Description
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4/5/6 Preston
Postpartum unit is located on 4/5/6 Preston at Pennsylvania Hospital. There is a complement of 18 private patient rooms on each of the three connected floors. The newborn observation area on 5 Preston provides transitional and time-out care to term, healthy newborns, as well as, care to boarder babies requiring additional therapies authorized to be done in the term nursery. There is emphasis on the support and care of the breastfeeding mother using Baby Friendly standards as the foundation of care. The unit emphasizes teaching and incorporates familial support in areas such as infant care, car seat safety and breastfeeding.
Patient care needs are assessed and met through a multidisciplinary team approach utilizing the Relationship Based Care Model. Patient care needs are determined collaboratively by the healthcare team and patient. Individual birth plans and specific needs are managed individually while providing a standard of care that supports the family unit. Nursing staff, with the support of Lactation Consultants, handle routine and complex breastfeeding issues through individual consultation, class, support groups and warmline responses. Written literature and individual direct demonstration are provided to ensure that family needs and concerns are addressed. Although located on three separate floors this is one continuous unit and staff function as one unit.
More acute postpartum care includes:
- Pre-eclampsia management
- Hemorrhage
- Infection
- Extensive perineal repair
-Types of complexity for well newborns include:
- Management of IV antibiotics
- Management of hyperbillirubin / phototherapy
- Glucose stabilization
- Thermoregulation
Summary:
- Delivers patient care that is patient and family centered. Incorporates team focused, collegial relationships to ensure patient safety and improve outcomes. Maintains organizational competencies of superior quality care, critical thinking and interpersonal skills. Demonstrates accountability to the patient, family, self and the healthcare team. Provides superior quality care and assumes responsibility and accountability for their role in performance outcomes while supporting PAH's Relationship Based Care Model. Reports directly to the Registered Nurse.
Responsibilities:
- Customer Service: Answers call bell- intercom system Responsible for the 4P’s program of Pain, Positioning, Potty and Perimeter. Performed and measured by hourly rounding Responsible for all aspects of care, which involve the patient environment.
- Responsibilities include but are not limited to: room setup for patient admission, removing of patient care items upon discharge, and general room cleanliness
- Performs AM care/ PM care as instructed. AM/PM care includes but is not limited to complete/partial and set up bath, mouth/ denture care, hair grooming, facial shave Prepare patient and belongings for discharge
- Assist patient will all aspects of dietary necessities as follows: Set up meal trays, assists patient with feeding and/ or perform complete patient feed.
- Perform calorie counts, maintain Aspiration precautions. When applicable, ensure all patients have fresh water pitcher at their bedside. All patients are consistently addressed appropriately by preferred name unless patient has verbally specified another form of address.
- Will appropriately introduce self and role in care
- Respects patient need for privacy, as appropriate, and maintains a quiet environment and low noise levels
- Demonstrates ability to prioritize multiple patient and/ or family requests
- Clinical: Monitors vital signs for assigned patients and immediately reports abnormalities Obtains and documents Blood sugar by properly utilizing blood glucose equipment. Immediately reports out of range results
- Performs all unit based point of care testing
- Documents intake and output on all patients as indicated. Intake will include all oral intake. Output may include drainage as urine, stool and/ or emesis via catheters, NGT/ Salem sump, hemovac, or Jackson Pratt.
- Obtaining and documenting patient weight by using standing/ bed scales Reports skin breakdown
- Performs Phlebotomy Performs 12 lead EKG Performs postmortem care
- Safety: Calls CRT/ responds during emergency (Fire/safety) Performs proper care of products: air mattress, teds, A pumps/ foot pumps
- Promote patient safety: Maintaining fall precautions, applying wrist restraints, applying vest restraints, providing continuous observation per policy Performs safe patient transfers utilizing proper ergonomics.
- Transfers include bed to chair, bed to wheelchair, bed to stretcher and unit to unit. Transfers include to and from
- Adheres to appropriate Invasive Line Safety (IV’s, ventilators, arterial lines, central lines, chest tubes, all other drainage tubes
- Disposes of biohazard (bloody material) in red trash cans
- Teamwork Stocks rooms and / or supply carts/ areas
- Receives report on each assigned patient at the start of each shift
- Reports off to Registered Nurse, on each assigned patient prior to breaks and the end of each shift
- Consistently follows all expectations associated with Pennsylvania Hospital’s Standards for Service Excellence
- Consistently demonstrate the four basic characteristics for the foundation of a healthy team: Trust, Mutual respect, Consistent and visible support, open and honest communication
- Will respectfully and professionally address team members who are negatively affecting teamwork ensuring patient has best possible experience
- Completion of the following competencies include but, may not be limited to below: o BCLS o Knowledge Link o Population specific competency o Cultural competency o Chest tube competency o Skills fair
- Additional unit competencies as determined by the Nursing Education Department or Nurse Manager
Credentials:
- Certified Nurse Aid (Required)
- CNA Certification by the State of Pennsylvania or RN without a BSN Degree.
- If enrolled in BSN program- One full clinical Med Surg rotation
- BLS from the American Heart Association
Education or Equivalent Experience:
- H.S. Diploma/GED (Required)
We believe that the best care for our patients starts with the best care for our employees. Our employee benefits programs help our employees get healthy and stay healthy. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits program that includes one of the finest prepaid tuition assistance programs in the region. Penn Medicine employees are actively engaged and committed to our mission. Together we will continue to make medical advances that help people live longer, healthier lives.
Live Your Life's Work
We are an Equal Opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic information, domestic or sexual violence victim status, citizenship status, military status, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable law.
