RN PrePost-Operative PRN AVALA Surgery Center- Metairie RA8

Position Summary

Provides comprehensive nursing care for patients across the perioperative continuum including preoperative and day of surgery assessment and preparation and post-anesthesia care. Ensures safe efficient and patient-centered care in alignment with regulatory standards and facility policies.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Preoperative (Pre-Op)

• Perform age-specific preoperative patient assessments including history medications allergies vital signs and surgical readiness.
• Verify required documentation consents diagnostic results and pre-procedure instructions are available prior to day of surgery.
• Communicate in timely manner to include but not limited to any concerns potential delays abnormal findings to the surgeon and surgery center director.
• Provide patient and family education on the surgery anesthesia expectations and postoperative care requirements.

Day of Surgery

• Initiate IV access and administer ordered preoperative medications.
• Perform admission assessment within electronic medical record.
• Coordinate care with anesthesia and surgical teams to ensure timely patient flow.
• Receive and monitor patients transitioning from PACU or minor procedures.
• Confirm no changes in medical history since preoperative assessment

Post-Anesthesia Care

• Receive patients from the OR and initiate continuous monitoring of airway ventilation hemodynamics and neurological status.
• Manage airway support oxygen therapy and emergency interventions as needed.
• Administer pain medication antiemetics and other postoperative medications per provider orders and protocols.
• Recognize and respond to complications including respiratory compromise hemodynamic instability and adverse reactions.
• Conduct frequent assessments until the patient meets established Phase I discharge criteria.
• Assess patient stability pain levels surgical site and overall recovery progress.
• Provide oral fluids snacks mobility assistance and discharge readiness evaluations.
• Educate patients and caregivers on home care wound care medications activity restrictions and follow-up instructions as ordered.
• Complete discharge documentation and ensure safe patient release per facility criteria.

General Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate timely and complete electronic medical documentation.
• Follow infection prevention safety and regulatory compliance standards.
• Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to support efficient patient flow.
• Participate in staff meetings continuing education and competency training.
• Maintain readiness to respond to emergencies and code situations.
• Perform other duties as assigned within the scope of practice.

Qualifications

• Current RN license in state of practice.
• Current BLS certification; ACLS required or obtained within facility timeframe.
• Minimum one year of perioperative or critical care experience preferred.
• Strong assessment critical thinking and prioritization skills.
• Ability to work in fast-paced team-oriented environments.

Core Competencies

• Action Orientation - Targets and achieves results overcomes obstacles accepts responsibility establishes standards and responsibilities creates a results-oriented environment and follows through on actions.
• Communications - Communicates well both verbally and in writing. Effectively conveys and shares information and ideas with others. Listens carefully and understands various viewpoints. Presents ideas clearly and concisely and understands relevant detail in presented information.
• Creativity/Innovation - Generates novel ideas and develops or improves existing and new systems that challenge the status quo takes risks and encourages innovation.
• Critical Judgment - Possesses the ability to define issues and focus on achieving workable solutions. Consistently does the right thing by performing with reliability.
• Customer Orientated - Listens to customers builds customer confidence increases customer satisfaction ensures commitments are met sets appropriate customer expectations and responds to customer needs.
• Interpersonal Skills - Effectively and productively engages with others and establishes trust credibility and confidence with others.
• Leadership - Motivates empowers inspires collaborates with and encourages others. Builds consensus when appropriate. Focuses team members on common goals.
• Teamwork - Knows when and how to attract develop reward and utilize teams to optimize results. Acts to build trust inspire enthusiasm encourage others and help resolve conflicts and develop consensus in creating high-performance teams.

Professional Requirements

• Meets dress code standards and adheres to policy.
• Completes annual education requirements.
• Maintains regulatory requirements.
• Maintains patient confidentiality at all times.
• Reports to work on time and as scheduled completes work within designated time.
• Wears identification while on duty uses computerized punch time system correctly.
• Completes in-services and returns in a timely fashion.
• Attends annual review and department in-services as scheduled.
• Attends scheduled staff meetings or reads staff meeting minutes.
• Represents the organization in a positive and professional manner.
• Actively participates in performance improvement and continuous quality improvement (CQI) activities.
• Promotes professional growth of subordinates by sharing knowledge and/or directing them to sources if information appropriate to given situation. Utilizes journals books etc. to learn and/or improve new techniques and equipment.
• Within the scope of practice assists other staff members in performing any duty that enhances the delivery of patient care.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. This position is very active and requires repetitive motions standing walking bending kneeling and stooping all day. The employee must frequently lift or move items weighing over 100 pounds.