RN: Surgical Services Specialty RN

RN:
Surgical Services Specialty RN

Pagosa Springs Medical Center - Pagosa Springs, Colorado

Help build and grow PSMC's specialty surgical service lines while serving as a clinical expert, patient navigator, educator, and trusted advocate throughout each patient's surgical journey.

Pagosa Springs Medical Center (PSMC) is seeking an experienced RN:
Surgical Services Specialty RN to join our growing Pain Management and Surgical Services team.

This unique role combines advanced clinical nursing with patient navigation, care coordination, and specialty program development. Working closely with specialty physicians, surgeons, nurse anesthetists, medical assistants, schedulers, clinic staff, and surgical leadership, the Specialty RN coordinates seamless patient care from the initial clinic consultation through surgery, recovery, and follow-up.

The Surgical Services Specialty RN serves as the primary clinical resource and nurse navigator for assigned specialty service lines. This position helps ensure exceptional patient experiences, timely coordination of care, patient and family education, and continuity across clinic and surgical settings. The RN also follows up daily on outstanding patient orders, referrals, and prior authorizations.

• Help develop and grow specialty surgical services in a progressive rural healthcare organization
• Build lasting relationships with patients throughout their care journey
• Work collaboratively with surgeons, anesthesia providers, clinic staff, and hospital leadership
• Enjoy a diverse role combining direct patient care, care coordination, education, and leadership
• Help shape the future of specialty surgical care in a growing Critical Access Hospital
• Practice in a beautiful mountain community with an exceptional quality of life

• Serve as the primary nurse navigator for assigned specialty service lines
• Coordinate patient care from the initial consultation through surgery, recovery, and follow-up
• Ensure continuity of care across clinic and surgical settings
• Follow up daily on referrals, prior authorizations, test results, and outstanding patient orders
• Coordinate communication between patients, providers, and multidisciplinary care teams
• Ensure patients' follow-up appointments are scheduled appropriately
• Monitor patient portal, telephone, and departmental message queues and respond in a timely manner

• Perform comprehensive nursing assessments and ongoing patient evaluations
• Develop and implement individualized nursing care plans
• Initiate and direct treatments within the RN scope of practice
• Administer medications safely and document care accurately
• Monitor patients for changes in condition and communicate abnormal findings promptly
• Perform patient triage, medication reconciliation, and comprehensive electronic health record documentation
• Assist with specialty procedures, surgical preparation, and post-procedure care
• Maintain medical and surgical asepsis and create sterile fields when appropriate
• Apply age-specific nursing principles throughout the continuum of care

Educate patients and families regarding:

• Medical conditions and diagnoses
• Treatment plans
• Diagnostic and surgical procedures
• Pain management
• Medications
• Durable medical equipment
• Post-procedure and postoperative care
• Rehabilitation goals and recovery strategies

Reinforce provider instructions, assess patient understanding, and develop teaching plans based on identified learning needs.

• Collaborate with surgeons, specialty providers, nurse anesthetists, clinic staff, and Surgical Services leadership
• Coordinate referrals, imaging, laboratory testing, and specialty consultations
• Review chart preparation, orders, insurance authorizations, and required testing
• Complete medication and procedure-related prior authorizations
• Monitor authorizations to prevent expiration during treatment
• Submit booking requests for procedures, injections, and surgeries
• Complete required durable medical equipment documentation
• Retrieve outside medical records as needed to support continuity of care
• Reconcile patient charges…