General Summary of Position Responsibility:

This position provides medical/surgical care for patients from infancy through adolescence whose diagnosis, treatment, stabilization and discharge can reasonably be expected within a 24 hour period. These patient typically require more than four (4) hours of observation and treatment but less than twenty-four (24) hours of care. The common admitting diagnoses for the SOU are pre-procedural patients requiring nursing care and post-procedural patients who have received sedation or anesthesia for kidney/liver biopsy, ENT, plastic, orthopedic, GU and general pediatric surgery or who may require prolonged observation post-sedation/anesthesia. Performs responsibilities in five areas of nursing practice: clinician, teacher, researcher, leadership and professional development.

Essential Job Functions:

1. Performs nursing assessments utilizing a variety of assessment methods and/or area-specific tools.

2. Individualizes available plans of care and develops goals relative to patient/family needs. Evaluates and documents changes to the care plan.

3. Develops and individualizes teaching plans/protocols to meet patient and family learning needs. Identifies patient preferences and needs including motivation to learn. Evaluates and documents changes to the plan.

4. Performs nursing care according to procedures/protocols. Anticipates impending emergent situations and intervenes effectively utilizing a wide-variety of resources.

5. Communicates with the family and members of the multidisciplinary team to identify health care needs. Communicates changes in patient status. Utilizes appropriate resources for referral or consultations.

6. Keeps current on advancements in nursing practice by utilizing nursing and healthcare literature and educational opportunities for information and problem solving.

7. Incorporates current hospital and departmental quality initiatives into daily nursing care.

8. Works cooperatively as a team member to foster achievement of unit/hospital goals.

9. Prepares patients pre-operatively for procedures/examinations and/or recovers patients safely following procedure.

Job Requirements:

Graduate of an accredited school of professional nursing.

Current licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Illinois.

CPR certification required.

Ability to effectively communicate with patient/families, physicians and hospital staff.

Basic computer skills required.

Requires at least one year of RN work experience with the pediatric population.