Job Description

Referral Management Center Registered Nurse - Keesler AFB, MS

Duties & Responsibilities:

• The HCW shall provide professional nursing care for patients as scheduled by the Government.
• Practice general hospital safety, infection control, aseptic and sterile techniques for safe handling of sharps, electrical equipment, and blood or blood products, to include cleaning of work areas and equipment.
• Ensure a safe work environment and safe employee work habits.
• Possess/maintain proper certification and skills to perform required duties within regulatory compliance and with minimal oversight.
• Perform assigned test procedures within the endocrinology clinic.
• Utilize and maintain proficiency in use of electronic medical records.
• Take immediate care of patients by recognizing adverse reactions to the procedure and instituting immediate corrective measures.
• Ability to recognize adverse signs and symptoms and react quickly in emergency situations.
• Participate in the orientation, training, and evaluation of duty performance of newly assigned personnel ensuring compliance with standards of care and practice.
• Help plan, coordinate and conduct evidence-based programs and classes aimed at diabetes education, health improvement and disease intervention/prevention.
• Perform annual routine comprehensive diabetic foot exam and quarterly high-risk foot visual inspection.
• Accurately accomplishes appropriate documentation in patients’ medical record in a timely manner in the Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA), Healthcare Artifacts and Image Management Solution (HAIMS) and other systems as the Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) deems necessary.
• Adheres to infection control procedures including use of personal protective equipment, disposal of waste, and aseptic technique when conducting finger sticks, triage and standard of care.
• Participates in in-service training and continuing education programs for new procedures, techniques, and equipment.
• Serves as an advocate for, and ensures education is provided to, the patient and family/caregiver as required.
• Develops, utilizes and maintains a variety of military and community resources to optimize access to services and medical care for endocrinology patients.
• Receives and makes patient telephone consultation calls, written, or encrypted mail correspondence regarding specialty clinic appointments, test results, treatments, medications and referrals following MTF-specific processes. Communicate information to the physician and adheres to acceptable protocol for patient care per physicians.
• Provide nursing management of patients with diabetes and other endocrine disorders to facilitate achievement of outcomes important to their condition including blood glucose control, cardiovascular risk reduction, depression assessment, and self-management of their condition.
• Provides education regarding diabetes and treatment options, diabetes nutrition, exercise and activity, managing blood sugar, and diabetes medications which include skills related to the self-administration of injectable drugs.
• Under physician order with proven competencies and with endocrinology departmental policy/procedures, perform routine endocrinology metabolic testing/procedures, injections, and IV infusions.
• Works collaboratively with diabetic vendors (physicians and other providers) to ensure that patients obtain equipment/treatment resources.
• Administer medications prescribed to appropriate patients and documents every dose of medication administered, including the strength, dose or rate of administration devices used, access site or route, adverse drug reaction and patient’s response to medication.
• Ability to administer medications orally, intramuscularly, subcutaneously, intravenously, and topically.
• Will comply with the wear, use, and maintenance of all required personal protective equipment (to include, but not limited to respiratory protection) as required to perform normal duties, as identified by Bioenvironmental Engineering occupational health surveillance.

Required Skills and Ability:

• Knowledge and experience in computer operations and proficiency in the use of basic word processing, data entry, and automated medical records.
• Must be able to stand while wearing up to 25 pounds of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for up to four hours.

Formal Training:

• Degree Program. Require successful completion of a nationally accredited associate’s degree or baccalaureate degree program in nursing. Documentation of degree completion shall be required.
• Licensure. Healthcare practitioners who require a license, certification, or registration to perform their duties must maintain a license or other authorizing document such as certification or registration from any U.S. jurisdiction. (NOTE: Dietitians, physician assistants, and substance abuse counselors are exempt from the requirement for an authorizing document from a U.S. jurisdiction. For these professional groups, national registration/certification meets the requirement). Assignment to a position not involving direct patient care within or outside an MTF does not eliminate the requirement for license or authorizing document. The licensure requirement for contract personnel is determined by the type of contract--personal services vs. non-personal services.
• All positions must maintain an active license or authorizing document from any U.S. Jurisdiction.
• In a personal services contract, the Government is more directly involved in the hiring process and, importantly, indemnifies the HCW for malpractice (i.e., they are covered by the Federal Tort Claims Act).
• Documentation of active required license shall be required.

Certification and Experience:

• Certification. HCW shall possess, maintain, and show proof of current certification in BLS.
• Experience. A minimum of 36 months of experience, as a clinical nurse, in any area of nursing such as endocrinology/diabetes within the last 48 months.

PATIENT SENSIVIVITY. Contractor personnel shall provide patients with utmost care and attention. All patients shall be assured of their privacy and personal dignity.

COMMUNICATION. Contractor personnel shall maintain open and professional communication with members of the MTF staff.

DOCUMENTATION. Personnel shall prepare all documentation (to include patient records) to meet or exceed established standards of the MTF, to include but not limited to, timeliness, accuracy, content, and signature. Only MTF and AF approved abbreviations shall be used for documentation of the patient/donor health records.

CONTINUING HEALTH EDUCATION (CHE)/CERTIFIED EDUCATION UNITS (CEU) REQUIREMENTS. Contractor personnel registered or certified by national/medical associations shall continue to meet the minimum standards for CHE to remain current as prescribed in Chapter 5, AFI 41-117, Medical Service Officer Education, 24 March 2015. CHE hours will be reported to the Medical Director, annually on the first normal duty day in January for the previous calendar year. Periodic CHE may be conducted at the MTF and will be available, at no cost, should the Contractor personnel desire to attend. Attendance will be at the discretion of the Flight Commander/Medical Director.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS. Registered Nurse-Emergency Services may be required to travel to the surrounding local hospitals, approximately 10 miles round trip, for meetings or to help coordinate care for patients coming to KMC or leaving from KMC for care. Frequency of travel should not exceed three times per month.

Hours of Operation. KAFB and the MTF operates on a 24/7 basis. Personnel shall be in the work area and available for work at the appointed times. The duty hours for the individual positions are identified as follows:

Duty Hours

Will be 0700 - 1600 Monday through Friday. Personnel will be allotted a one-hour lunch each day.

Recording Hours Worked.

Contractor staff shall record hours worked in both the Defense Medical Human Resource System- Internet (DMHRSi), as well as any locally established duty tracking system as established by the duty section.

Holidays. The Contractor shall not be required to provide services (with the exception of Emergency Services nurse) on Federal recognized holidays (or the actual day set aside for observation).

Vacation/absences. HCW are authorized excused absences for vacation, anticipated sick leave (i.e., surgery), CME, and miscellaneous reasons. Excused absences are to be coordinated at a minimum two weeks in advance with, and at the discretion of, the Flight Commander/Medical Director. Unanticipated sick leave should be coordinated as soon as the HCW know they will be unable to report for their shift. Three (3) months' notice is required for planned absences as patient schedules are out 90 days in advance for booking.

On-Call.

Contractor personnel are not authorized to be on-call.

Overage.

Contractor personnel are not authorized for overages with exception to emergency situations, and Emergency Services RN.

Unplanned Closures. In the event of an unplanned closure of the facility due to natural disaster, military emergency, or severe weather, Contractor personnel shall be allowed to account for those hours as billable to the Government.

Emergency Situations. In the event the Government Supervisor directs the contractor personnel to remain on duty in excess of the scheduled shift due to an unforeseen emergency or to complete patient treatment where lack of continuity of care would otherwise jeopardize patient health, the contractor personnel shall remain on duty. This provision is not intended to apply to the time required to complete routine tasks (e.g., completion of paperwork or routine administrative tasks at the end of a shift) which are to be completed as part of the shift. If the contract includes overage hours, the Government Supervisor may use those overage hours. If the contract does not include overage hours, the Government Supervisor will adjust the contractor personnel’s work schedule for the additional hours such that the number of duty hours on the contract is not exceeded.

PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS.

English Language Requirement. Contractor personnel shall be proficient in all forms of the English language, to include both written and verbal communications skills.

Appearance and Conduct. Contractor personnel shall present a professional, conservative, and neat appearance. Contractor personnel shall report for duty in appropriate attire befitting a health care setting and having complied with socially acceptable standards of personal hygiene expected of health care workers. The Contractor personnel shall maintain a professional manner and display a positive, cooperative attitude while in the workplace.

While on duty the Contractor personnel shall be neat and clean, free from visible dirt and stains well groomed, and appropriately dressed. The Contractor personnel’s clothing shall fit correctly to provide a professional, modest appearance, in keeping with normally accepted community standards of dress for the work being performed.

Facial hair (including beards, mustaches, and sideburns) shall be controlled (restrained) or trimmed. It shall not interfere with safe work practices, look unkempt, or be unclean. Facial hair shall not interfere with the face seal if a respirator (e.g., N95 or other particulate respirator identified by Bioenvironmental Engineering) is required to be worn for normal duties.

The Contractor personnel shall display legible MTF provided identification media on his/her outer clothing.

Protective clothing. When required, and supplied by the Government, Contractor personnel shall wear special protective clothing and shoe covers. When duties will be performed in specific areas, a disposable protective suit with other appropriate PPE (for example, gloves, boots, etc.) shall be worn to ensure universal precautions are observed. The Government will provide ALL PPE. These items shall remain the property of the Government and shall not be removed from the MTF. After use, protective clothing shall be turned in or destroyed as directed by the Chief of Service.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS.

Contractor personnel shall receive a pre-employment physical examination prior to commencement of work. The Contractor personnel shall report to a civilian physician to receive a pre-employment examination and immunizations prescribed by the MTF, IAW Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines.

Location

Keesler AFB

Biloxi, MS 39530