Preoperative/postoperative licensed practical nurse

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Philosophy
   • Supports the facility's ideology, mission, goals, and objectives
   • Performs in accordance with the facility's policies and procedures
   • Follows the facility's standards for ethical business conduct
   • Conducts self as a positive role model and team member
   • Recognizes patients' rights and responsibilities and supports them in performance duties
   • Participates in facility committees, meetings, inservices, and activities
2. Communication
   • Communicates effectively and professionally with patients, visitors, physicians, and coworkers
   • Interacts with others in a positive, respectful, and considerate manner
3. Financial practices
   • Uses facility resources appropriately and avoids wasteful practices
   • Reports wasteful practices
   • Analyzes work area and makes recommendations for potential cost-effective improvements
4. Compliance program
   • Contributes to the progress and development of the organization's adopted compliance program
   • Performs according to established compliance policies and procedures
5. Performance-improvement program
   • Contributes to the progress and development of the organization's adopted performance improvement program
   • Performs according to established performance-improvement policies and procedures
6. Safety/risk-management program
   • Adheres to safety policies and procedures in performing job duties and responsibilities
   • Reports observed or suspected safety violations, hazards, and policy/procedure noncompliance to the safety officer or other designated person
7. Professional competence
   • Participates in continuing education and other learning experiences
   • Shares knowledge gained in continuing education with staff
   • Maintains membership in relevant professional organizations
   • Seeks new learning experiences by accepting challenging opportunities and responsibilities
   • Develops teaching programs as requested for use in surgical or medical management safety, health awareness and enhancement of patient care
   • Develops and maintains current materials for teaching and consent procedures
   • Implements approved teaching programs as requested
   • Monitors the patient education and counseling programs to assess quality and areas for improvement
   • Evaluates the outcome of teaching and counseling programs as they pertain to patient overall satisfaction with the surgical experience
   • Welcomes suggestions and recommendations
8. Duties
   • Assists the RN and physician in providing pre- and postoperative care to the patient
   • Confirms preoperative testing/medical clearance is in patient's medical chart prior to procedure
   • Collaborates with RN in assessing the patient's physical and emotional status
   • Implements and documents preoperative regimen of care according to policy/procedure
   • Recognizes patient's need for support, answers questions appropriately, and provides for privacy and confidentiality
   • Assists in the admission of patients to pre/postoperative area according to established guidelines
   • Conveys ideas, concepts, and facts related to patient care in a logical, concise manner
   • Assists with discharge activities according to policies and procedures
   • Documents records and other forms accurately and according to policies and procedures
   • Applies technical and specialized skills relevant to pre/postoperative nursing
   • Performs nursing functions (e.g., monitors vital signs, maintains/improves respiratory function, performs catheterizations, etc.) under RN direction/supervision
   • Administers prescribed medication and performs treatments according to the state's definition of LPN practice
   • Observes safety measures in patient-care activities
   • Prepares equipment/supplies needed for care of patients and for performing diagnostic tests
   • Performs with competence in emergency situations
   • Recognizes personal limitations and obtains necessary patient-care assistance from RN
   • Displays knowledge of the requirements for instrument, supply, and equipment maintenance
   • Cleans instruments properly after use and observes policy and procedures for proper care and handling
   • Observes and reports need to replenish or revise supply inventories

Qualifications:

1. Cooperative work attitude toward co-employees, management, patients, visitors, and physicians
2. Ability to promote favorable facility image with physicians, patients, insurance companies, and the general public
3. Ability to make decisions and solve problems

Requirements:

Required

1. High school diploma or GED certificate
2. Completion of and certification in accredited LPN program
3. LPN with active license in appropriate state
4. CPR certification
5. Evidence of leadership qualities
6. Strong ethical and moral character references
7. Language skills adequate for high-level written, interpersonal and telephone communication in Amercian English

Preferred

1. ACLS certification
2. ASC experience
3. Computer literacy

Job quality requirements:

1. Accuracy
2. Attention to detail
3. Timeliness
4. Organization
5. Little supervision needed to accomplish tasks

Dependability:

1. Attendance
2. Punctuality
3. Ability to follow instructions
4. Ability to meet deadlines

Physical/mental requirements:

1. Ability to sit/stand for long periods; ability to walk
2. Capability for occasional overhead and low reaching
3. Physical strength for equipment needs and patient-care activities
4. Visual and auditory acuity for timely responsiveness and patient-care assessment activities
5. Ability to move quickly in response to patient needs
6. Ability to make frequent judgments and respond to routine problems
7. Ability to make occasional judgments and respond to disasters or emergencies, actual events or drills

Working conditions (environmental)

1. Well lit and ventilated, with non-hazardous and hazardous equipment
2. Category 1: involves occupational exposure to blood and other potentially infectious body fluids and materials

Reports to:

Clinical director

Contacts:

1. Patients
2. Patients' family/significant others
3. Physicians and physician office personnel
4. Facility personnel
5. Vendors
6. Administration
7. Medical director
8. Governing body

Formal lines of promotion:

Must submit CV to clinical director, adminstrator