ED/ICU Staff RN Resume Example

As a travel RN, I am working with the travel nursing agencies and hospitals/health care organizations to fill a nursing position when a health care facility cannot find qualified nurses in their area or when a health care facility is looking to fill a temporary nursing position such as when an existing nurse goes on maternity/paternity leave.

I am currently on travel assignment here in Texas working in the ICU at a level 3 facility.

As a Navy RN, I provided care not only for military service members and their families, but also for people in need around the globe. During all of my assignments with a team of talented colleagues united by a common mission, much of our focus was on education while leading and shaping policy within Navy Health Care. The clinical areas in which I worked were the Emergency Department & Intensive Care areas.

As the Director of Clinical Services (DCS), part of my job description was to direct the operations, programs, and activities in ED, ICU & Medical-Surgical clinical areas. Planning, directing, and coordinating patient care activities to maintain standards of patient care, and advise medical staff in matters related to clinical services by performing the following duties personally or through subordinate staff (40). Defining and maintaining facility standards in nursing care and practice in accordance with all regulatory requirements and accreditation standards.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may also be assigned:

1. Planning and organizing activities related to specified clinical services to ensure patient needs are met in accordance with professional standards of medical and nursing care and facility administrative procedures.

2. Coordinating activities with other facility departments, patient care units, ambulance services, medical staff, patients' relatives, law enforcement officers, the media, and other health facilities.

3. Developing, implementing, and evaluating methods to ensure effective and efficient use of staff, facilities, equipment, and other resources while maintaining patient care standards.

4. Developing, implementing, and coordinating quality management, utilization review, and discharge planning programs.

5. Consulting with management, facility staff, anesthesia staff and medical staff on patient care or nursing issues and interpretation of facility policies to ensure patient needs are met.

6. Planning and organizing orientation, staff meetings and in-service training for staff members, and participates in guidance and educational programs.

7. Observing procedures and making appropriate suggestions and recommendations for improving techniques, policies, and procedures.

8. Formulating budget based on appropriate workload indicators and anticipated revenues in conjunction with the CEO.

9. Monitoring and supervising department costs to maintain expenditures within allocations.

10. Recommended acquisition of capital equipment.

11. Engaged in studies and investigations related to improving delivery of services.

12. Direct or conduct recruitment, hiring and training of clinical personnel.

13. Directed, supervised and evaluated work activities of clinical personnel.

14. Established work schedules and assignments for clinical staff, according to workload, space and equipment availability.

15. Maintained awareness of advances in medicine, computerized diagnostic and treatment equipment, data processing technology, government regulations, health insurance changes, and cost effective options.

16. Maintained communication between governing board, medical staff and facility management by attending board meetings and participating in coordinating interdepartmental functioning.

17. Develop and implement organizational policies and procedures for clinical areas in conjunction with the CEO and CNO.

18. Reviewed and analyzed clinical activities and data to aid in planning, costs and risk management and to improve service utilization.

19. Established clinical objectives and evaluating for meeting operational criteria.

20. Having expert working knowledge of medical technology which includes but not restricted to: electronic medical record (EMR) documentation, Management System, Inventory System and reporting functions.

21. Excelled in computer use to include, but not limited to, word, excel and email as well as other forms of communication through technology.

22. When short-staffed, included self in staffing & worked along side with doctors, other RN's & health care technicians to achieve and maintain customer satisfaction and outstanding customer service.

Other Skills and Abilities:

1. Ability to set priorities.

2. Ability to communicate well with patients, families, co-workers, etc.

3. Superior interpersonal skills.

4. Evidence of continued education in clinical nursing and universal precautions.

As an ED RN, quick thinking, decisive action and a strong stomach is required. Additionally, as an Emergency department (ED) RN, I worked with critical care emergencies assisting doctors and work with emergency medical technicians (EMT's) by helping people in pain and possibly life-threatening trauma including peripheral IV insertion (PIV), obtain 12lead electrocardiogram (ECG's), finger-stick blood glucose monitoring, rapid response, code blue (ACLS), triage, vital signs monitoring, lab collection & reporting critical findings to the provider and much more.

As an ED RN, I work as part of a team with physicians, other nurses and healthcare professionals to provide care, monitor health conditions, plan long-term care needs, administer medicine, use medical equipment, perform minor medical operations, and advise patients and their families on illness, care and continued care after a hospital stay.

Emergency departments are often the first line of defense for accidents, allergic reactions, and any number of urgent medical care. ED RN's work to quickly assess the needs of each patient, prioritize care based on its critical nature, and work to stabilize the patient, treat the problem, discharge the patient after the emergency is over or make arrangements for a longer hospital stay.

While working in the Methodist Hospital's Neurosurgical intensive care unit (NSICU), we treated patients suffering with everything from stroke to traumatic brain injuries. I was active in vigilantly monitoring patients, watching for neurological decline and intervening as soon as possible. At most, my patient load was no more than one or two cases at a time with undivided attention dedicated to the critical patients.

Technical Skills 

As a Neuro ICU RN, I frequently performed delicate procedures such as assisting with inserting central lines and pulmonary artery catheters. Also, assisted physicians with bedside procedures such as inserting a drain in the patient's skull to reduce pressure. Our NSICU specialized in trauma in addition to neurological diseases. Working in a trauma/neuro ICU it is a must that I understood not only how to treat and monitor neurological issues, but also how to evaluate patients with a devastating brain injury that could impact the rest of the body.

Focus 

While caring for patients with neurological illnesses and traumatic brain injuries, vigilance and the ability to closely monitor each of my patients' condition. As a NSICU RN, part of my role was to continually assess the patient's vital signs, his ability to speak, and his reflexes and responses. Additionally, I relied on several types of monitoring equipment. At the Methodist Hospital, we depended on brain oxygen monitoring, neuroimaging, EEG, and monitoring of cerebral blood flow, intracranial pressure and brain tissue chemistry. This technology gave us a glimpse into what's going on in a patient's brain, even when the patient could not communicate with members of the health care team.