Registered Nurse (RN) - Perioperative
Civilian Corps
Colorado Springs, CO

Nurse (Perioperative)

Overview Nurse (Perioperative), USAF Academy, Colorado Springs, CO Welcome to the U.S. Air Force Academy and thank you for your interest in becoming an integral part of our team! You'll have the opportunity to become part of the wonderful experience of preparing more than 4,000 cadets for careers as Air Force leaders. The mission requires everyone's effort to succeed -- officers, enlisted Airmen, civilian employees, contractors and family members. As a part of the Academy, you will help prepare our future leaders by serving as a role model both on and off duty. You will set the example through your performance on the job, your appearance, your attitude and your conduct. You may also chose to become involved with cadets, because your participation is important to their personal and professional development. Your involvement can take many forms: attending intramural, club, and intercollegiate activities, coming to lectures presented by guest speakers, becoming a squadron participant and, if eligible, by becoming a cadet sponsor. While you're here, you can take advantage of our extensive recreational facilities, which are among the finest in the Air Force. We offer a wide range of seasonal programs to help make Colorado and its seasons enjoyable for our base community. Working for the Department of Defense comes with an abundance of benefits and perks to include competitive compensation packages, paid-time off, medical benefits, student loan repayments, and retirement package with Thrift Savings Plan to include matching employer contributions. For more information, please visit the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/benefits/ Responsibilities POSITION DUTIES: 1. The Clinical/Critical Care Nurse functions as a clinical staff member and is part of the Department of Surgery.a. As a perioperative nurse, provides an advanced level of specialized nursing care to patients with surgical conditions and complications requiring sophisticated, highly technical care, and treatment from assessment of the needs of patients from admission to discharge or transfer to higher level of care. Patients will require continuous monitoring and observation and rapid intervention of PHASE I and PHASE 2 PACU nursing to prevent complications and restore health. Communicates patients progress or lack of to physicians and supervisory nursing personnel. Inputs patient care information into electronic medical record or paper record. b. Performs preoperative preadmission testing, preoperative and postoperative patient care. Uses hard-copy and automated documentation systems to obtain a patient history. Utilizes appropriate interview skills to accurately identify existing and potential problems, and formulate a nursing assessment. Utilizes the perioperative nursing process to identify patient problems and generate nursing diagnoses; designs a plan of care, writes and implements nursing orders to achieve established goals, evaluates nursing interventions relative to desired outcomes based upon a patient's response to care; documents patient's status on a continual basis and revises plan of care accordingly.c. Acts in the capacity of shift charge nurse, may direct personnel to meet mission requirements in absence of supervisory nurse promotes quality, cost-effective nursing care within the framework of the philosophy and mission objectives of the Department of Surgery and the Command. As charge nurse uses management skills to identify, distribute and balance workload and tasks among personnel based on their competency level and experience, makes adjustment to assignments to accomplish work in accordance with established priorities to ensure timely, accomplishment of tasks and procedures. Monitors and reports on status and progress of work; reviews completed work to insure supervisor's instructions on work priorities, methods, quality and deadlines have been met. Resolves simple, informal complaints of employees, patients, and other interdisciplinary team members and refers issues to supervisors or appropriate management person as appropriate.2. Utilizes professional nursing theories, principles, and procedures in planning, providing, administering, overseeing, and documenting professional patient care, in accordance with nursing standards of practice, licensed independent provider (LIP), and established policies and procedures. Utilizes the nursing process to formulate patient care plans; identifies, documents, and implements nursing care, appropriate to patient care problems. Obtains patient history and completes a full nursing assessment. Identifies and documents the effectiveness of care provided and revises care plan, as needed. Implements individualized nursing care plans based on The American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses Standards of Practice and Care to include safety precautions, infection control precautions and practices, aseptic practices, personnel assignments, and medication administration. Utilizes critical thinking to select the course of action in implementing healthcare provider orders and interpreting their appropriateness to the patient's present condition. Collaborates with healthcare providers to make changes to nursing care plans. Establishes criteria and evaluates/assesses effectiveness of patient treatment. Interprets and ensures compliance with established policies, procedures, and standards of care and practice. Collects and interprets health information; identifies wellness and risk factors, along with variations from norms, and makes an assessment. Utilizes professional nursing methods and processes to identify and manage immediate health care needs for non-urgent patient problems; recommends self-care, as appropriate, for nursing assessment, and as advised by approved clinical protocols. In the absence of a physician, independently determines and implements proper emergency/lifesaving measures, often identifying and interpreting life threatening conditions; facilitates transfer to the emergency department, as necessary. Assists surgeons and anesthesiologists with complex, or potentially life-threatening procedures Conducts Postoperative nursing phone consultation with patients the business day following surgical procedure to evaluate patient condition and possible referral for post operative complications.3. Uses specialized equipment including but not limited to, oxygen masks, BVM, infusion pumps, wall suction, EKG machines, cardiac monitors, and emergency equipment such as defibrillators/AED. Consults physician if patients condition warrants further diagnostic tests and signs and symptoms of deterioration in condition, and takes corrective action. Knows and ensures infection control standards and safety practices are met in accordance with unit and medical group, Defense Health Agency operating instructions, and The Joint Commission Standards for patient care. Administers medication (oral, subcutaneous, IV), including potent narcotics, in accordance with physician's orders. Provides for safekeeping and accurate accounting of controlled drugs and narcotics Air Force, Medical Group and Defense Health Agency policies. Makes independent perioperative nursing judgment and appropriate revisions in care plan, monitors safety hazards, ensuring immediate actions are taken to resolve or correct. Interprets findings and reports to the healthcare provider, those findings which indicate a detrimental variation in the progress of the patient.4. Instructs patients and family members regarding disease processes and provides emotional support, as needed. Serves as facilitator to mediate complaints and concerns of patients, family members, and staff by taking immediate action to resolve or refer to a higher level. Collaborates with an interdisciplinary team to develop strategies to improve patient care services. Collaborates with designated personnel, utilizing a proactive approach to solve problems and develop projects to improve work flow processes. Determines staffing requirements and skill mix. Plans, delegates, and directs nursing care, based on patient care requirements and staff skill levels. As an expert in the nursing care of surgical patients, serves as a resource nurse for other perioperative nurses and health care providers. Serves as a role model to experienced and new clinical staff; provides orientation and on the job training for such personnel. Performs other duties as assigned. Qualifications Qualifications Who May Apply: US Citizens Must have 1 year of licenced experience as a perioperative nurse (RN) at the time of application. Must be licensed in a US State or territory as a registered nurse.