RN Rapid Response Position Summary

Administers patient care in an area in a hospital or inpatient setting where patients have an advanced illness or injury that routinely requires timely, intense, and complex care to stabilize and support the patient’s medical condition. These areas require a lower caregiver-to-patient ratio and highly trained team members with advanced skills. 

Essential Functions 

• Demonstrates critical knowledge, skills, and judgement to care for patients requiring complex assessment and therapies, high intensity interventions, and high-level continuous nursing vigilance.  

• Utilizes information and assessment data to anticipate and respond with confidence and adapt to rapidly changing patient conditions.  

• Identifies and prioritizes information to take immediate and decisive evidence-based, patient focused action.    

• Monitors and adjusts specialized equipment used on patients, and interprets and records electronic displays, such as intracranial pressures, central venous pressures, pulmonary artery pressures, and cardiac rhythms from cardiac monitors, respirators, ventilators, oxygen pumps, etc.  

• Responds to life-saving situations based on nursing standards and protocol.  

• Observes, monitors, and assesses patients’ condition, recognizes, identifies, and interprets serious situations and calls Physician or takes preplanned emergency measures when Physician is not immediately available.  

• Assesses patient’s needs and develops/revises an individualized plan of care based on patient needs and responses. Evaluates the patient’s progress toward attaining expected outcomes.  

• Functions as a patient and family advocate.  

• Demonstrates advanced knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served on his or her assigned unit/ department.  

• Serves as a preceptor, charge nurse, unit educator, and/ or nurse clinician.  

• Communicates and collaborates with medical staff and interdisciplinary team to effectively plan and manage the unit/department.  

• Serves as a role model for staff and supports the hospital and nursing department’s goals and strategies.  

• Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span, assesses the data reflective of the patient’s status, and interprets the necessary information needed to identify each patient’s requirements relative to his or her age specific needs.  

• Coordinates the care and delegates as appropriate to other team members on a defined group of patients.  

• Documents patient care in a knowledgeable, skillful, and consistent manner meeting all required and regulatory standards. This includes but is not limited to patient assessment, education, medication administration, treatments, and patient safety.  

• Demonstrates competency in nursing skills and use of patient care/unit equipment as defined by unit/department-specific requisite skills.  

• Prioritizes patient care in an ongoing manner in accordance with Evidence-Based Practice Standards of Care.  

• Practices effective problem identification and resolution.  

• Delegates tasks and duties to healthcare team members in accordance with the patient’s needs and the team member’s capabilities and qualifications.  

• Communicates appropriate information regarding patient condition or unit concerns to other health care team members.  

• Demonstrates caring practices by providing a compassionate and therapeutic environment for patients and their families.  

• Demonstrates awareness of legal issues and patients’ rights. 

Education/Training  

• Graduate of an approved school of nursing. Meets all mandatory, developmental, and performance competency requirements for Baptist Health unit/department. 

Licensure/Certification  

• Maintains current State of Alabama RN license or valid eNLC multistate RN license  

• Maintains current BLS/Healthcare Provider certification.  

• ACLS, NRP, PALS, TNCC are required for certain areas. NRP required for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). 

Experience  

• 1 year experience required unless approved by AVP level or above; New Graduate RNs may be considered.