Nurse Anaesthetist (HPC/RN 4) – Mandeville Regional Hospital

Qualifications and Experience:

• Certificate/Diploma/B.Sc. in General Nursing and Certificate in Midwifery from accredited schools of Nursing and Midwifery. 
• Four (4) – Five (5) years of clinical practice to proficiency level as Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife incorporating acting responsibility in unit administration. 
• Registration with the Nursing Council of Jamaica as a Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife.
• MSc in Nurse Anaesthesia from a recognized institution. 

Specific Knowledge, Skills and Competencies:

• Excellent knowledge of the Professional Nursing Theories, Principles and Practices 
• Excellent knowledge of the Principles and Practices of Nurse Anaesthesia 
• Excellent knowledge of the Principles of Hospital Administration Techniques of modern management
• Excellent knowledge of the Nursing, health and related legislation 
• Excellent knowledge of the National Health and organizational Policy 
• Excellent knowledge of the Nurse Anaesthesia Principles and Practices 
• Excellent knowledge of the Fundamentals of Nursing 
• Knowledge of Life, Behavioural, Natural, Medical Sciences, Nutrition, Pharmacology, Therapeutics Research Methodology 
• Working knowledge of the Staff Orders and the Human Resource Policies and Procedures
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills 
• Good problem solving and decision-making skills. 
• Excellent planning and organizing skills. 
• Good teamwork and cooperation skills 

Key Responsibilities will include:

Technical 

• Interviewing patients and other family members to obtain an appropriate health history including biophysical and psychosocial data. 
• Observing and analyzing physical examination. 
• Conducting an appropriate physical examination. 
• Evaluating findings. 
• Recommending and/or requesting and evaluates pertinent diagnostic studies. 
• Determining nursing select medical or differential diagnosis and institute corrective measures.
• Referring cases beyond their scope of practice to the physician or anaesthesiologist for management.
• Assigning a physical status or risk and formulate a patient specific anaesthetic plan of care based on a comprehensive patient assessment, problem analysis and the anticipated surgical or therapeutic procedures.
• Obtaining informed, consent following discussion of anaesthetic options and risk with patient or legal guardian. 
• Selecting, orders and or administers pre-anaesthetic medication. 
• Completing records accurately and timely pertinent information eg. Pre-anaesthetic intervention and patient’s response. 
• Inducing and maintaining anaesthesia at required level – continuous assessment of patients, response to the anaesthetic and/ or surgical intervention and intervene as required to maintain patient in a satisfactory physiologic condition. 
• Performing tracheal intubation and extubation and provide mechanical ventilation when required.
• Monitoring patients’ ventilation, oxygenation, cardio-vascular status, body temperature and neuromuscular function utilizing state-of-the are monitoring devices. 
• Managing patients’ fluid, blood, electrolyte and acid-bas balance. 
• Recognizing abnormal patients; response, potential anaesthetic complications, take appropriate corrective action and request consultation whenever indicated. 

Administrative Responsibilities 

• Participating in planning and policymaking endeavours in health care. 
• Securing, prepares and provides basic safety checks on all equipment, monitor supplies and drugs used for the administration of anaesthesia. 
• Recommending staffing needs, material and supply management, fiscal and data management.
• Assisting with additional responsibilities requiring the expertise of the Nurse Anaesthetist. 

Quality Assessment 

• Departmental review, and problem-solving interventions. 

Teaching Responsibilities 

• Teaching patients, family and health related personnel in areas of expertise. 
• Participating in in-service education programmes in hospitals and training of personnel in pre and post-operative care of patients. 
• Allaying fear and anxiety that exist in the wider society about anaesthesia by dissemination of relevant information through dialogue with patients and their relatives with the use of print and electronic media 

SPECIAL CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE JOB

• Required to work beyond normal working hours. 
• Required to meet critical deadlines. 
• Exposure to confidential and sensitive information. 
• Exposure to malodorous, infectious body fluid from patients and some experience noxious smells from cleaning and sterilizing agents. 

NB. ONLY SHORTLISTED APPLICANTS WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED