Registered Nurse IMC/ PCU - Nights

Job Summary

The Intermediate Care Unit (IMC) Registered Nurse (RN) practices independently to deliver high-quality, comprehensive nursing care to patients requiring a higher level of monitoring and acuity than a standard medical-surgical floor, but who do not require full intensive care. Utilizing the nursing process, the IMC/PCU RN manages clinical situations, handles rapidly changing patient contingencies, sets long-range care goals, and appropriately delegates to and supervises other members of the healthcare team.

Key Responsibilities

• Progressive Care Delivery: Provides direct, high-acuity patient care utilizing the nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention, and evaluation) consistent with the ANA Scope and Standards of Practice.
• Advanced Patient Assessment: Employs critical thinking to continuously assess the physical, psychosocial, and cultural needs of moderately unstable patients, communicating clinical updates rapidly to the healthcare team.
• Medication & Order Management: Processes, validates, and updates intricate medical orders. Administers medications and complex clinical treatments (including cardiac or high‑acuity infusions) while strictly monitoring for efficacy and side effects.
• Patient Throughput Optimization: Anticipates and coordinates seamless patient flow, facilitating timely admissions, transfers to/from the ICU or Med‑Surg floors, and comprehensive discharge planning.
• Clinical Documentation: Maintains clear, real-time electronic health record (EHR) documentation of patient histories, active symptoms, vital signs, and responses to interventions.
• Education & Advocacy: Assesses the learning needs of complex patients and their families, providing essential education regarding disease management, treatments, and post‑acute recovery.
• Shift Operations: Plans, directs, and evaluates overall nursing functions on the unit during assigned shifts, promoting strict stewardship of medical supplies, equipment, and departmental staffing resources.

Technical & Core Competencies

• Specialized Medical Equipment: Proficient in operating, inspecting, and troubleshooting standard cardiac monitoring, diagnostic tools, and unit‑specific clinical equipment safely.
• Chart Interpretation & Order Tracking: Expertly reads and interprets patient charts, identifies unexpected data trends or clinical omissions, and validates standing or verbal orders for absolute accuracy.
• Proactive Patient Safety: Utilizes reporting systems to track near‑misses; immediately investigates safety anomalies and acts decisively to manage physiological or psychological patient distress.
• Evidence‑Based Practice: Incorporates modern nursing research and quality improvement initiatives into daily care workflows to ensure top‑tier clinical outcomes.

Job Requirements & Qualifications

• Education & Licensure: Degree: Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) required; Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) strongly preferred. Licensure: Active Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of Texas or an active multi‑state Compact RN license.
• Required Certifications (American Heart Association): BLS: Basic Life Support (Required); ACLS: Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (Required).
• Experience: Minimum 12 months of independent nursing experience in an acute care hospital environment; preferred background in an Intermediate Care Unit (IMC), Progressive Care Unit (PCU), Step‑Down floor, or Telemetry unit handling high patient acuity.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

• Environment: Fast‑paced, high‑acuity inpatient acute care hospital setting. Strict adherence to hospital safety protocols, infection control guidelines, proper donning of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and the use of power‑operated lifting devices is mandatory.
• Physical Demands: Active floor duties including prolonged standing/walking, reaching, bending, stooping, kneeling, squatting, pushing/pulling, and lifting/carrying patients or heavy medical equipment.
• Sensory Acuity: Requires visual acuity of at least 20/40, conversational hearing, color perception, and the ability to fluently speak and understand the English language.