The Cancer Care Center (CCC) RN will demonstrate knowledge of the nursing process as a standard, incorporating elements of holistic family centered care through the collection, verification and organization of data about a patient’s health status, planning for care, implementation of the plan and evaluation. The RN will provide direct and indirect patient care in the Outpatient Cancer Care Center setting. Provides excellent care that reflects compassion, initiative, flexibility and responsibility indicative of professional expectation with a minimum of supervision. The RN will also act as a resource and mentor for new and inexperienced nurses as needed.
KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE: Demonstrate ability to accept responsibility as a Cancer Care Center staff RN (job specific).
EDUCATION: Graduate of professional school of nursing required.
LICENSE/CERTIFICATION/REGISTRY: Current Montana License as a Registered Nurse required. Current and valid American Heart Association BLS certification required. Certification in Oncology Nursing required within 3 years of hire. Completion of Chemotherapy/Oncology course and competency to be eligible to hang chemotherapy required within six months after hire date with recertification every 2 years. Continued chemotherapy education/competencies required yearly or as needed.
Aptitudes: Demonstrated ability to achieve cognitive, organization and emotional maturity to deal effectively with multiple tasks, stresses, deadlines, difficult situations and/or customers. Demonstrated interpersonal/communication skills necessary for effective, non-judgmental, and empathetic patient care and customer relations. Demonstrated ability to receive and adapt to feedback and demonstrated ability to adapt to a changing environment, which requires flexibility in scheduling and department assignments.
SPECIFIC JOB DUTIES include but are not limited to:
Determines priorities of care based on physical and psychosocial needs, is able to deal with ethical issues surrounding cancer treatment, pain management, end of life decisions, altered body image, death and dying, informed consent. Demonstrates thorough knowledge of chemotherapy, method of administration, rate of delivery, drug properties, and safe handling. Provides ongoing education to patients and their families about their medications, expected side effects from chemotherapy and ways to manage them, and safe handling of body fluids. Provides emotional support through the disease and treatment process. Communicates with physician/nurse manager/co-workers as appropriate about changes in a patient's clinical condition including results of diagnostic, lab studies and symptomology. Ability to respond quickly and accurately to changes in condition or response to treatment. Additionally, the RN will be able to function independently with little supervision in the different roles which are chemotherapy administration, lab draws, charting in the electronic medical record, rooming patients, procedure assisting and monitoring, and preauthorization for insurance companies and insurance appeals. With experience, physician, and director approval nurses will participate in phone triaging and charge nurse duties.