Registered Nurse - Patient Placement PRN

Registered Nurse - Patient Placement PRN

A Registered Nurse who coordinates patient throughput from all points of entry into St. Dominic to facilitate overall hospital patient flow, improved bed utilization and assignment of patients to appropriate level of care. Responsible for the timely and effective assignment of patients to the appropriate clinical setting including external transfers into ED, transfers from ICU to floor, direct admits and ED transfers to inpatient units.

Facilitates efficient transfer and acceptance process of emergent, urgent and elective patients to St. Dominic external facilities and clinics with the aim of accessing specialty services in a manner that is timely and service oriented while working within the scope of EMTALA, regulatory and St. Dominic guidelines.

• Maintains established departmental policies and procedures, objectives, quality assurance program, safety, environmental and infection control standards.
• Provide effective communication with team members and other departments to ensure seamless process.
• Provide accurate and timely follow up with staff, physicians, patients, families and sending facilities.
• Collaborates with hospital staff, case management, physicians and their staff to define, reduce and eliminate barriers within the system which may impede patient flow.
• Applies knowledge of hospital and unit admission criteria and type of care provided in each department to appropriately place patients using critical thinking skills.
• Demonstrates competence in current knowledge of specific unit placement criteria.
• Evaluates and negotiates appropriate patient placement, prioritizing according to current census, staffing situations and knowledge of patient acuity.
• Responsible for timely bed assignment, triage, prioritizes admissions from multiple areas ensuring patients are placed in clinically appropriate level of care, inpatient, observation or outpatient using established criteria.
• Obtains proper information from physicians, physician office staff, and outside facilities for placement and admission assessment.
• Obtains and enters admission orders when appropriate.
• Documents and reviews pertinent clinical information for appropriate placement.
• Coordinate interdepartmental transfers and discharges.
• Works closely with unit managers to problem solve issues related to admissions, transfers and discharges.
• Liaison to physician offices. Receive all physician office calls for direct admissions and outside facilities.
• Collaborates with all care providers to assist in the provision of quality, cost effective patient care.
• Provides expert knowledge and technical information to customer relationships to promote quality care.
• Will keep in constant communication with office staff to facilitate the direct admission process.
• Analyzes performance of patient throughout systems and protocols using critical thinking skills.
• Works on departmental performance improvement projects as assigned.
• Supports facility performance improvement activities as assigned i.e. completing audits, data collection.

• Graduate of an accredited program in nursing.

• Minimum of three years of acute clinical experience required. Critical care, emergency department, management and/or case management experience preferred.

• Requires oral and written communication skills; strong administrative and clinical background.

• Current Registered Nurse license to practice in the state.

Prolonged periods of standing, walking, or sitting while on duty. Lifting, pushing, and pulling up to 50 pounds with or without assistance. Transferring, repositioning patients. Reaching, stooping, bending, kneeing, and crouching for patient care functions. Visual and auditory acuity and manual dexterity essential to performing designated duties required. Strength, ability to perform effectively in a stressful and fast-paced environment, and ability to pass all required health and other screening tests.

Personal protective equipment is made available and must be worn. Exposure to limited amounts of hazardous chemicals or substances and infectious disease processes is a possibility.