Nurse (Perioperative)

Fort Carson, CO: Located just south of Colorado Springs, Ft. Carson combines scenic beauty, pleasant residential areas, and cultural activities to satisfy every taste. It is an unusually well-rounded military community which offers a variety of recreational and cultural opportunities. World-class ski resorts are available within a short 2 1/2 hour drive, golf courses and biking trails are available on the installation as well as in the surrounding community. Numerous colleges and universities are available for continuing education.

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/

Duties

1. The Clinical/Critical Care Nurse functions as a clinical staff member and is part of the Department of Surgery.
a. Collaborates with surgeons in one or more surgical services to assess, coordinate, plan and implement the newestapproaches and practices in order to deliver efficient, cost effective surgical care for the beneficiary population.Coordinates with physicians and other staff preoperatively to develop a multidisciplinary, intraoperative plan of care.Ensures availability of equipment, instruments and supplies for surgical cases. Independently establishes surgicalnursing protocols and coordinates activities of all team members.
b. Performs preoperative and postoperative patient care. Uses hard-copy and automated documentation systems toobtain a patient history. Utilizes appropriate interview skills to accurately identify existing and potential problems, andformulate a nursing assessment. Utilizes the perioperative nursing process to identify patient problems and generatenursing 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; documentspatient's status on a continual basis and revises plan of care accordingly. Describes the patient's appearance,emotional status, interaction with staff-and/or family, and knowledge level of disease process in writing. Interpretsand/or makes inferences regarding patient's verbal and non-verbal actions/responses. Documents nursing process inhard copy and automated documentation systems.
c. May be assigned as charge nurse of a particular shift and will assume the responsibility for promoting quality, cost-effective nursing care within the framework of the philosophy and mission objectives of the Department of Surgery andthe Command. Has the delegated authority and responsibility to implement, coordinate and supervise nursing care forthat shift. As charge nurse uses management skills to identify, distribute and balance workload and tasks amongpersonnel based on their competency level and experience, makes adjustment to assignments to accomplish work inaccordance with established priorities to ensure timely, accomplishment of tasks and procedures. Monitors and reportson 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, andother interdisciplinary team members and refers issues to supervisors or appropriate management person asappropriate.

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 independentprovider (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 andcompletes a full nursing assessment. Identifies and documents the effectiveness of care provided and revises careplan, as needed. Implements individualized nursing care plans based on American Association of Operating RoomNurse (AORN) Perioperative Nursing Standards of Practice and Care to include safety precautions, correct positioning,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 theirappropriateness to the patient’s present condition. Collaborates with healthcare providers to make changes to nursingcare plans. Establishes criteria and evaluates/assesses effectiveness of patient treatment. Interprets and ensurescompliance with established policies, procedures, and standards of care and practice. Collects and interprets healthinformation; identifies wellness and risk factors, along with variations from norms, and makes an assessment. Utilizesprofessional nursing methods and processes to identify and manage immediate health care needs for non-urgentpatient problems; recommends self-care, as appropriate, for nursing assessment, and as advised by approved clinicalprotocols. In the absence of a physician, independently determines and implements proper emergency/lifesavingmeasures, often identifying and interpreting life threatening conditions; facilitates transfer to the emergencydepartment, as necessary. Assists surgeons and anesthesiologists with complex, or potentially life-threateningprocedures such as insertion of invasive lines, chest tubes, tracheotomies, or removal of foreign bodies from thetrachea. Assists Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) with insertion of invasive lines, endotracheal tubes andnasogastric tubes. Briefs post anesthesia nursing staff on perioperative nursing orders and their pertinent data.Conducts Postoperative nursing assessment immediately following and within 48 hours after surgery to determinevalidity of nursing care plan, outcomes, and long-range patient goals.

3. Sets up, operates and monitors specialized medical equipment such as cardiac monitors, oxygen delivery systems,arterial lines, chest tubes, defibrillators, suction devices, pulse oximeter, hypothermic devices, laparoscopes,microscopes, powered pneumatic and electrical drills and saws, prevaccum flash sterilizers, electro cautery units and
suction devices. Utilizes and instructs others in simple as well as highly sophisticated equipment including lasers,sophisticated digital and computerized equipment, ultra sonic machines, operative microscopes, cryo-surgeryequipment, endoscopy equipment, insufflators, fiber optic equipment, and high speed drills, other technology asrequired. Ensures equipment is working properly preoperatively and throughout surgical procedures. Remains aware ofthe patient’s condition and takes appropriate action, as needed. Monitors all ongoing process (anesthesia surgery,aseptic techniques, equipment functions, patient's response), interpreting signs and symptoms and initiates andintervenes with immediate corrective action. Facilitates obtaining timely lab tests, X-rays, and EKGs as needed.Administers medication (oral, subcutaneous, IV), including potent narcotics, in accordance with physician's orders.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.
Instructs patients and family members regarding disease processes and provides emotional support, as needed.Educates and enhances health prevention and promotion to strive for a state of wellness. Serves as facilitator tomediate complaints and concerns of patients, family members, and staff by taking immediate action to resolve or referto 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 toimprove work flow processes. Determines staffing requirements and skill mix. Plans, delegates, and directs nursingcare, based on patient care requirements and staff skill levels. Serves as mentor to newly assigned staff, as assigned

Performs other duties as assigned.

Who May Apply: US Citizens

Basic Requirement :

Degree: A graduate or higher level degree, bachelor's degree, associate degree, or diploma from an accredited professional nursing educational program is required. This education must have been accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education, or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.).

Licensure: A current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a professional nurse from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States; and you must have passed the National Council Licensure Examination.

Foreign Degree: A degree from a Foreign Nursing School. Official certification from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools is required for individuals who graduated from foreign nursing schools.