Registered Nurse, Obstetrics

Essential Functions:

• Assesses (and reassesses) plans implements and evaluates nursing interventions/plans of care/patient goals.
• Provides patient care based on standards of care standards of practice protocols and established policies and procedures.
• Respects each patient as an individual; provides care that fosters the patient s sense of dignity and positive self-regard.
• Provides patient/family teaching based on identified learning needs readiness to learn and barriers to learning.
• Collaboratively plans and prepares patient/family for discharge incorporating support systems/resources as necessary.
• Appropriately delegates and supervises nursing interventions performed by others.
• Appropriately prioritizes patient care (e.g. seeks assistance as needed from appropriate resources reassigns personnel as necessary recognizes need for emergency intervention etc.).
• Provides thorough timely and accurate documentation of all pertinent data therapeutic interventions and patient responses according to established standards.
• Provides timely and thorough report on assigned patients to other health care team members to ensure integration of services and continuity of patient care.
• Promotes learning for colleagues and self (e.g. functions as preceptor instructor trainer attends professional development programs etc.).
• Proactively identifies risk to patient safety and identifies opportunities to reduce medical/health care errors (i.e. appropriate reporting of errors/incidents).
• Identifies ethical issues in care and develops plan to address.
• Safely administers medications and intravenous therapy in accordance with physician s orders protocols policies and procedures.
• Assesses patient pain level upon admission and as necessary depending upon diagnosis utilizing the numerical pain scale.
• Reassesses effectiveness of pain control and notifies physicians as needed as well as documents assessment and patient s response to medication.
• Provides appropriate care to the postpartum and gynecological patient.
• Safely cares for surgical and postpartum patients recognizes complications and initiates appropriate nursing interventions in collaboration with physicians.
• Provides appropriate information and education to patients and families based upon individual needs so they may effectively care for themselves during hospitalization and following discharge.
• Ensures new mothers and families have the basic understanding of newborn care and resources available after discharge.
• Demonstrates knowledge of medications and the correct administration based on age of patient and their clinical condition.
• Demonstrates proper technique for assessing fundal height and fundal massage.
• Demonstrates ability to assess lochia perineum breast bowel bladder and emotional status.
• Responsible for obtaining supporting information and completing required documentation related to medication reconciliation for use by the Attending MD.
• Provides assessment and planning for individualized patient care in collaboration with physicians and other disciplines.
• Assesses the normal stages of labor delivery and recovery as well as identifies any deviation of the normal pattern and progress and takes appropriate action.
• Utilizes fetal monitoring equipment external and internal (FSE and IUPC) and correctly interprets FHR patterns and initiates appropriate nursing interventions as needed.
• Assists in the stabilizing of high-risk patients and accompanies them during transfer to a level two or tertiary care center as appropriate.
• Communicates with physicians about changes in patients clinical condition.
• Safely administers and demonstrates knowledge of medications used in labor and delivery.
• Implements appropriate procedure for labor checks inductions augmentations NSTs external cephalic versions and epidurals.
• Able to articulate care for patients with fetal demise based on perinatal loss protocol and appropriately provides care when applicable.
• Performs a systematic and thorough newborn assessment based upon knowledge of expected adaptation to
  extrauterine life so that deviation can be recognized.
• Communicates appropriately and clearly with physicians concerning any changes in newborn condition and/or abnormal diagnostic test results.
• Performs neonatal resuscitation assisting physician as necessary.
• Identifies newborn problems initiates appropriate nursing interventions and assists in the stabilization of a critical newborn.
• Provides care and support to mother in her chosen method of infant feeding so that learning is enhanced.
• Demonstrates to new mothers appropriate feeding techniques using literature and teaching videos as appropriate (frequency and symptoms of adequate intake).
• Provides teaching to new mother on newborn care based upon individual patient/family needs so that new mother is able to care for newborn upon discharge.
• Utilizes informative discussions videos handouts one on ones teaching class to individualize newborn teaching.
• Utilizes appropriate nursing interventions for infants experiencing difficulty adjusting to extrauterine life.
• Sets up phototherapy monitors vital signs including pulse oximetry according to policy and procedure; demonstrates proper technique for administering CPAP via mask or RAM cannula
• Demonstrates knowledge of medications and their correct administration based on age of newborn and his/her clinical condition.

Statement of Other Duties:

This document describes the major duties and responsibilities for this job and is not intended to be a complete list of all tasks and functions. It should be understood therefore that employees may be asked to perform job-related duties beyond those explicitly described.

Minimum Education:

Graduate of an accredited school of nursing

Minimum Work Experience:

• Minimum one year med/surg experience required
• Maternity experience preferred

Minimum Licenses and Certifications:

• Current MA license
• IV competent
• CPR required
• NRP certified or ability to obtain NRP certification within 90 days of hire.
• ACLS upon hire OR must hold an active BLS card and obtain AHA ACLS within 60 days of hire
• For nurses working L&D must have/complete AWHONN s Introduction to Fetal Monitoring and also must have/attend AWHONN s Intermediate Fetal Heart Monitoring within 1 year

Required Skills:

Demonstrates mature professional behaviors (i.e. tact empathy and diplomacy). Promotes a positive working environment.