Staff Nurse - Medicine/Surgery

Under supervision, provides professional nursing care to patients/clients within an assigned unit. Diagnoses and treats responses to actual or potential health problems by means of nursing methods and techniques such as case-finding, health teaching, health counseling and provision of care supportive to and restorative of life and well-being.

Examples of Typical Tasks:
1. Identifies and discriminates between physical and psycho-social signs and symptoms.
2. Develops, implements and continuously evaluates the nursing regimen for assigned patients/clients.
3. Records and maintains nursing care plans and progress notes on patients/clients to ensure continuity of care.
4. Interprets and reports responses of patients/clients to appropriate members of the health team.
5. Participates with interdisciplinary health team members to plan a comprehensive patient care program.
6. Determines and assigns those components of the nursing regimen which may be carried out by allied nursing personnel.
7. Provides teaching, guidance and direction to allied nursing personnel in rendering patient care.
8. Participates in defining, implementing, maintaining and interpreting standards of nursing practice.
9. Participates in departmental and interdisciplinary conferences pertaining to policies and procedures affecting nursing practice.
10. Participates in determining conditions, resources and policies essential to the delivery of nursing care services.
11. Participates in development and maintenance of a system of evaluation of nursing care, practices and procedures, including evaluation of nursing personnel.
12. Interprets philosophy and objectives of agency and Nursing Department to patients/clients, families and other groups.
13. Maintains professional competence through participation in continuing education and other appropriate learning experiences.
14. Performs other professional nursing activities as delegated by nursing service administration.