Emergency Nurse

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification.

Essential Functions

Leadership

• Demonstrates a professional respect and commitment to the care of patients, colleagues, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrates critical thinking, conflict management and problem-solving abilities.
• Promotes an interdisciplinary team approach based on mutual respect and direct communication between health care professionals to ensure appropriate care is delivered effectively.
• Positively participates in annual performance review and contributes to objectives and goal setting with their line manager.
• Supervises and orients junior staff to ensure the provision of safe and effective patient care.

Clinical Practice

• Responsible to ensure that the nursing process of diagnosis, assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of patient care is in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team and other stakeholders.
• Collaborates with the Interdisciplinary team to provide individualized care from point of first contact throughout the episode of care, incorporating the continuum of care and comprehensive planning.
• Assumes role of key worker as allocated with individual patients, coordinates all aspects of their care, re-evaluating the care plan as required, liaising with the wider multidisciplinary team as required.
• Collaborates with the medical team to set SMART goals for patients and document patient outcomes appropriately.
• Demonstrates accountability for own professional judgment, actions, outcomes of care, continued competence and works within the local health regulatory authority Scope of Practice for Registered Nurses.
• Demonstrates ability to identify significant changes in patients’ conditions, initiates appropriate action and escalates concerns appropriately, whilst working autonomously within the scope of practice.
• Demonstrates an understanding and need for accessibility to local community resources.
• Demonstrates service excellence and acts as a patient advocate to support the patients’ rights and dignity at all times.
• Takes all reasonable steps to protect children or adults who are vulnerable or at risk from harm, neglect or abuse.
• Administers medications, understands contraindications, and manages side effects management in line with the organizations policies and procedures and as ordered by the Physician.
• Responds appropriately to all levels of emergencies adhering to the organizations policy and procedures.
• Triages incoming patients based on level of injury or illness.
• Monitors and records symptoms and changes in patients’ conditions and information to the physician.
• Orders, interprets and evaluates diagnostics tests to identify and assess the patient’s condition.
• Observes and documents patient medical information and vital signs.
• Documents patients’ medical histories and assessment findings.
• Documents patients’ treatment plans, interventions, outcomes, or plan revisions.
• Monitors the critical patients for changes in status and indications of conditions such as sepsis or shock and institute appropriate interventions.
• Administers intravenous fluids and medications as per doctor’s order.
• Monitors patients’ fluid intake and output to detect emerging problems such as fluid and electrolyte imbalances.
• Monitors all aspects of patient care, including diet and physical activity.
• Identifies patients who are at risk of complications due to nutritional status.
• Treats wounds and provides advanced life support.
• Assists physicians with procedures such as bronchoscopy, endoscopy, endotracheal intubation, and elective cardioversion.
• Ensures operation of medical and administrative equipment by verifying emergency equipment availability; completing preventive maintenance requirements; following manufacturer's instructions; troubleshooting malfunctions; calling for repairs; maintaining equipment inventories; evaluating new equipment and techniques.
• Responds to life-saving situations, using nursing standards and protocols for treatment.
• Provides care for pre-and post-operative patients when those patients require ICU care.
• Prioritizes nursing care for assigned critically ill patients based on assessment data and identified needs.
• Identifies patient care requirements by establishing personal rapport with potential and actual patients and other persons in a position to understand care requirements.
• Participates in vaccination programs as per local health authority.
• Assures quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards; measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards; making or recommending necessary adjustments.
• Resolves patient problems and needs by utilizing multidisciplinary team strategies.
• Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations, calling for assistance from health care support personnel.
• Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
• Documents patient care services by charting in patient and department records.
• Maintains continuity among nursing teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs.
• Maintains patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
• Maintains nursing supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level; anticipating needed supplies; placing and expediting orders for supplies; verifying receipt of supplies; using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results.
• Maintains nursing supplies inventory by studying usage reports; identifying trends; anticipating needed supplies; initially approving requisitions and cost allocations.
• Demonstrates ability to use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication methods, and consider cultural sensitivities, to better understand and respond to peoples’ personal and health needs.
• Maintains confidentiality and security of patient and the organization information in accordance with the confidentiality policy.
• Responsible for accurate documentation within the medical records ensuring it reflects a continuous, systematic, and accurate nursing assessment of all patient care events complying with organization policies and procedures.
• Facilitates effective communication between the patient, family and interdisciplinary health care team as required.
• Liases with other health care providers as necessary to ensure appropriate and timely interventions for patient.
• Establishes and maintains professional boundaries with patients, members of the care team and the wider interdisciplinary team.

Education

• Assesses patient’s needs, plans for, and provides education and evaluates outcome.
• Provides a suitable environment that supports patients’ learning.
• Ensures that patient is provided with comprehensive information and resources to meet their health care needs.
• Engages in all opportunities to provide health promotion activities to patients and the wider community.
• Engages in all educational opportunities to remain up to date to provide evidence-based care.
• For Academic Health- includes the teachers and school administration team for health and safety education/presentation and awareness.