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Welcome to the Heart and Kidney Unit!

https://childrensnational.org/news-and-events/video-gallery/welcome-to-the-heart-and-kidney-unit

3E-Heart and Kidney Unit (HKU): is a 20-bed unit which focuses on family-centered care for children with cardiac and renal diseases. On the HKU, patients range in age from neonates through adults. Patients may be receiving care for:
• Heart surgery
• Diagnostic or interventional cardiac catheterizations
• Dialysis
• Acute or chronic renal failure
• Nephrotic or nephritic disorders
• Organ transplantation

All patient beds have cardiac and respiratory monitoring. The HKU primarily admits patients from the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Ambulatory Clinic, PACU and EMTC. The unit also admits 23-hour patients with cardiac and renal disease.

All nursing practice is based on the legal scope of practice, national and specialty nursing standards, Children's National Policies and Procedures, and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. The Professional Model of Care requires registered professional nurses to be responsible and accountable for their own practice. Children's National supports the development of RN relationships within the community; specifically those relationships associated with the health and well being of the community at large.

Minimum Education
ASN

BSN (Preferred)

Minimum Work Experience
1 year RN experience (Required)

Required Skills/Knowledge
The licensed Registered Nurse will successfully complete the hospital and nursing orientation at Children’s National.
Keep knowledge base current with new information or changes in specialty area.

Required Licenses and Certifications
Registered Nurse in District of Columbia (Required)

Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) .

Functional Accountabilities
Transformational Leadership

• Contribute to Magnet re-designation as evidenced by independent updating of professional profile and initiation of council involvement, committees, task forces and /or community outreach.

• Demonstrate critical thinking skills by problem solving appropriately during patient care.

• Communicate to reflect development of plan of care and ability to advocate to meet patients’ needs.

• Independently initiate escalation of issues utilizing chain of command.

• Demonstrate proper use of the currently identified hand off processes.

• Demonstrate a collegial and respectful relationship with ancillary staff.

• Participate in implementing change and support management decisions.

• Role model behavior that reflects empathy, concern and a desire to help others.

Structural Empowerment

• Independently maintain regulatory requirements e.g. license, BLS.

• Plan for attendance at mandatory education and professional activities to enhance nursing practice.

• Demonstrate professional review of peers through timely participation in evaluations.

• Seek out opportunities to participate in enhancing departmental goals by ensuring adherence to national safety standards and service excellence standards; support advancement of education and certification as well.

• Collaborate with members of the healthcare team and role model professional behavior and teamwork with coworkers.

• Utilize resources as needed and know when to escalate to next level.

Exemplary Professional Practice

• Utilize assessment data gathered from patient and family to ensure completion of data base and plan of care within identified timeframes.

• Demonstrate clinical skills with complex patients that reflect analysis of patient status and appropriate interventions.

• Role model skill in prioritization and organization for complex patient with rapidly changing needs.

• Documentation exemplifies adherence to the highest standards of practice.

• Anticipate and proactively plan for educational needs verified with patient and family throughout the hospital/outpatient stay and prior to discharge.

• Role model organizational skills, adjust for changes and is able to complete assignment on time.

• Demonstrate caring in all encounters with patient and family as evidenced by feedback from parents and an increase in patient satisfaction scores.

Safety

• Speak up when team members appear to exhibit unsafe behavior or performance

• Continuously validate and verify information needed for decision making or documentation

• Stop in the face of uncertainty and takes time to resolve the situation

• Demonstrate accurate, clear and timely verbal and written communication

• Actively promote safety for patients, families, visitors and co-workers

• Attend carefully to important details - practicing Stop, Think, Act and Review in order to self-check behavior and performance