Med Surg Telemetry RN
Rockford, Illinois
OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center

Med Surg RN – Adult Medical Specialty Unit (Nights)

Location: Rockford, Illinois Contract Length: 13 weeks Shift: Nights, 12 hours, 36 hours per week

Unit Overview

• Unit: 4 East, 20 beds
• Patient Types: CVA/TIA, ICH/SDH/SAH, syncope, weakness/aphasia, altered mental status, seizures, COVID/COVID PNA, ARF, and others
• Nights Patient Ratio (4 East): 1:5-6
• Charge Nurse: A separate charge nurse is assigned to 4 East and 4 West. They usually carry a full assignment, depending on staffing.
• Nurse Aides (CNAs): 4 East usually has 2 CNAs per shift (1:10 ratio), with a policy of 1-2 depending on census. 4 West usually has 2 CNAs (1:11-12 ratio), with a policy of 1-3 depending on census.

Required Qualifications

• Certifications: BLS (AHA), ACLS (AHA), NIHSS (AHA only)
• Licensure: Active Illinois RN license, or confirmation that the application process has been initiated
• Skills: Must be comfortable caring for stroke patients and have NIHSS
• Drug Screen: Must produce a negative drug screen for all panels, as the campus is drug-free

Clinical Practice

• IV Drips: RNs do not titrate drips. Titratable drips move the patient to a higher level of care. Set-rate drips (e.g., Cardizem, Amio) may be used. If the rate must be changed more than once in four hours, the patient must transfer to a higher level of care.
• Respiratory Support: PRN or nightly CPAP and BiPAP are provided. Continuous use requires transfer to a higher level of care. High-flow nasal cannula is seen regularly on 4 West. Three negative airflow rooms on 4 West are used for TB, shingles, and similar cases.
• Telemetry: All beds are telemetry capable. Physicians choose which patients go on telemetry and renew orders every 48 hours. Philips monitors are used. Strips are reviewed by nurses each shift, and they are also measured and interpreted by the central monitoring area on the second floor.

Scheduling and Floating

• Shifts: 7a-7:30p and 7p-7:30a
• Self-Scheduling: RNs self-schedule. Block scheduling and extra shifts are allowed. No more than 6 shifts in a row.
• Weekends: Every other weekend. Days work Saturday/Sunday; nights work Friday/Saturday.
• Holidays: Every other holiday. Days: Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day. Nights: Memorial Day Eve, July 3rd, Labor Day Eve, Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve.
• Call/Standby: None
• Float Scope: May float down to MedSurg at a maximum ratio of 1:6. May float to other telemetry units, or up to IMC or ICU, if the assignment matches their skill set (e.g., telemetry overflow, non-titrated drips taken on the floor).

Orientation

• Online education, 1 day of house orientation, and 2-3 days in the department with a preceptor
• 12 hours of non-billable orientation; guaranteed hours do not apply during orientation

Call-Off Policy

• Equivalent of 12 hours every 13 weeks, with no penalty or payment owed for the shift

Dress Code

• Any color professional scrubs (scrubs not provided)
• No Crocs
• No artificial nails or nail enhancements (gel, dip, etc.)
• No jackets or sweaters with hoods or other company logos

Priorities

• Patient experience and high-quality care are the highest priorities.