Registered Nurse II - CONTINUOUS

This is an open and continuous posting for part-time (32 hours) & full-time (40 hours) positions on all shifts.

The Lemuel Shattuck Hospital (LSH) under the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) is seeking an experienced and committed Registered Nurse (RN II) to join the team.

The RN II is responsible and accountable for prescribing, delegating, coordinating, providing and improving nursing care according to Performance Improvement (PI) concepts and integrating departmental, hospital mission and standards, state, federal laws and regulatory agencies into professional standards of care/practice for clients from the community (DPH, DMH, DOC/DD or DDS), under the direction of the nurse manager. The incumbent provides leadership and supervision in organizing the delivery of patient care as team leader/charge nurse in absence of nurse manager to assign, supervise, and evaluate the nursing care of RN's, LPN's, AN's and support staff according to their scope of practice and competence, and according to departmental policies and procedures.

Please Note:

Employees in this position will be required to perform "mandatory overtime.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

* Initiates physical, psychosocial and spiritual assessment of patients nursing care needs according to admission procedure and as specified per unit policy.

* Implements and documents nursing interventions as per plan of care and in accordance with nursing theory, LSH/Nursing Department/Unit policies and procedures, Joint Commission, DPH, and federal and state laws to insure safe and effective standards of nursing practice; transcribes accurately physician orders for medications/tests/interventions; administers and documents prescribed medications; monitors and documents response to medication and any adverse or toxic effects and follow-up action taken;

communicates findings and results of monitoring to health care team.

* Provides ongoing assessment and evaluation of patient status at specified times as per unit policy and to determine effectiveness of interventions, patient's response to treatment/ patient outcomes and/or when significant change occurs in patient condition and/or patient diagnosis and communicates changes in plan to patient/significant others and health care team.

* Documents nursing care process and outcomes/situational occurrences in accordance with LSH/Nursing Department/Unit policies and procedures.

* Assesses, identifies and provides for education and training of patient/ patient's significant others to improve patient's health outcomes by assisting the patient/patient's significant others in gaining the knowledge and skills that facilitate understanding of health status, return to function, healthy behaviors, and that meets the ongoing health care needs of the patient.

* Participates and contributes to departmental and hospital wide performance improvement activities/ risk management by assisting in data collection and analysis, identifying opportunities for evaluation and improvement in care or services, and by involvement in and assessment of findings and actions taken to improve care.

* Contributes to effective interpersonal and community relations to ensure the quality of patient care, to promote a therapeutic milieu by functioning as advocate/resource person to staff, patients/families, visitors, other departments and outside agencies regarding requested information and LSH policies and procedures by investigating complaints, clarifying LSH policies and procedures and maintaining patient privacy/confidentiality at all times.

* Contributes to the safety/risk management/infection control program, productivity, and cost effectiveness of the department and hospital by assessing and maintaining the environment to reduce health/safety hazards and minimize incidents or accidents for patients, employees, and visitors; by monitoring services, supplies, pharmaceutical stock and equipment to ensure effective and economical use.

* Demonstrates competence in assessing and providing age appropriate care to all patients.

Required Qualifications:

* Satisfactory knowledge of…