Registered Nurse - Operating Room

We are seeking a Registered Nurses (RN) for a full-time position in support of the Operating Room at the Eglin Hospital, Eglin AFB, FL. 

Responsibilities

Schedule:

• Day Shift 8.5 hours - Monday through Friday 0645-1515, 0745-1615, or 0845– 1715, 1045-1915 not to exceed a 40 hour work week.  Shift includes an uncompensated 30 minute lunch break.

On-Call Schedule:

To occur after duty hours Monday-Friday 1515-0600 hours, weekends, and will not exceed 10 weeks-per-year.  

1.  Must report to duty within 30 minutes of call-back notification. 

2. Shall not be on-call at the MTF and other medical facilities simultaneously.  

3. Calls may be taken from home or other places within the local area. 

Core Duties:

Coordinate patient care in collaboration with a wide array of healthcare professionals. Facilitate the achievement of optimal outcomes in relation to clinical care, quality and cost effectiveness.

Ensure compliance with standards of care and practice in accordance with all established policies, procedures, and guidelines used in the MTF.

• Perform physical exam and health histories.

• Provide health promotions, counseling, and education.

• Administer medications, wound care, and numerous other personalized interventions.

• Direct and supervise care provide by other healthcare professionals.

• Accountable for making patient care assignments based on the scope of practice and skill level of assigned personnel.

• Recognize adverse signs and symptoms and quickly react in emergency situations.

• Communicate and collaborate with a diverse group of people for the purpose of informing the healthcare team of plans/actions, for teaching/education to benefit the patient/family and organization.

• Make referral appointments and arrange specialty care as appropriate.

• Perform nursing services identified in the TO.

• Conduct research in support of improved practice and patient outcomes.

Specific Tasks:

Provide inpatient/outpatient surgical services for patients as scheduled by the Flight Commander, to include elective, urgent and emergency procedures. The OR nurse will assess, plan, implement, and evaluate nursing care for all patients including newborns, children, adolescents, adults and geriatrics; disabled to include visually and hearing impaired; individuals that may be developmentally challenged; and individuals of varying ethnic and religious backgrounds to include those who do not speak or understand English.

• Complete orientation and competency verification programs IAWunit guidelines.

• Conduct preoperative and postoperative care to discuss preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative procedures with patients.

• Manage, direct, and coordinate activities of the surgical team.

• Direct and instruct personnel in preparing and caring for operating room instruments, equipment and supplies.

• Possess knowledge, access, and skill in setting up, operating, monitoring, and obtaining laboratory tests, supplies and equipment for daily procedures, as well as emergencies.

• Possess knowledge in and skill to administer medications, electrolytes, fluids, blood, and blood products while adhering to infection control and safety policies and procedures.

• Prepare and maintain the operating room for all surgical procedures.

• Check procedure supplies, equipment and set up for accuracy and perform routine cleaning and organization of work area.

• Assist provider(s) and supply custodian(s) with maintaining, evaluating, and updating supplies, instruments and equipment.

• Respond to surgical emergency requirements such as cardiac, pulmonary, or respiratory failure, hemorrhage, and cesarean sections.

• Maintain accurate and current notes in the operating room record, inpatient medical records, and electronic medical records of all patients seen, as appropriate, as well as producing reports of evaluation and/or treatment, as required per DoD Directive 6040.41 Section 4.3.1.

• Maintain effective lines of communication and conflict resolution techniques, both intra-departmentally and inter-departmentally, to provide for total needs of the patient.

• Act as a consultant and clinical resource for personnel through the use of evidence-based knowledge and standards.

• Consult with the operating surgeon and establish priorities of care for each patient entering the operating suite.

• Consult with other OR Nurses, physicians, Physician assistants, and other health care providers for continuation of care.

• Coordinate with other hospital units, which include recovery room, intensive care, obstetrics, and nursing units, on patient progress and any special equipment or supplies that will be needed for the patient returning from surgery.

• Demonstrate basic knowledge and performance of surgical scrub.

• Demonstrate basic knowledge and performance of sterile processing department service activities.

• Demonstrate basic knowledge of established clinic standards of care and The Joint Commission requirements for clinical and documentation protocols, safety, infection control, performance improvement, etc., to insure compliance with policies and provide consistent training and guidance for clinic staff.

• Possess the ability to acquire and use basic computer skills to enter patient data and extract patient information from a variety of sources to include Composite Health Care System (CHCS), Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (ALTHA), Essentris and Surgical Scheduling System (S3).

• Possess knowledge of medical privacy and confidentiality Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and accreditation standards of Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN), and The Joint Commission (TJC).

• Possess knowledge and experience in Patient Advocacy, Patient Privacy, and Customer Relations. Release medical information obtained during the course of this contract to other MTF staff involved in the care and treatment of that individual patient.

• Provide educational resources and identify service team learning needs and patient safety issues. Develop appropriate plans for service team in-service education program to continually update knowledge and skills of all assigned operating room nursing personnel.

• Productivity will be comparable to that of other comparable positions assigned to the same position and authorized the same scope of care.

• Direct oversight and communications with Surgery Logistics andOR Surgeons for the assigned team specialty.

• Adhere to the policies/standards of the Air Force Medical Service in meeting or exceeding established Air Force standards for access, Preventive Health Assessment Individual Medical Record (PIMR) and Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS)measures.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: BSN Degree or Associates Degree in Nursing with 8-10 years of experience.

• Experience: BSN RN - 12 months within the last 24 months. Experience must include all phases of operating room nursing and management, such as preparing the operating room, preparing patients for surgery, assisting physicians during surgery, and conducting instrument and equipment sterilization procedures.  

NOTE: Time spent completing courses in operating room technique and management is creditable toward experience requirements.

• Licensure: Current, full, active and unrestricted RN license from any state.

• Life Support Certifications: Possess ARC or AHA BLS/ACLS & PALS certifications.  

• Security: Must be able to pass a Government background check and obtain a Government security clearance.