Assistant Head Nurse; Critical Care

Overview

The Assistant Head Nurse (AHN) assists in coordinating, developing, implementing and evaluating nurse care and practice within a specific unit. Maintains standards of nursing care and practice by directing and guiding unit personnel. Collaborates with nurse manager and educator with orientation of professional and ancillary nursing personnel assigned to unit.

• Utilizes the nursing process in taking care of the patient.
• Assesses condition of the patient and documents findings in EMR.
• Utilizes principles of Infection Control in the delivery of care.
• Implements appropriate nursing interventions to facilitate recovery of patient and prevent complications.
• Evaluate patient’s response to interventions and communicates with other healthcare team members the need to revise or maintain plan of care.
• Implements discharge planning based on patient care needs.
• Initiates and documents patient education based on treatment plan in the language that the patient understands.
• Documents assessment, interventions, changes in the patient’s condition and response to interventions based on hospital policy on documentation.
• Initiates appropriate actions effectively in an emergent situation.
• Prioritizes tasks and adjusts priorities, maintain orderly, efficient, and timely flow of patients.
• Recognizes and reports errors or unusual occurrences, and initiates corrective action when appropriate.
• Makes accurate, complete, and timely entries into the patient medical record addressing all steps of the nursing process.
• Actively communicate with all members of the healthcare team, patient, and patient family and then assess, plan, implement and evaluate patient care.
• Start standard interventions to stabilize the patient.
• Communicates with colleagues and interdisciplinary team about the prevention, treatment and patient care needs of the patient that has pressure injuries (reports, dietary consults, communicates with physicians).
• Basic cardiac rhythm monitoring techniques, interpretation, and treatment. Recognizes lethal arrhythmias and acts appropriately. Initiates corrective action whenever information from monitoring equipment shows adverse symptomatology.
• Recognize the signs and symptoms of cardiopulmonary and respiratory emergencies and knowing how to start standard interventions to stabilize the patient.
• Prepares and administers (orally, subcutaneously, through an IV) and records prescribed medications. Reports adverse reactions to medications or treatments in accordance with the policy.
• Calculate drug dosage, administering continuous medication infusion, and monitoring patients for effects of medication. IV pump setup;
  Use of Doppler;
  Phlebotomy /IV start;
  
  Urinary Catheterization – Male and Female.
• Cardio pulmonary monitoring/ Arrhythmia recognition & treatments.
• Medication Indication, dosage, action, side effects of anti-platelets/ coagulants.
• Blood and blood product transfusions and assists with Massive blood transfusion.
• Communicates with colleagues and interdisciplinary team about the treatment and patient care needs of the patient that has pressure ulcers (reports, dietary consults, communicates with physicians).
• Management patient post neuro procedure, or Neuro patient transferring from Surgical intensive care unit.
• Have knowledge of all vasoactive Drugs such as Vasopressors, Inotropes, Catecholamine, and Adrenergic. Calculate and administer according to the guideline.
• Monitors and adjusts specialized equipment used on patients, and interprets and records electronic displays, such as intracranial pressures, arterial line pressures, central venous pressures, pulmonary artery pressures, Balloon Pump, Hypo/Hyperthermia machine, CVVHD, Peritoneal Dialysis.
• Initiates patient education plan, as prescribed by physician. Teach patients and significant others how to manage their illness/injury, by explaining: post-treatment home care needs, diet/nutrition/exercise programs, self-administration of medication and rehabilitation.
  
  Involves Patient and family in discharge teaching.
  
  Discharge patients safely if out patients.
• Demonstrates efforts in the prevention of hospital acquired conditions (HAC) CAUTI, CLABSI, Pressure injuries…