American Hospital
A Staff Nurse OT is a registered professional Nurse who:
- Provides direct patient care & coordinates patient care-related activities using the scientific process of nursing
- Abides by AHD nursing standards of care and practice.
Responsibilities of Staff Nurse OT
General
- Demonstrates problem solving/critical thinking skills ensuring effective functioning of unit routine.
- Demonstrates current Nursing care and knowledge as per specialty with ability to recognize and apply basic pathophysiology in the disease process.
- Demonstrates the knowledge and skills required in recognizing potential emergency situation; Caesarean-Section code and other codes, emergency situations are managed competently. Actively participates in mock codes.
- Develops individualized care plans based on the medical, surgical nursing diagnosis, with updated revisions according to evaluation and re-assessment findings. Activities of daily living e.g. hygiene needs are considered in daily care planning.
- Provides accurate, complete and prompt reports on patient care conditions and response to treatment.
- Collaborates effectively as a multidisciplinary team member with anaesthesia team in sign in process.
- Effectively communicates TIME OUT process and actively conducts correct patient identity, correct site and correct procedure as a multidisciplinary team member before first incision.
- Effectively communicates and conducts SIGN OUT process as a multidisciplinary team member to ensure counts, equipment and specimen checked and labelled. Discusses and reports Key concerns for recovery management.
- Nursing documentation is informative, complete, accurate, concise and legible. Documentation follows AHD and JCI standards and reflects the pre, intra, post-operative assessments and process.
- Assists in other work areas within the unit (PACU, Holding bay,) when assigned.
- Demonstrates proficiency in the use of medical equipment and surgical instruments available in operating room.
- Competent to perform “on call” duties.
- Uses supplies in economical manner.
- Demonstrates understanding and familiarity with Facility Management and Safety plan.
- Ensures and completes OR billing documentation after hour 1700hrs, to ER/PBS cashier .The process will follow according to ORP-006
- Ensures Pharmacy billing is complete and given to pharmacy to charge on same day of surgery.
Scrub Registered Nurse (when applicable):
- Proficient in maintaining standard precautions by Scrubbing, gowning, and gloving.
- Proficiency is demonstrated with maintaining integrity of sterile field and utilization of asepsis principles.
- Demonstrates competent technical scrub nursing skills; perform surgical counts, physicians are assisted with patient procedures in specialized surgeries.
- Proficient in prevention of retained surgical items, the use of Electro Surgical, laser and medication safety to ensure optimal patient outcome.
- Ensures specimen identification before and use sterile technique when transfers specimen from the sterile field in a manner that maintains its integrity.
- Proficient in handling of basic instrumentation /supplies and minimally invasive endoscopic and powered instruments/equipment.
- Follows the instructions in handling Surgical Implants (Synthetic, Biologic) on sterile field.
- Assists in the clean-up of the operating room after surgery, including proper disposal of used supplies and sharps, cleaning and decontamination of instruments, equipment and the operating room.
- Perform Infection Control Activities including observation of the Surgical Team activities to maintain aseptic technique.
Circulate Registered Nurse (when applicable):
- Assists in setting up and performance of cases by opening of sterile packs, instruments and supplies according to sterile technique.
- Demonstrates competent technical nursing skills; performs surgical counts with scrub nurse and documents in legal records according to policies and procedures.
- Able to operate minimum invasive endoscopic/powered equipment outside sterile field.
- Ability to plan the availability of the needed positioning equipment and maintains handling in a safe manner according to manufacturers’ instructions.
- Actively participate in safely patient positioning under direction of and in collaboration with surgeon and anaesthesia team and assesses patient’s body alignment, tissue perfusion and skin integrity.
- Ensures specimen containers are labelled to communicate patient, specimen and preservative information. Identification of specimen and labelling confirmed among surgical team during sign out process.
- Ensures safe medication practices used when transferring medication to, handling medication on, to sterile field.
- Assists in the clean-up of the operating room after surgery, including proper disposal of used supplies and sharps, cleaning and decontamination of instruments, equipment and the operating room.
- Perform Infection Control Activities including observation of the Surgical Team activities to maintain aseptic technique.
Post Anesthesia Care Unit Registered Nurse (when applicable):
- Ensures SIGN OUT process and key concerns monitored and measured effectively.
- Demonstrates competent technical nursing skills; medications are administered safely and according to policies and procedures, physicians are assisted with patient examinations and specialized procedures, proficiency is demonstrated with IV therapy.
- Demonstrates current post-operative care nursing knowledge with ability to recognize and apply basic pathophysiology in the disease process.
- Assesses patient on admission to PACU: airway patency, respirations, vital signs ,level of consciousness etc.
- Uses appropriate devices to assist patient respirations and maintain optimum blood oxygenation saturation.
- Assesses surgical site for bleeding and reinforces dressing and informs surgeon if increased bleeding.
- Assesses and controls post-operative pain.
- Assesses patient needs to provide care and plan/discharge completed in timely manner considering best practices.
- Provide nurse from patient’s unit with an accurate history of care given in PACU using the SBAR format.
Specialty lead Registered Nurse Responsibilities (when applicable):
- Coordinates service specific instrumentation, equipment and OR consumables use. Coordinates the surgical services in collaboration with the OR Manager.
- Develops and ensures surgeons’ preference cards are accurate and up to date.
- Communicates and collaborates with the Material Management department (MMD): Ensures OR consumables are available in line with Surgeon’s preference and OR schedule.
- Communicates and collaborates with CSSD Supervisor/ OR Manager to ensure instruments are available in line with OR schedule
- Collaborates with Biomedical Engineering in relation to medical/surgical equipment’s functionality.
- Reviews OR schedule daily with OR Manager to recognize equipment and instruments usage conflicts/overlapping.
- Promotes and demonstrates high standards of clinical practice that meets or exceeds (AORN) Association Perioperative Registered Nurses standards and AHD policies and procedures.
- In collaboration with multidisciplinary teams coordinates effectively with outside vendors for any special loaner items required by the surgeon.
Team Leader Responsibilities (when applicable):
- Liaises with and updates the Nurse Manager about the following:
- Operating rooms are cleaned, restocked and ready to receive patients in turn over time and at the end of each working day.
- Operating room and PACU are prepared fully prior to surgery commencement.
- Manages resources in service to ensure all equipment’s/items are available for use in line with assigned operating room.
- Significant changes in patient status.
- Staffing issues.
- Administrative issues.
- Completes Team Leader Orientation and meets the criteria indicators for the Team Leader role on the unit.
- Facilitates unit’s work flow, assignments of tasks and follows up on staffing issues.
- Completes all specific unit duties as per the Allocation Book.
Preceptor’s Responsibilities (when applicable):
- Completes the Preceptor workshop and meets the criteria indicators for the preceptor role on the unit.
- Precepted new staffs.
- Demonstrates ability to impart knowledge in critical thinking to new employees and colleagues.
- Plans, implements and evaluates the individualized competency based orientation in collaboration with orienteer, nurse manager, clinical resource nurse.
- Provides appropriated feedback in a timely manner to orient and Nurse Manager.
- Provides objective documentation to the nurse manager utilizing the AHD orientation package.
Qualification Requirements of Staff Nurse OT
- 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)
- Post graduate diploma in operating room preferred.
Experience Requirments of Staff Nurse OT
- Current license to practice nursing in country of origin and with the DHA.
- BLS certification.
- ACLS certification preferred.
- At least 2 years of experience in perioperative nursing setting.
- Private hospital experience preferred.