care of common illnesses such as fever, URI, diarrhea, vomiting, lice, etc
- Assists Clerical Assistants in managing providersโ schedules throughout the day to improve work flow and decrease patient wait time
- Provides training and clinical oversight to Medical Assistants who are assisting in triage
PARTICIPATES IN PATIENT HEALTH EDUCATION
- Provides patient education on topics such as diet and nutrition, self-administration of injectable medications, prevention and treatment of asthma, use of glucometer, etc
- Performs medication reconciliations with patients on complex medication regimens and reviews purpose, correct dosage and any special instructions or precautions for each medication
- Encourages and instructs patients to take the appropriate initiative in their own health, specifically encouraging them to understand and ask questions about their care, make their own appointments, follow-up with consultants and make initial contacts with insurances and vendors
- Provides patient education to sick patients regarding when to contact clinician or seek emergency care
COORDINATES FOLLOW-UP CARE
- Contacts patients about critical lab results as requested by Clinicians; explains results and any needed follow-up
- Calls patients as requested by Clinicians to evaluate response to treatment and encourage compliance with treatment plan
- Communicates with other EHC teams such as Care Management, Social Services, BHC, etc regarding care of complex patients
- Communicates with outside agencies including consultants, mental health services, social service agencies, insurance companies, etc., to coordinate care of patients with multiple needs
PERFORMS DIRECT PATIENT CARE IN RN-LED VISITS AND OTHER CARE TEAM VISITS
- Obtains thorough and accurate patient history
- Inserts and updates allergy, medication, and problem lists
- Performs physical assessment and initiates in house specimen collection/testing as appropriate; orders appropriate testing in the EHR
- Efficiently relays gathered history to the clinician in the patient room, in the patient's preferred language; scribes clinicianโs assessment in the EHR; documents patient instructions and reviews instructions with patient
- Identifies areas of concern and relays these to the clinician
- Performs suture and staple removal and basic wound care as needed
- Performs urinary straight catheterization as needed
- Performs and documents in-house lab procedures such as urine dip, urine HCG, finger stick Hgb, finger stick glucose, hemoccult test, etc., according to protocol and in compliance with OSHA standards
- Performs EKG and administer bronchodilators via nebulizer and as ordered by provider
- Administers oxygen as ordered by provider
ADMINISTERS INJECTABLE MEDICATIONS AND VACCINES
- Administers intravenous fluids, intramuscular and subcutaneous injectable medications, oral medications, and vaccines as ordered
- Receives deliveries of controlled medications; stores, records, and handles controlled medications appropriately
MAINTAINS EMERGENCY CLINICAL SUPPLIES
- Responds to code blue and rapid response emergencies
- Assumes an RN-level role during a code blue and delegates other roles to staff as appropriate
- Able to correctly use all emergency clinical supplies
- Safely administers all emergency medications
- Performs monthly emergency equipment checks and inventory at home clinic site
- Promptly notifies supervisor and Director of Clinical Support Services of medications and equipment that are missing, expired, or need to be ordered
PERFORMS SPIRITUAL CARE
- Provides effective spiritual intervention with patients, sharing hope and salvation through Jesus Christ, sharing helpful Biblical instruction and scriptures, praying for patients, and connecting/referring to Christian churches as appropriate and according to the leading of the Holy Spirit
- Does not force spiritual intervention, but gives spiritually uninterested pts respect and space, continuing to provide exemplary care in all other dimensions
- Participates in personal and community spiritual growth through active participation in daily prayer meetings and devotionals with EHC team
- Offers referral to chaplain or area clergy for follow-up as requested by patient
GENERAL EXPECTATIONS
- Self-directed and motivated
- Exceptional organizational and interpersonal skills, with attention to detail required
- Exhibits self-motivation in undertaking new projects and assignments
- Independently identifies and resolves problems
- Pursues personal and professional development
- Able to effectively provide clinical care to socially and medically complex patients in a variety of non-traditional settings
- Able to work collaboratively in a team and manage multiple priorities, utilize effective time management skills, and exercise sound administrative and clinical judgment
- Able to analyze systems and to develop creative solutions to problems
- Able to work well with people of various ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, and life experience
- Adheres to policies and procedures of the health center and the regulations of governing agencies as they affect the department, recommending changes where appropriate
- Demonstrates habit of good attendance and punctuality by reporting for work whenever scheduled
- Participates in departmental meetings and general staff meetings
- Serves all patients in a Christ-like manner, with respect, humility, love, and self-control
EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND QUALIFICATIONS
- Registered Nurse license required; BSN preferred
- Good oral and written communication skills - Bilingual English/Spanish or willingness to learn required
- At least 1-2 years of experience providing clinical services preferred
- Maintains CPR certification
- Solid interpersonal skills, including the ability to deal with people politely, even when they are impolite; must communicate warmth and be able to put people at ease
- Remains calm under pressure
- Takes initiative in communication, being clear and direct, in order to effectively communicate with other staff
- Some computer experience - word processing and/or other
- Demonstrated ability to handle many details and multiple priorities; must show ability to organize, process, and verify details
- Must have a solid record of handling confidential information, as well as demonstrating trustworthiness and honesty in all transactions
- Solid character references, as well as no criminal record
- Solid record of timeliness and reliability in a work setting
- Experience in community/outpatient setting and case management preferred
- Experience in serving the poor, urban environments, familiarity with North Philadelphia is preferred.
WORKING CONDITIONS
- Requires the ability to travel to multiple office locations within North Philadelphia
- Requires the ability to be on your feet working in a high paced environment for 4 hours at a time.
- Requires the ability to work in a seated position on the phone for 4 hours at a time.
- Requires extensive work on a computer keyboard.
- Requires the ability to work with adults and children.
- Requires work with needles and patientโs bodily fluids.
- Requires the ability to carry a 20 pound box.