REGISTERED NURSE (LABOR & DELIVERY)

SEARHC is a non-profit health consortium which serves the health interests of the residents of Southeast Alaska. We see our employees as our strongest assets. It is our priority to further their development and our organization by aiding in their professional advancement.

Working at SEARHC is more than a job, it’s a fulfilling career. We offer generous benefits, including retirement, paid time off, paid parental leave, health, dental, and vision benefits, life insurance and long and short-term disability, and more.

The OB/Labor & Delivery Nurse performs a variety of nursing care procedures requiring professional knowledge and consideration of specific patient conditions and treatments, and ability to work independently in completing assignments.  Guidelines include physician’s orders, standards of care, nursing policies and procedures manuals, hospital policies.  Nursing duties include support to individuals of all ages and their families during their ante partum, post partum, laboring stages, new born baby care, and care of post-surgical C-section patients.

Utilizing after hours call services, holidays and weekends. On Call responds to all emergencies including trauma and fetal distress C-sections includes total peri-operative nursing care.  Able to react in a calm manner and make sound nursing judgments in an emergency environment. Clinical decisions are made initially independently during the scheduled shift; maintains complete accountability for all actions taken.  Consults with the appropriate manager/supervisor in difficult situations requiring additional input. Accountable for proper delegation and supervision of CNA/Tech, LPN, Ward Clerk and/or PCE on unit during shift.

• Promotes the SEARHC Seven Standards of Excellence; Implements a safe, therapeutic, and efficient care for patients with needs due to multisystem disease and/or complications of treatment with appropriate infection control measures; sets priorities for care of patients based on acuity and/or patients’ preference; anticipates potential problems; adapts to change on the area by setting priorities for emergencies, changes in patient status and unusual occurrences; initiates, manages, and documents the nursing procedures consistent with scientific principle and departmental policy; demonstrates knowledge of equipment use; accurately administers age-specific medications and therapeutics;  carries out the medical and nursing care plan and coordinates patient care activities with physicians and other healthcare team members; initiates action to reduce, correct, or prevent immediate, ongoing, or potential risks to the patient; facilitates healing by providing nursing care that is individualized, goal oriented, based on scientific principles and the nursing process; seeks out resources when beyond the scope of skill, knowledge or experience; explains test, procedures, and disease process to patient/significant others; follows through on nursing care plans by teaching and demonstrating skills essential for understanding and coping with illness and promoting optimal health; communicates and interacts with patient/significant others in a positive and supportive way; provides counseling using emotional, intellectual and psychological supports and utilizes other healthcare professionals in dealing with psychosocial problems if needed; takes steps to decrease stress and/or increase effectiveness of coping mechanisms of patient/significant others; evaluates patient’s progress or lack of progress towards goals, directing new goal setting and implementing revised patient care plans as directed by reassessment; documents the patient’s response to care; closes out patient care plan by discharge or has in place an after care plan to meet the patient’s needs; Assures confidentiality of patient information.

• Plans, coordinates and completes patient care on C-section post-surgical and obstetrics unit. Closely monitors patients returning from surgery; provides total patient care from post-surgical recovery to discharge, including teaching and self-care demonstrations. Labor/Delivery, Postpartum and Neonatal Nursing. Provides focused 1:1 care during labor, including nursing/medical interventions, vaginal exams, comfort measures, pain relief and labor coaching. Monitors, interprets, and documents electronic fetal heart rate tracing using current NICHD terminology and performs scheduled NST’s. Cares for high-risk maternal or neonatal patients, stabilizes and prepares patients for transfer to a tertiary care facility. Offers breastfeeding support, teaching, and breastfeeding consults. Triages OB phone calls and unscheduled outpatients to ensure safe, timely provision of care. Assists MD with bedside procedures, pelvic exams and OB-related procedures. Performs well baby checks. Supervises and delegates to CNA and housekeeping staff. Seeks continuing education to maintain current standards in fetal heart monitoring. Complies with ACOG standards of care.

• Accomplishes nursing assessment through interviewing, observation and nursing process; obtains, interprets and applies age-related (pediatric, adult, and geriatric) patient information in terms of cognitive, physical, emotional and normal growth/development needs of the patient; completes thorough Nursing Admission Databases/initial patient assessment; documents assessment findings that are consistent with other providers and include review of body systems, laboratory results, diagnostic findings, chart reviews, and interdisciplinary input; identifies problems & nursing diagnosis by recognizing the impact of health problems on patients and families; distinguishes between normal and abnormal assessments in order to identify patient capabilities and limitations including psychosocial risks; utilizes resources to assess patients with conditions that are new, unfamiliar, or not commonly seen.

• Imparts educational knowledge to develop skills to enhance decision making and promote understanding by interacting with patients, family, staff, and community; engages in ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching in terms of patient understanding and behavioral outcomes; organizes and participates in patient care conferences as applicable; identifies staff, patient, and family needs and develops a plan for education and/or makes appropriate referrals; develops/implements educational programs and learning aides of the department (ie. Inservices, special projects, learning aides, patient care standards); documents education accurately and completely; provides discharge patient information; participate in in-services and educational programs in the department, hospital and/or community as assigned; ACLS trained within the first six months of employment and biannually thereafter; completes all mandatory training and competency checks; utilizes opportunities for incidental teaching with staff members.

• Communicates with staff, patients, significant others and other members of the healthcare team in a way that is supportive, constructive, and positive; gives feedback to other staff and healthcare team members in regard to behavior that does not support achievement; assists in the orientation of new staff, travelers, and students by sharing knowledge, experience and verbal encouragement; guides others in choosing nursing intervention, developing skills and applying knowledge; follows and directs others to follow corporate, hospital, and departmental policies, procedures and patient care standards; supports the area and overall Nursing services mission by assigning staff to productive tasks and floating to other units as needed; provides input regarding the need for change in policies, procedures, and patient care standards; able to perform as Contact RN leading assigned RNs, LPNs, and CNAs and accomplishes all assigned patient care and area support activities during the shift.

• Develops and contributes to a plan of nursing action based on existing and potential patient problems and obtainable patient responses which are mutually acceptable to the healthcare team; transcribes and notes physician orders accurately; utilizes past experience to provide a range of options for nursing care; initiates patient care plans using patient care standards; addresses identified nursing diagnosis and coordinates the plan with the healthcare team by using methods that include interventions, goals, and time frames; utilizes resources to formulate a written plan of care; documents reassessments which include laboratory results, diagnostic findings, interdisciplinary notes and documented patient observations; writes a PIER or SOAPE note in progress note; gives shift report according to area guidelines.

• Performs other duties as assigned. Will take call as assigned by immediate supervisor. Attends and participates in at least 50% of departmental staff meetings; applies information presented in staff meetings; participates in unit goal setting; complies with area and departmental scheduling guidelines;  initiates discussion with nurse manager regarding area or department issues; completes annual competencies, evaluation material, maintains certifications and licensure; complies with dress code; refers un-resolved problems with patients/visitors/co-workers to Nurse Manager or Administrative Manager for resolution; addresses employee concerns consistent with Human Resources Policy

Education/Experience

• Education required to obtain a valid, current, full and unrestricted RN license in the State of Alaska
• Commission Corp Officers meet billet description requirements for a 0 - 2 to 0 – 3 and can have a RN license to practice in any State
• One year clinical nurse experience is preferred
• Prior experience in the area of specialty is preferred

Certifications/License

• Valid, current, full and unrestricted RN license in the State of Alaska
• Must have BLS until get ACLS, ACLS, PALS, and NRP on hire, if not on hire, must be obtained within 6 months of hire date

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Knowledge

• Knowledge of nursing care principles, practices, diagnosis, and processes (including assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation) to provide professional nursing care to patients.
• Competency to recognize adverse signs and symptoms and to act promptly in emergency situations.
• Knowledge of pharmaceuticals, their desired effects, side effects, and complications in their use.

Skills

• Skills to apply scientific principles in operating and monitoring of basic and specialized medical equipment (ex: defibrillator, gastric and thoracic suction, EKG machines, ect.).
• Proficient in nursing procedures and basic nursing care.
• Oral and written communication skills, can enter and retrieve patient data accurately, can verbally communicate findings with healthcare team. 

Abilities

• Ability to provide guidance, leadership, and work cooperatively with others by establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships with patients, visitors, and other healthcare team members.
• Ability to implement appropriate nursing therapeutic interventions based on the knowledge of a wide variety of nursing diagnosis, medical and psychosocial disorders, the normal course of disease and anticipated complications.