General Summary

• Under limited supervision, the Registered Nurse is responsible for the assessment of patients including the development, evaluation and modification of the plan of care. The RN interprets and performs complex patient-care procedures specific to their area of expertise. RN's are members of the Care Team and Support Team and have accountability to function as a team to accomplish patient outcomes identified in the pathway/plan of care.
• The Registered Nurse is a professional care giver who assumes responsibility and accountability for care given to a group of patients for a designated time frame. The RN provides care to those patients via therapeutic use of self, the nursing process, the environment/technology, and other healthcare team member, according to established standards. Patients served include all age groups (Infant through Older Adult as identified in Performance Standards).

Principal Responsibilities and Tasks

The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. These are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by personnel so classified.

Clinical Practice:

• Provide independent care to unit-specific patient populations; serve as a clinical resource for others, integrate evidence into practice, and function effectively in unit-specific roles (e.g., arrest team for ICU, triage for ED).
• Accountable to patients and families for the processes and outcomes of care during an episode of care.
• Accountable to peers for the advancement of group practice on the unit, and to the nurse manager for overall work performance.
• Serve as an effective primary coordinating nurse; collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to plan and coordinate care addressing patient and family needs.
• Serve as a clinical resource for others.

Service/Quality:

• Assist in team development and evaluation of the Relationship-Based Care model; suggest methods for improvement. Participate in data collection related to Relationship-Based Care outcomes (e.g., handoffs, medication safety).
• Participate in implementation efforts addressing Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators (NSQI).
• Contribute to Performance Improvement, Evidence-Based Practice, or research at the unit level.
• Comply with standards and participate in unit-level activities for regulatory compliance.

Unit Operations:

• Support charge nurse decisions; perform charge role for assigned shifts as needed.
• Follow and support AACN guidelines for a Healthy Work Environment (communication, collaboration, effective decision making, recognition, leadership, staffing); participate as a team member focusing on elements within the Healthy Work Environment.
• Assist in the development of clinical practice protocols and standards for the unit.
• Participate in unit-based process governance activities: Performance Improvement, Professional Development, Clinical Practice, Teamwork, etc.; assist in developing action plans and support implementation.
• Orient Clinical Nurse I to unit-level governance structure and councils

Professional Development:

• Serve as a preceptor, coach, and mentor to new nurses and students. Contribute to the development of ancillary personnel skills and attend educational offerings and in-services independently.
• Contribute to the development of unit-based peer review processes; actively participate in individual peer review feedback.