General Summary

This role is considered the minimum role for all nurses at UMMC who have greater than 12 months experience. This nurse will be competent in the skills/knowledge required and fully participate in unit governance. He/she will practice and adhere to the guidelines specified in the UMMC Professional Nurse Job Charter. Independently provides and coordinates care provided to patients within a clinical specialty. Serves as a fully effective and participative member of the multidisciplinary patient care services team. Demonstrates and models the full range of nursing professional practice in both care provided and in participation in development of strategies to improve patient outcomes, satisfaction with service and cost effectiveness at the unit level. Is accountable to patients and families for the processes and outcomes of care during an episode of care. Is accountable to peers for the advancement of group practice on the unit, and to the nurse manager for the totality of work performance.

Orthopedic Acute Care is one of 12 units in the world renowned R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. STC Orthopedic Acute Care is a 12 bed telemetry- capable acute care/ medical-surgical unit that provides high quality care to medically complex post-operative patients. As a specialty focused unit, STC Orthopedic Acute Care provides staff with the unique opportunity to treat both surgically- integrate elective surgical patients, as well as critically-stable trauma patients. Patients on the STC Orthopedic Acute Care unit require frequent monitoring and high-level nursing interventions. STC Orthopedic Acute Care offers experience with cardiac monitoring, detailed assessments, post-operative wound/ dressing care, drain care, medication management, and in-depth collaborative patient care planning. Staff on this unit are empowered and highly encouraged to drive change on the unit, as well as within the organization through evidence-based practice and continued engagement within the organizational shared governance model. The STC Orthopedic Acute Care Unit offers consistent opportunity for continued growth and development, both professionally and clinically.

Patients on this unit are admitted with a variety of diagnoses and/or mechanisms of injury, providing vast learning opportunities.