RN Medical Surgical Observation Unit

Job Overview

The Observation Unit RN at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville, MN cares for adult patients with a wide range of medical and surgical needs. The unit is protocol driven serving medical and post‑procedural/post‑surgical patients including but not limited to conditions such as chest pain, syncope, renal colic, toxicology exposure, vertigo, DVT, stroke, gastroenteritis, hysterectomy, TURP, mastectomy and heart catheterizations. This 28‑bed unit is fast‑paced with an average length of patient stay around 28 hours, accommodating outpatient observation, inpatient and outpatient surgical patients and is equipped with remote telemetry to closely monitor cardiac patients.

The unit is continuously focused on evaluating processes to improve quality of care, decrease length of stay by facilitating quick discharges and efficient patient flow.

About This Nursing (RN) Position: 60 hours per two weeks, 12‑hour shifts, day shift (7a‑7p), and every third weekend (F, S, S).

Take a deeper look at all the great work M Health Fairview's nurses accomplished in 2025: 2025 System Nursing Annual Report

The Registered Nurse is responsible for the assessment, planning, delivery, and evaluation of nursing care for all assigned patient population(s). The RN is responsible for performing these responsibilities in accordance with all policy, procedures, professional practice guidelines and the MN Nurse Practice Act. The RN coordinates care with members of the health care team and delegates responsibilities to others as appropriate.

• Assesses patient needs and identifies expected nursing outcomes.
• Involves the patient, family, and other health team members in gathering data.
• Uses an ongoing, systematic process to gather relevant information (biological, psychological, spiritual, and social aspects) from patient and family.
• Analyzes data and information to identify potential risks, prioritize needs and determine priority problems.
• Identifies outcomes that are age appropriate, culturally appropriate, realistic, and attainable.
• Validates these with patient, family, and other health team members.
• Documents data and identified outcomes.
• Develops an individualized nursing plan of care.
• Collaborates with patient, family, and other health team members to develop a nursing plan as part of an integrated, comprehensive plan of care.
• Develops an individualized plan based on age, social and cultural considerations, condition, and other relevant needs.
• Determines nursing interventions based on identified needs.
• Identifies interdisciplinary resources needed to assist in implementing the nursing plan of care.
• Prioritizes interventions based on patient acuity, available resources, and patient/family preferences and needs.
• Documents and updates the plan of care to assure continuity throughout the continuum of care.
• Implements nursing interventions based on the plan of care.
• Provides care according to the plan, and in accordance with all relevant policies, procedures, and nursing practice guidelines.
• Coordinates nursing care with the care of all other health team members.
• Initiates age and culturally appropriate measures to support and meet patient needs while achieving expected outcomes.
• Initiates patient/family teaching as appropriate to age, readiness to learn and available resources.
• Collaborates, consults, or makes referrals if unable to perform safely and independently.
• Delegates direct and indirect patient care activities to appropriate personnel based on needs, condition, potential for risk/harm, complexity of the skill and predictability of the outcome.
• Assures all actions are based on scientific, ethical, or ecological principles; proven effectiveness; experience; practice standards; patient/family requests and values; or, legal parameters.
• Uses the full range of therapeutic modalities to support and augment the healing process, moving from least intensive and invasive to more, depending on need and context.
• Documents interventions according to practice guidelines.
• Anticipates, recognizes, and responds to emergent situations.

• MN Registered Nurse (RN) License
• Basic Life Support (American Heart Assoc or Red…