Acute Pain Nurse PRN

Job Description:

Acute Pain RN

PRN I First Shift

Surgical Services I Lexington, KY

Baptist Health Lexington Surgical Services Department encompasses several key areas: the Pre-Op Department, 20 operating rooms with a business office staff responsible for scheduling, a Postoperative Care Unit, an Endoscopy Department with dedicated pre- and post-op areas, and a Sterile Processing Department.

Description:

• Acute Pain Nurse will autonomously plan, provide, oversee, and document the professional nursing care of the surgical patient who will undergo a regional anesthesia procedure.
• Work within the anesthesia, surgical and nursing teams to develop a patient plan of care.
• Follow the nursing process to complete specialized assessment of this patient followed by the planning and implementation of a safe and efficient block procedure for this surgical patient prior to going to the operating room.
• Specialized knowledge of nerve anatomy, specialized assessment of patients receiving a nerve block technique including assessing risks and contraindications in the patient population.
• Performs education of patients and their families on block procedure as well as post-operative care and management.
• Set up of block procedure for chosen patient plan of care-communicating with all care providers and acting in an autonomous manner to assure safe efficient delivery of care
• Knowledge of all block equipment including ultrasound and nerve stimulator.
• Increased safety measures in this specific patient population including emergency airway equipment checks and time our protocol initiation.
• Knowledge of local anesthetic medications.
• Be able to act independently to plan and provide care for this patient in accordance with physician order and facility policy and procedure.
• The acute pain nurse will be expected to think critically and demonstrate strong procedural performance in a pre-surgical environment.
• Perform rounds on patients daily to evaluate pain levels and assess the function of the block/medicines that are infusing via the nerve catheter.
• Evaluate the catheter placement and its effectiveness.
• Individual phone calls will be made to patients to evaluate pain and assess medication use.
• Evaluation will be documented and communicated to block team members.
• Data collection will be performed, and the acute pain nurse will initiate the research process.
• Goal will be to publish results and improve patient care

Requirements:

• Current RN licensure and work permit in Kentucky.

• Bachelor's or an associate degree in nursing from an accredited college/university.
• Applicants with an associate degree in nursing and less than 10 years of experience must enroll within 12 months of hire in a bachelor's degree program and must have achieved the degree within 5 years.
• ACLS/PALS/NRP and successful completion of dysrhythmia class as required before end of orientation.