RECRUITING AND SELECTING STAFF 201
BOX 15-1 Position Description: Registered Nurse Adult Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU)
Job Overview The medical intensive care unit registered nurse is re- sponsible for direct patient care of adults admitted to the MICU for management of complex life-threatening ill- ness. The RN reports directly to the MICU nurse manager.
Qualifications
● Current licensure in good standing in the state of practice.
● Minimum of one year previous adult ICU experi- ence within the past three years or two years telemetry experience within the past three years.
● Current BLS mandatory, ACLS or TNCC preferred. ACLS must be obtained with six months of employment.
Responsibilities
● Performs complete, individualized patient assess- ment within unit time frames and determines patient care priorities based on assessment findings.
● Completes additional patient assessments as re- quired, based on patient status, protocols, and/or physician orders.
● Administers medications and appropriate treat- ments as ordered by the physician accurately and within specified time frames.
● Initiates and maintains an individualized patient plan of care for each patient, using nursing interventions as appropriate.
● Provides ongoing education to the patient and the patient’s family.
● Documents patient assessments, medication and therapy administration, patient response to treat- ments, and interventions in an accurate and timely manner.
● Initiates emergency resuscitation procedures according to ACLS protocols.
● Maintains strict confidentiality of all information related to the patient and the patient’s family.
● Provides nursing care in a manner that is respectful and sensitive to the needs of the patient and the patient’s family and protects their dignity and rights.
● Communicates changes in patient condition to appropriate staff during the shift.
● Maintains (or obtains within six months of initial hire) certification in ACLS.
● Completes unit-based training modules for critical care competency on an annual basis.
Where to Look For most health care organizations, the best place to look is in their own geographic area. Dur- ing nursing shortages, however, many organizations conduct national searches. This effort is frequently futile because most nurses look for jobs in their local area. If the agency is in a ma- jor metropolitan area, a search may be relatively easy; if it is located in a rural area, however, recruitment may need to be conducted in the nearest city. Organizations tend to recruit where past efforts have been the most successful. Most organizations adopt an incremental strategy whereby they recruit locally first and then expand to larger and larger markets until a sufficient applicant pool is obtained.
Because proximity to home is a key factor in choosing a job, recruitment efforts should focus on nurses living nearby. The state board of nursing can provide the names of registered nurses by zip code to allow organizations to target recruitment efforts to surrounding areas. Also, personnel officers in large companies or other organizations in the area can be asked to assist in recruiting nurse spouses of newly hired employees.
Collaborative arrangements with local schools of nursing offer opportunities for recruit- ment. Providing preceptors or mentors for students during their clinical rotation or offering externships or residencies encourages postgraduation students to consider employment in the organization. Nurses who work with students play a key role in recruitment. Students are more likely to be attracted to the organization if they see nurses’ work valued and appreciated and perceive a positive impression of the work group.