Job Summary
Registered Nurse - Clinic at Meeker Memorial Hospital and Clinics provides comprehensive, professional nursing care to patients in a clinic setting, often exercising significant autonomy to manage a wide range of medical conditions for a diverse patient population. Responsibilities include recording patient histories, taking vital signs, administering medications, and explaining treatment and/or exam procedures. May assist physician in exams, tests and treatments. The Registered Nurse -Clinic is key to providing support for our providers, safe care for our patients, strengthening operational quality, and ultimately improving patient outcomes while serving as a teacher, advocate, and navigator for patients and families.
Essential Job Functions
Job functions are those tasks, duties, and responsibilities that comprise the means of accomplishing the job’s purpose and objectives. Job functions are critical or fundamental to the performance of the job. They are the major functions for which the person in the job is held accountable.
Patient Assessment & Monitoring
- Taking histories, vital signs, performing physical exams, and monitoring acute or chronic conditions.
Treatments
- Administering medications, vaccinations, IVs, and providing complex wound care.
- Clinical Care: Performs patient assessments, records medical histories, administers medications, and manages treatments such as wound care and IV therapies.
Procedures
- Assisting with minor procedures and running basic lab tests.
Emergency Response
- Stabilizing patients with acute issues or injuries before potential transfer to other facilities.
Health Education
- Teaching patients about managing chronic diseases (like blood sugar), hygiene, diet, and preventive care.
Care Coordination
- Connecting patients with community resources, housing assistance, or social services.
Community Health
- Promoting wellness and addressing needs unique to the rural population.
Documentation
- Accurate charting in EHRs, adhering to RHC (rural health clinic) and Medicare/Medicaid guidelines.
Quality Assurance
- Participating in quality improvement initiatives and reporting.
Community Knowledge
- Understanding the local cultural context and resources.
Chronic Disease Management
- Assists patients with long-term conditions like diabetes and hypertension through monitoring and lifestyle education.
Patient Education
- Teaches patients and families about home care, medication use, and health maintenance to bridge literacy gaps.
Other duties as assigned and trained
- Triage
- Anticoag
- Medication Prior Authorization Medication Refills
- TCM Phone Calls
- Medicare Wellness Visits
- Other duties within scope of practice.
Other
- Successfully demonstrates professional nursing skills, competencies, and expected outcomes as required for a MMHC Registered Nurse.
- Pursues programs of continuing education consistent with requirements of Minnesota Board of Nursing.
- Participates in educational conferences and in-services, and maintains professional knowledge and skills related to the areas of responsibility.
- Understands, accepts, and abides by the code of professional nurses.
Note: This job description does not state or imply that the above are the only duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Employees holding this position may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this job description.
Minimum Qualifications
- Associate's degree (A. A.) or equivalent from an accredited school of nursing, BSN preferred.
- Prefer six months to one-year related experience and/or training.
- CPR Certification Required
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs)
- Broad Clinical Knowledge: Understanding of nursing practices across pediatrics, gerontology, cardiology, and emergency medicine.
- Awareness of healthcare policies, regulations, and legal/ethical standards, including patients’ rights and privacy regulations ( like HIPAA)
- Understanding of infection control protocols and safety procedures
- Community Resources: Knowledge of local social services, transportation options, and specialty referral networks essential for patients with limited local access.
- High-Level Assessment & Triage: Ability to quickly prioritize patient care and determine if a patient requires immediate transfer to a higher-level facility.
- Technical Proficiency: Advanced use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) and telehealth platforms to bridge gaps between rural clinics and distant specialists.
- Patient Education: Tailoring complex medical information for families with varying health literacy levels to manage chronic conditions at home.
- Emergency Interventions: Proficiency in life-saving procedures (CPR, AED, wound care) while waiting for transport or additional assistance.
- Clinical Skills: Performing patient assessments, including monitoring vital signs and conducting physical examinations. Administering medications safely and accurately, including dosage calculations. Wound care and other clinical procedures. Basic life support and first aid.
- Time Management and Organization: Effective time management, prioritization, and problem-solving skills.
- Adaptability and Flexibility: Adapting to changing workloads, and healthcare environments. Embracing new technologies and evolving healthcare. Flexibility to change, adapt to new or unusual situations.
- Attention to detail- Being precise and meticulous in administering medications, documenting information, and performing procedures to ensure patient safety and prevent errors. Documenting in the EHR with accuracy, timeliness, and following MMHC standards.
- Cultural Competence: Providing care that respects patients’ diverse cultural backgrounds, beliefs, and values. Acknowledging and addressing unconscious biases to deliver equitable care.
- Ability to work independently and meet the demands of a rural hospital/clinic environment.
- Skilled at incorporating AIDET into professional practice.
- Knowledge of role in patient confidentiality and protecting patient information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure as defined by HIPAA.
- Ability to respond quickly and decisively to emergency situations, while participating in shelter-in-place and disaster response protocols.
- Ability to work with interdisciplinary teams, communicating effectively with patients, families, and healthcare providers.
- Ability to demonstrate the knowledge and skills essential for providing care to specific patient populations.
- Ability to lift, move, and position patients and equipment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Knowledge of the principles and practices of primary care nursing or community health settings preferred.
- Previous experience in caring for chronic disease patients preferred
- Previous experience with mobilizing community resources, navigating patients through the healthcare continuum, and working with disparate populations preferred.
- Basic phlebotomy skills preferred
- Previous experience in a Critical Access Hospital/Clinic.
- Knowledge of CAH-specific regulations and rural health challenges.
Licenses & Certifications
- Maintains license as RN in the state of Minnesota.
- Maintains current AED/CPR certification.
- X-ray Operators license, or willingness to obtain.
Computer Skills
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook), secure messaging applications, and collaborative tools (e.g.) Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace. Proficient with Paycom and other Information Systems applicable to position, including knowledge of Emergency Preparedness Websites/MNTraInternet software; order entry and order processing systems and ability to thoroughly document clinical services, maintain accurate patient records, and effectively utilize electronic health record (EHR) systems i.e. EPIC.
Reasoning & Critical Thinking
Apply logical problem-solving and decision-making skills in complex situations. Make sound decisions in real time, often under pressure (early warning signs, inconsistencies, potential complications) using critical thinking. - Analyze patient data, identifying issues, and making sound clinical judgements. Evaluate multiple approaches and propose innovative solutions with sound judgement. Able to work independently with limited supervision.
Language & Communication Skills
Adapt tone, style, and messaging for diverse audiences and contexts. Ability to write high quality drafts, proposals, reports, and presentations. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one meetings as well as small and larger groups, i.e. employees, customers, vendors, community organizations, etc. Collaborate across departments to relay messages and coordinate care smoothly.
Mathematics & Analytical Abilities
Ability to accurately perform basic mathematical calculations in all units of measure using whole numbers, common fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations and in analysis of quality assurance data. Ability to understand bar graphs and other visual representations of data. Accurately record and interpret clinical measurements. Use EMR systems and care documentation tools to analyze data trends and support treatment.
Standards of Employment
- Understand and adhere to MMHC’s compliance standards as outlined in MMHC’s Compliance Program.
- Attend all mandatory education programs and demonstrate proficiency related to general safety and regulatory compliance.
- Attend all department-specific training, and demonstrate proficiency related to safety and job-related hazards.
- Understand and follow MMHC procedures for exposure control / blood borne and airborne pathogens.
- Comply with all relevant MMHC policies, procedures, guidelines, and all other regulatory standards and requirements.
- Attire is neat, clean, and appropriate for the work environment and according to MMHC policies.
- Wear proper identification while on duty.
- Maintain confidentiality of all MMHC and patient information at all times.
- Report to work on time and maintain defined standards for attendance.
- Attend mandatory meetings.
- Able to perform essential job duties that meet job performance expectations and organizational standards while upholding MMHC mission and values.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and taste or smell. The employee must frequently lift and/or move (push/pull) up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds. Lifting/and or moving of more than 35 pounds shall require the use of an assistive device or team member assist. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Ability to meet physical demands of rural hospital/clinic work, including during emergency situations and/or disaster protocols.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts; needles or sharps; the challenges of variable hours, shifting resources, and work situations inherent in CAH/rural settings; Hazards and/or Biohazard Medications; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; outside weather conditions; risk of electric shock and radiation; bloodborne pathogens and exposed to latex. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Proficiency in utilizing electronic health records (EHR) systems for documenting patient information and accessing relevant data.
