The Observation Unit is an outpatient setting for patients who require additional monitoring and intervention after their visit to the Emergency Department.  Within 24 hours of arrival, patients transition to home.

If you are looking for a more challenging pace than an inpatient unit– the Observation Unit is for you.  It is also a great entry point from the inpatient setting to an eventual transition into the Emergency Department as a professional nurse. 

Position Objective:

Contributes to the provision of high-quality, cost-effective healthcare as a provider of direct and indirect patient care and by effective of the health care team. Functions as a competent member of the health care team.

Essentional Job Duties:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1.  Clinical Decision Making/Judgment

• Demonstrates clinical nursing knowledge and skill in the specialization of the unit.
• Demonstrates the ability to apply the nursing process effectively in the care of culturally diverse patients and families. Demonstrates the ability to utilize all applicable laws, policies, standards, guidelines and evidence-based practice in the provision of patient/family care.
• Organizes and reprioritizes patient care activities based on subtle and overt and/or environmental changes.
• Consistently and thoroughly assesses patients to collect data and identify learning needs according to established standards and policies.
• Utilizes a systematic, continuous and complete analysis of assessment data to develop individualized problem lists for assigned patients.
• Develops and individualizes a plan of care for each patient in accordance with established standards, appropriate prioritization of problems/needs, and mutually agreed upon goals.
• Efficiently implements the patient’s plan of care in accordance with applicable standards, policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Demonstrates proficiency in medication administration, pain management and other unit or initiative specific skills.
• Continuously evaluates the effectiveness of the plan(s) of care, making revisions and recommendations based on analysis of patient responses to interventions.

2.  Nurse-Patient Family Relationships

• Demonstrates the ability to assess the patient’s/family’s learning needs, readiness to learn, learning style, and presence of barriers to learning.
• Demonstrates the ability to develop, implement and evaluate teaching plans for patient populations in unit specialty in accordance with applicable standards.
• Demonstrates the ability to apply knowledge of growth and development across the life span to the care of patients.
• Provides direct patient care to patients and families in a culturally, developmentally and ethically appropriate manner.
• Plans of care address the physical, psychosocial, spiritual and learning needs of the patient/family.

3.  Clinical Scholarship

• Participates in QI, CPI and risk management activities at the unit, department or organizational level.
• Demonstrates the ability to effectively perform and improve all processes in order to achieve excellence with regard to AAMC’s quality standards and benchmarks.
• Supports the use of evidence based guidelines and organizational policies and procedures to promote safe patient care and a safe practice environment.

4.  Clinical Leadership

• Participates in unit shared governance according to departmental standards.
• Participates in the education and orientation of new staff.
• Delegates patient care activities as appropriate; evaluates delegated activities for expected patient care outcomes.
• Employs real time computer documentation when completing patient record.

Educational/Experience Requirements:

• Graduate of an accredited school of nursing
• Adherence to the credentialing requirements of AAMC as stated in the nursing bylaws.

Required License/Certifications:

• Current licensure as a registered nurse by the Maryland Board of Nursing.
• CPR – American Heart Association Healthcare Provider certification
• ACLS required within one (1) year of hire.

Working Conditions, Equipment, Physical Demands:

There is a reasonable expectation that employees in this position will be exposed to blood-borne pathogens.

Physical Demands – _{Medium work. Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 30 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.}

The physical demands and work environment that have been described are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The above job description is an overview of the functions and requirements for this position.  This document is not intended to be an exhaustive list encompassing every duty and requirement of this position; your supervisor may assign other duties as deemed necessary.