RN Float Staff Nurse

RN Float Staff Nurse

Under the general direction of the Executive Director of Nursing and Clinical Services Leads, the RN Float Staff Nurse provides direct and indirect patient care, assisting in a variety of clinical areas in efforts to meet fluctuating staffing needs during periods of increased workload, staffing shortages, and to help balance off long-term absences (i.e., illness, holidays, maternity leave, etc.), reducing overtime of regularly scheduled staff.

Based on a change in census and acuity, the incumbent may start their shift in one unit and then be transferred or moved to a different department to meet operational requirements. While working within a nursing unit, the RN Float Staff Nurse acts as a patient advocate and facilitates communication between the patient, family, and other healthcare professionals in accordance with The Joint Commission, federal, state, and local guidelines, organizational and departmental policies, and procedures.

The RN Float Staff Nurse may be required to provide standardized nursing care to any and/or all nursing units within the scope of an RN practice. This scope includes medical-surgical, long-term care, primary care, case management, employee health, telemetry, and acute care (i.e., emergency department). This position requires self-motivation, creativity, and capabilities to function in a semi-autonomous role within a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

Individual competencies must be completed for each assigned role (based on active work participation).

Provides direct nursing care to a wide variety of patients requiring continuous 24-hour medical and nursing treatment using a problem-solving approach and in accordance with the standards, guidelines, and scope of professional nursing practice to facilitate individualized nursing care to patients within EHS. The RN Float Staff Nurse will:

• Assess, plan, implement, document, and evaluate care to ensure a coordinated, holistic approach that best meets the patient's needs.
• Assist patients to achieve their optimum level of health in situations of normal health, illness injury, or through the process of dying.
• Advocate the dignity and self-respect of patients.
• Promote the patient's autonomy and help them express their health needs and values to obtain appropriate information and services.
• Safeguard the trust of patients that information learned in the context of a professional relationship is shared outside the health care team only with the patient's permission or as legally required.
• Apply and promote principles of equity and fairness to assist patients in receiving unbiased treatment and a share of health services and resources proportionate to their needs.
• Act in a manner consistent with their professional code of ethics, responsibilities, and standards of practice

Facilitates, implements, and modifies patient and family education/teaching based on the patient's needs. The RN Float Staff Nurse will:

• Use a holistic approach to facilitate individual learning of patients and their families upon admission and transfer or discharge in relation to patient illness or injury (i.e., self-care, health promotion, etc.)
• Assess the patient for physical and psychological needs, health knowledge, disease process, and learning needs.
• Research, develop, revise, and evaluate, on an ongoing basis, educational resources necessary to support patients.
• Coordinate the admission and transfer or discharge of patients. This includes explaining and ensuring that the patient understands the admission or discharge plan established by the health care team for the patient's care and treatment.

Assumes accountability for the standard of care to determine and achieve patient care goals. The RN Float Staff Nurse will:

• Make decisions necessary to promote change and outcome of goal attainment.
• Communicate with other healthcare team members regarding the patient's health care to provide continuity of care and promote collaborative efforts toward quality patient care.
• Take a lead role in disaster responses within their assigned unit.
• May be required to direct and supervise the functions of others who are providing direct care and support (certified nurse assistants, patient care technicians, etc.)
• May be required to ensure adequate staffing levels during directly assigned duties and shifts.

Advocates for practice environments to have the organizational and resource allocations necessary for safe, competent, and ethical nursing care. The RN Float Staff Nurse will:

• Collaborate with nursing colleagues and other healthcare team members to advocate healthcare environments conducive to ethical practice and the health and well-being of patients, clients, and others in the setting.
• Orient new employees to unit-specific programs.
• Participate in committees, task forces, and research projects related to the Float Pool.

Additional Standards of Performance:

• Lab:
  Shows knowledge and competencies in lab duties.
• Collect appropriate specimens from patients.
• Checks two patient identifiers…