POSITION TITLE: STAFF NURSE - ICU

REPORTS TO:  NURSE MANAGER

POSITION SUMMARY:

A registered professional nurse who provides direct patient care and coordinates patient care-related activities using the scientific process of nursing. Nursing care given to patients admitted to the critical care units

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Demonstrates problem solving/critical thinking skills ensuring effective functioning of unit routine.
• Collaborates with multi-disciplinary team to provide patient care.
• Demonstrates organizational skills as team leader/in-charge nurse as required.
• Participates in staff meetings and unit committees/projects.
• Demonstrates cooperation, coordination and respect among individuals/departments in order to provide excellent customer service (internal and external).
• Participates in developing and achieving unit goals.
• Performs additional duties when required.
• Demonstrates skills in continual critical care assessment of patient, family’s physical and psychological needs.
• Demonstrates skill in co-ordination and planning of critical care/clinical pathway, and prioritizing care, based on individual needs.  Revises care plan as necessary.
• Demonstrates knowledge of and the ability to render care and services based on needs, age appropriateness and developmental stage of patients.
• Performs nursing interventions/procedures in accordance with established standards of care and policy and procedures.
• Assists medical colleagues with diagnostic therapeutic interventions.
• Maintains accurate and thorough documentation following established standards.
• Floats to other areas within the hospital when required.
• Shares knowledge and skills with colleagues and others.
• Maintains a safe environment for patients and staff.
• Demonstrates knowledge and clinical expertise of Infection Control issues, reports and documents as directed in the Infection Control policies and procedures.
• As Registered Nurse understands the responsibilities of safe handling, drawing, administrating Narcotic/Controlled Drugs and documentation as directed by policies and procedures.
• Maintains commitment to professional development of self through completion of unit competencies i.e. pain management, utilization of auto-transfusion devices.
• Maintains clinical and professional competency based on the latest research and established standards of practice. Completes yearly, the critical care nursing competencies (basic). Shows a willingness to work towards completion of  intermediate and advanced practice competencies
• Actively participates in unit-based CQI activities (data collection, CQI teams, etc.).
• Serves if required on hospital wide CQI teams / committees / task forces.
• Actively participates in Continuous Quality Improvement Plan by using incident reporting, customer complaint reporting and medication error reporting.
• Assesses education needs and provides effective and age appropriate education to patients/families.
• Participates in ongoing educational activities.
• Maintains mandatory educational requirements.
• Contributes to professional development of colleagues.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor Degree in Nursing (duration not less than three years) or
• Diploma in Nursing (not less than three academic years in nursing only) or
• Diploma in Nursing and Midwifery (not less than three academic years) graduated from 1998 onward with pre medical secondary school certificate or its equivalent.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

• Current license to practice nursing
• BCLS certification
• ACLS certification to be achieved within 6 months of employment. 
• At least 2 years’ experience in critical care nursing

General:

• Provides age-specific patient-centered care utilizing the nursing process.
  • Performs patient assessment using appropriate, problem-focused, and age-specific assessment techniques.
  • Performs continual critical care assessment of patient, and family's physical and psychological needs.
  • Involves the patient, significant others, and health care providers in the plan of care when appropriate.
• Collaborates with a multi-disciplinary team to provide patient care.
• Coordinates and plans critical care/clinical pathway, and prioritizes care, based on individual needs. Revise the care plan as necessary.
• Initiates appropriate transfer plan.
• Recognizes subtle cues to anticipate potential problems.
• Documents all relevant data in the medical record according to hospital/departmental standards.
• Ensures availability and maintenance of supplies and equipment needed for the unit and patient care.
• Performs clerical duties when needed.
• Assumes responsibility for meeting JCI-required mandatory education, e.g., fire, safety, infection control and others.
• Participates in staff meetings and unit committees/projects.
• Participates in developing and achieving unit goals.
• Performs additional duties when required.
• Maintains a safe environment for patients and staff.
• Performs safe handling, drawing, and administrating Narcotic/Controlled Drugs and documentation as directed by policies and procedures.
• Ensures completion of unit competencies i.e. pain management, and utilization of auto-transfusion devices.
• Maintains clinical and professional competency based on the latest research and established standards of practice.
• Completes yearly, the critical care nursing competencies (basic).
• Participates in unit-based Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities (data collection, CQI teams, incident reporting, customer complaint reporting, medication error reporting etc.)
• Participates in ongoing educational activities.
• Maintains mandatory educational requirements.

Unit Specific:

• Assists medical colleagues with diagnostic therapeutic interventions.
• Abides by standards of care and practice.
• Assists in proper handling of infection control issues, reports and documents as directed in the Infection Control policies and procedures.
• Administers medications as per the nursing manual and speciality manual for adult critical care areas.
• Ensures patients are provided with appropriate nutrition.
• Delivers pre-operative and post-operative patient care.
• Applies safety measures related to patient care.
• Operates all unit-required equipment safely.
• Performs (machine-operated) continuous veno-venous hemofiltration dialysis (CVVHD).
• Assists physicians with special procedures, including but not limited to, insertion of central and arterial lines, insertion of swan-ganz, arterio-venous catheter, cardioversion and pacemaker, ventriculostomy, and chest tube, performing bronchoscopy, thoracentesis and bedside tracheotomy.
• Performs nursing activities pertinent to the Intensive Care Unit, including but not limited to:
  • Hemodynamic Monitoring (Cardiac Output (CO), Central Venous Pressure (CVP), Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure (PCWP), Pulmonary Artery Pressure (PAP)), Neurological monitoring and care, Increased Intracranial Pressure (ICP) monitoring, ventriculostomy care, care of patients on mechanical ventilation and non-invasive ventilation, central and arterial line care, Arterio-venous catheter care, Pulmonary artery (PA) catheter care, chest tube care, drainage system care, defibrillation, monitoring of abdominal pressure, and surgical and non-surgical wounds management, accompanying patients to diagnostic procedures and staying with them except in procedures where the anaesthesia team is present.
• Withdraws blood from the arterial line as ordered.
• Monitors cardiac rhythm, detect arrhythmias, and manages accordingly.
• Performs peritoneal dialysis, when needed.
• Implements and documents patient and family education according to the patient education manual.
• Provides emotional support and measures to alleviate the fear and anxiety of patients and caregivers.
• Coordinates family conferences for complex patient issues.
• Communicates with multidisciplinary team members and family for end-of-life.
• Initiates appropriate transfer- or discharge plan.
• Performs blood sampling from the arterial line, central line, port, or venepuncture as ordered.
• Attends at least eight (8) of the twelve (12) monthly Unit meetings and reads and signs for the other four (4) meetings missed in a timely manner.

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing (minimum of three (3) years full-time course duration) or
• Degree in Nursing (minimum two (2) years course duration) and Registration as a Registered Nurse from Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia
• For UAE nationals graduates of UAE or non-UAE universities are exempted from the experience and clinical training requirements for the applied title. (UAE nationals must submit a copy of their birth certificate and the mother’s family book)
• Non-UAE national graduates from UAE universities are required to successfully complete six (6) months of clinical training post-graduation in an APS health facility (except for Registered and assistant Nurse titles)
• Must hold a valid License/Registration to practice in their home country and/or country of last employment (where applicable)
• Must hold a minimum of a valid Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification or Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum of two (2) years of recent post-graduate experience in critical care nursing
• Knowledge of and ability to render care and services based on age, appropriateness and developmental needs of patients
• Skills in assessment of patient and family's physical and psychological needs
• Skills in coordination and planning of care and prioritising care based on individual needs