Registered Nurse - Special Care Unit (PRN)

MercyOne Newton Medical Center is a fully owned hospital of MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center and a member of MercyOne Network.

It is located in the city of Newton, Iowa, county seat of Jasper County. Positioned on Interstate 80, the nation’s only east/west transcontinental interstate highway, Newton is about 30 miles east of the Des Moines metropolitan area, which has a population in excess of 400,000.

MercyOne Newton has a well-deserved reputation for bucking the trend of diminished health care in rural America by enhancing the quantity and quality of its services during the last two decades. This has been accomplished by expanding, remodeling and providing technological improvements to its physical facilities and by adding new physicians. 

MercyOne Newton employees and local doctors are known for their highly productive “Iowa work ethic,” emphasis on compassion and quality patient service, and loyalty to the hospital and the community.

Our campus in Newton has 48 beds and about 200,000 square feet of space. Attached to the hospital is a 50,000-square-foot medical office building containing local physician practices and the hospital’s physical medicine and rehabilitation center.

MercyOne Newton is one of the largest employers in Jasper County, along with the local school system and the county government.

POSITION SUMMARY: The registered nurse plans and provides professional nursing care to the patient from admission to discharge. He/She coordinates care with other disciplines, consults with the family or significant others and collaborates with the physician on the patient’s behalf. The RN assesses implements and evaluates nursing care. The Special Care Unit registered nurse plans and provides care to patients in a 4 bed cardio-respiratory monitored unit. The SCU cares for medical and surgical patients with a variety of diagnosis including but not limited to, congestive heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, pneumonia, diabetes, COPD, abdominal surgeries and minor trauma. The patients of the SCU require continuous telemetry monitoring and nurse ratio of 1:2 to meet their healthcare needs.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Administers nursing care to patients; includes assessment, planning, implementing, and evaluating the patient’s car plan in coordination with the physician.
• Provides patient/family or caregiver education and counseling in recognition and solution of physical, emotional, and environmental health problems.
• Supervises health care members (i.e., patient care technicians, etc.) with patients.
• Utilizes computer applications and communication technologies appropriate to the work setting to enter, retrieve, and analyze information and to facilitate communication and education.
• Maintains knowledge of documentation requirements needed for patients’ records.
• Works independently with limited direct supervision using the Nurse Practice Act, Mercy Medical Center policies, nursing standards, and professional judgement.
• Maintains knowledge of equipment set-up, maintenance, and use (i.e., IV pumps, monitoring equipment, and drainage devices).       Utilizes safeguards such as IV pump drug library and monitor alarms whenever available to maximize patient safety.
• Works rotating shifts, weekends, and holidays as scheduled.
• Initiates emergency support measures (i.e., cardiopulmonary resuscitation, protecting patient from injury).
• Takes assigned call as defined in unit policy.

• Adheres to standards of care for respective nursing units and utilizes the nursing process.
• Demonstrates nursing knowledge and judgement concerning patient care delivery.
• Demonstrates ability to establish priorities and organize effectively.
• Demonstrates competence in the clinical practice area.
• Assumes responsibility for own professional growth and continuing education.
• Demonstrates professional written and verbal skills.
• Demonstrates professional attitude and interest in work by maintaining acceptable work habits and behavior.
• Demonstrates knowledge and participates in the education of patients, relatives, and/or visitors.
• Demonstrates commitment to Customer Service.

• Attends 85% of unit meetings, reads 100% of unit meeting notes, attends 90% of Town Hall meetings, and all Mandatory In-services.

EDUCATION:   Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.

EXPERIENCE:   Nursing experience in a hospital setting preferred. Critical Care or Telemetry experience preferred.

LICENSURE:   Current license as a Registered Nurse from the State of Iowa required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Understands and is able to apply the nursing process.
• Must be able to read, write and follow written and oral instructions in English.
• Skilled in meeting the growth and development needs of infant, child, adolescent, adult and geriatric patient groups.
• Possesses knowledge and understanding of cognitive, physical, emotional, and chronological maturation processes of these patient groups.
• Maintains BCLS certification and ACLS certification at health care provider level. Completion of basic cardiac arrhythmia class necessary.