Staff Nurse

Delivering nursing care to patients in line with the medical prescription, nursing profession standards applicable in dialysis and internal company standards, with the purpose of contributing to a good health status and good quality of life.

1) Main tasks:
Patient handling and treatment:

• Assesses patient status prior to, during and after dialysis treatment and informs the physician of significant changes in: general health status, weight, heart rate and blood pressure, body temperature, vascular access, etc.

• Complies with local and corporate safety and hygiene and infection control regulations - especially NC Standard Good Dialysis Care and NC Standard Hygiene and Infection Control

• Performs patient connection and disconnection

• Performs correct anticoagulation of extracorporeal circuit and administers medication during treatment, in line with patient prescription

• Monitors patients during treatment and informs physician of changes which need medical attention

• Properly handle tunnel and non-tunnel central venous catheters

• Performs patient education with regards to managing their health conditions, e.g. nutrition, hygiene, fistula care, etc

• Assists patients in haemostasis after dialysis treatment whenever needed

• Performs blood sampling for lab tests

• Performs emergency interventions and resuscitation procedures

• Handle (prepare and distribute) meals to patients, if applicable

• Assists patients on arrival to and departure from dialysis unit, if applicable

• Prepared bed/chairs for patient treatment, if applicable

• Performs other examinations with proper medical equipment, e.g. BCM, ECG, etc.

• Prepares and administers medication and anticoagulation
Dialysis supplies and disposables:

• Checks availability integrity and validity of dialysis disposables, disinfectants and other necessary materials and medication for each of allocated dialysis stations, before the treatment

• Brings dialysis supplies from storage to dialysis treatment room, in line with hygiene and infection control procedures

• Supervises and/or performs collection of nonmedical and medical waste, in line with hygiene and infection control standards and procedures
Dialysis machine manipulation:

• Performs machine start, internal & external disinfection, adds bicarbonate supply and other disposables and performs all other necessary tests and procedures before, during and after the treatment

Announces Head Nurse or technician of any irregularities in machine functioning

• Primes circuits, connects bloodlines and needles in line with existing procedures

• Sets treatment parameters in line with the medical prescription

• If applicable, performs systems start and shut-down procedures, i.e water system, CDS, etc

• Checks service label, potential equilibration cables and status of latest hydraulic disinfection

• May perform dialysis machine replacement
Documentation:

• Performs documentation of treatment, as required by procedures
Cooperation with others:

• Support, help, teach other nurses as necessary, mentoring less experienced personnel if required by Head Nurse

• Gives all necessary information to nurses in next shift or to physicians, psychologists, and other clinical functions
Peritoneal Dialysis tasks (if applicable):

• Performs patient education on: hygiene, nutrition and basic PD knowledge for CAPD and APD, complications and emergency situation

• Participates to and supports the PD treatment initiation

• Periodically assess and document patient status: blood pressure, heart rate, presence of oedema, body temperature, diuresis, body weight and ultrafiltration

• Verifies that patients are correctly performing PD treatment

• Supervises and is responsible for the hygiene status of PD treatment room, including the correct disposal of contaminated waste

• Strictly follows the physician requirements in regards to patient assessment:
o Lab test sampling, storage and sending
o Gathering test results and recording them in patient files
o Follows patients to different tests recommended by the physician
o Performs peritoneal QA tests

Key Performance Indicators

Efficiency of treatments performed

• Patient outcomes related to nursing procedures

• Patient satisfaction…