Job Responsibilities
Resource Person rotating to direct patient care.
The number of twelve hour shifts as Resource Person is related
to available of senior staff. It is a shared position that
bridges the doctors to all other members of the cardiology team,
thus enhancing a common goal of excellent healthcare.
Specific duties include monitoring admissions, discharges,
tests, interventions, future plan of care, staffing and
assignments.
Shifts rotate days/nights with a total of seven twelve-hour
shifts in two weeks. There is flexibility for staff who wish to
do all days or all nights.
In direct patient care the staff nurse works along with the
cardiologist and interventionist to identify, stop, reverse or
stabilize conditions of cardiovascular disease. Most of the
patients in our care are pre or post angiogram, angioplasty,
permanent pacemaker insertion, internal cardiac defibrillators
and bypass surgery. The staff nurse is also responsible for
ongoing assessment and reporting of complications.
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Job Requirements
Nurses with training and or experience in cardiovascular nursing
are preferred.
The CCN course is available at a number of colleges and teaching
hospitals in Toronto including on campus at Sunnybrook.
The course covers an indept study of the cardiovascular system
its related organs, diseases, complications, interventions,
medical treatment and nursing care.
Basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation is required. Nurses advance
to become Acute Cardiac Life Saving (ACLS) providers.
CCN classes are available on a part-time or full-time basis.
Educational funding is available and educational leave for those
who choose to be full-time students.
Educators hold post graduate degrees or are in the process of
obtaining them.
The workload is heavy but workable with a part-time job. I would
suggest nurses with a young family should do this course full-
time on education leave or part-time if not planning to work.
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Uppers
Although we work long hours we are required to travel to work only six or seven
of every fourteen days.
Our staff enjoy a flexible schedule.
Our Manager and Educator are constantly striving to meet the needs of patients
and the staff.
It is very rewarding to see patients who arrive with acute coronary syndrome,
minutes from death, able to walk around the Unit within twenty four hours post
rescue angioplasty and are looking forward to going home.
It is a pleasure to see the look on a patient's face when he or she is told
post angiogram that the coronart arteries are normal.
Most patients are grateful for the care they receive and will express this in
surveys, cards or tokens to the Unit.
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Downers
Abusive patients and or families.
There are protocols in place for this but one would wish neither
existed.
Working in a Unit that needs physical remodling or even better,
replacing.
The ever common problem of shortage of nurses frequently
resulting in increase workload or bed closures.
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Lifestyle
When its work its work. Not much time to do any thing else. But thats only
three or four days per week. Then there are three and some times up to six days
off.
Business travel is infrequent. An isolated trip to parts of Canada or the USA
escorting a patient and sometimes to peripheral hospitals when patients need to
return to their local hospital.
In any case all expences are covered by Sunnybrook and Women's.
Sunnybrook and Women's cater to a number of social events for it's employees.
There are Christmas parties, Nursing Week award events and treats, summer trips
and retreats, performance awards, length of service award dinners, gifts and
retirement parties.
Manageral staff adher to semi-formal to formal atire.
Doctors, nurses and technicians wear acceptable scrubs in patient care areas,
operating rooms,labs and outpatient departments. Auxillary staff are
expected to be in there specific uniforms.
Sunnybrook and Women's supports diversity in all forms. It is not bias to any
culture, race, religion or financial status. There are employees from all walks
of life. Most workers are friendly and helpful.
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Compensation
Presently our contract is under review. Starting salary is in the
mid twenties plus education bonus, evening and night shift
increments, twelve paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick
time.
Full-time employees enjoy full benefits and benefits can be
arranged for part-time workers.
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Advice to Jobseekers
Job opportunities are available and are posted for internal then
external applications.
Applicants who are qualified and committed are well on there way
to success.
As long as there are cardiac patients there will be job
opportunities. This Unit has not been affected by layoffs.
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