Nurse (Clinical/Emergency) Joint Base San Antonio
Time to invest in some new footwear because if you’re San Antonio-bound, you’d better show up in boots! The Alamo City is one of the military’s most envied postings and is often referred to as “Military City USA”. Lo w cost of living, affordable homes, and the lack of state tax on retirement income are a few financial perks to living and retiring in this Texas city. A robust job market that seems partial to government and defense/security contracting ensures employment opportunities for spouses or transitioning service members. San Antonio is the country’s seventh fastest growing city yet has somehow managed to retain a “small town feel.” Quality schools and friendly locals (most with military ties) are additional perks to living in San Antonio.
Some things you should know before you get here: trucks are the norm (the bigger, the better), love for The Spurs (NBA) runs deep, the H-E-B obsession is real (it’s a grocery store), rodeos are life, and don’t call it “San Antone”—that’s just wrong. The community boasts a vibrant Hispanic population, and enhances everything from the food, to the music, to community events. You don’t necessarily need to speak Spanish to get around, but you’d better know how to say barbacoa, tamales, and cascarones.
Name brand shopping (IKEA is the latest arrival of note), restaurants, and all variety of entertainment all add to San Antonio’s quality of life. SeaWorld, the San Antonio Zoo, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and downtown museums are all fun outings for kids and families. Tube or kayak down a river, play or fish in the lakes, or relax by San Antonio’s famous downtown River Walk. Museums, art galleries, and historical landmarks—remember The Alamo?—round out San Antonio’s cultural offerings. Tex-mex cuisine arguably originated here, and some up and coming culinary trendsetters are making a name for themselves in the Pearl District downtown, alongside several notable breweries.
San Antonio has over 300 days of sunshine with some hot summers, mild winters and pleasant spring and fall seasons. San Antonio is in Bexar County (it’s pronounced “BEAR”) in south central Texas, and is just south of the gorgeous Hill Country. It’s only about two hours from Austin, the beach, or the desert.
Working for the Department of Defense comes with an abundance of benefits and perks to include competitive compensation packages, paid-time off, medical benefits, student loan repayments, and retirement package with Thrift Savings Plan to include matching employer contributions.
Responsibilities
Serves as a nurse specialist in a Regional Level I Trauma Emergency Department providing the full range of professional nursing care and treatment to a wide variety of patients arriving in critical condition as a result of motor vehicle accidents, gunshot wounds, suicide attempts, cardiac arrest, respiratory distress, drug overdose, etc. Provides an advanced level of emergency nursing trauma care. Provides continuous observation and monitoring and must intervene to prevent complications to restore hemodynamic stability. Works on a relief basis as a Charge Nurse or in Urgent Care Center providing initial and follow-up patient triage.
MAJOR DUTIES:
1. Assists the physician in the performance of Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) and other specialized procedures to include insertion of chest drainage tubes, tracheostomies, emergency thoracotomies, gastric lavage, suturing lacerations, etc. Independently recognizes life threatening situations and acts to correct these per protocols. Administers oxygen, intravenous fluids, blood transfusions and all types of medications during emergent events to include intravenous, intraosseous, subcutaneous, intramuscular, by mouth and rectal routes. Operates specialized medical equipment such as resuscitators, defibrillators, electrocardiographs, oxygen apparatus, intravenous pumps, and rapid intravenous infusers. Implements physician orders and initiates a nursing plan of care for individual patients. Assesses patient status and keeps physician informed of any change or need for additional treatment. Changes dressings, preps wounds, removes sutures, inserts urinary catheters, applies binders and bandages, applies splints, performs tracheostomy care. Collects urine, stool, sputum, and blood specimens. Prepares specimens for lab and transports as required. Obtains test results and informs physician. Arranges transfer of patients to appropriate patient care areas upon release by the physician. As ACLS provider, holds primary responsibility for critical patients during transfers within medical facility.
2. Independently instructs and demonstrates to patient/family/significant others how to provide self-care to include wound care, changing dressings, care of catheters. Instructs patient in self-medication of prescribed pharmaceutical agents. Reinforces physician instructions and encourages patient in maintenance of health and self-care.
3. As a Charge Nurse in the Emergency Department, performs a variety of administrative duties as an extension of and in support of the Chief, Emergency Nursing/Clinical Head Nurse. Makes nursing care assignments to various skill levels of professional and ancillary health care personnel. Assigns staff to patient care duties based on patient condition/status, expertise and scope of practice. Monitors and oversees staff performance to ensure that work is accomplished in an acceptable and timely manner. Ensures that staff document legibly, accurately and completely within the patient record. Ensures that appropriate patient responses to medical/surgical emergencies are documented. Verifies and annotates all physician orders written during tour of duty. Advises attending physicians of significant changes in patient condition in a timely manner. Responsible for narcotic and medication accountability. Monitors and oversees staff during orientation/preceptorship periods. Responsible for all nursing operations within the Emergency Department in the absence of the Head Nurse. Makes independent triage decisions based on expert assessment and management skills for all patients seen in the Emergency Room.
4. Performs the following duties as a relief nurse in the ambulatory environment. Plans, oversees and facilitates nursing triage within the ambulatory care arena. Screens patient records to assess patient history and identify health related conditions and/or medications that may impact the patient health status. Screens patient laboratory data to ascertain abnormal results and notify the physician as appropriate. Ensures that authorization for procedure has been properly completed. Monitors patients or directs monitoring of patients during and after procedure. Coordinates patient referral to ancillary health care professionals -- Community Health Nurse, Social Work Services, Dietitian, Physical Therapy. Independently makes referrals to Health Promotions Center. Functions within the scope of practice for a professional Registered Nurse and hospital regulations and policies. Coordinates patient care activities, ensures effectiveness of clinic and nursing administrative operations. Manages clinic and patient records. Follows quality improvement and internal control activities for the ambulatory setting to include risk appraisals, conducting chart reviews, identifying trends and reporting corrective actions. Receives, investigates and acts on patient complaints pertinent to Emergency Department matters.
Performs other duties assigned.
Basic Requirements:
US Citizenship required
Employee must have a current, active, unrestricted, valid Registered Nurse license in at least one US state or province/territory of the United States.
Employee must have a current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) is highly desirable.
Position is Designated Testing Position (DTP) for drugs.
Position requires the incumbent to have passed a Child Background Check (works with Adolescent patient).
Position may require incumbent to work alternate shifts.
* This position is subject to drug testing if the incumbent:
Has direct patient contact or performs diagnostic or therapeutic functions
Extracts or works with patients' body fluids or tissues; prepares patient specimens for examination, performs specialized or non-routine tests on body fluids or tissue samples, or confirms patients' test results
Maintains, stores, safeguards, inputs, fills or distributes drugs and medicines
This position has a mandatory seasonal influenza vaccination requirement and is therefore subject to annual seasonal influenza vaccinations. Applicants tentatively selected for appointment to this position will be required to sign a statement (Condition of Employment) consenting to seasonal influenza vaccinations.