Job Description

The RPN role in the Department of Family and Community Medicine works within a changing environment and in inter-professional teams to advocate for and promote wellness while ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and ethical nursing care. As a member of the interprofessional primary care team, the RPN provides comprehensive primary care services to individuals and their families across the lifespan and supports health promotion and disease prevention initiatives in optimizing health for our patients and families. The RPN shares his/her knowledge and expertise with others and contributes to the advancement of nursing practice excellence. The RN continually enhances his/her practice and competencies through ongoing learning, education, experience, and reflective practice.

Responsibilities:

The primary role of the RPN is to provide holistic, evidence-based, culturally appropriate, patient-centered quality care in accordance with the College of Nurses of Ontario standards and Unity Health Toronto\xe2\x80\x99s mission, vision, values, and policies. The RPN optimizes the patient\xe2\x80\x99s experience and care outcomes by:

• Being accountable for one\xe2\x80\x99s decisions and professional practice.
• Establishing a therapeutic relationship with the patient.
• Providing autonomous nursing care with patients considered stable and with predictable outcomes.
• Collaborating with other members of the patient\xe2\x80\x99s care team.
• Coordinating and communicating patient care activities to optimize the patient\xe2\x80\x99s experience and care outcomes; and
• Collaborating and consulting with Registered Nurses and other members of the care team in the care of patients with increasing instability and unpredictability and, when necessary, safely transferring care to the Registered Nurse.

Patient Care area of responsibility Accountabilities:

• Acquires information to assess patient care and learning needs.
• Engages patients and families to assess the level of involvement of the patient/family in their care and integrates it into care planning.
• Develops a plan of care and integrate nursing activities with other inter-professional activities.
• Engages in critical inquiry and reflection to select evidence-based interventions.
• Organizes nursing care based on patient care needs and priorities.
• Provides ongoing care to clients of all ages, including assessments, counseling, screening, referrals, education, and follow-up within a primary care framework and guided by the RNAO Best Practice Guidelines;
• Initiates and co-manages appropriate nursing interventions and uses current knowledge trends to care for patients and/or monitors the ongoing therapy of clients with chronic stable illness.
• Performs telephone triage and monitoring within the clinical setting in consultation with RNs and duty.
• Performs a variety of medical procedures such as: immunizations, injections, dressing, ear syringing, liquid nitrogen treatments, and PAPs.
• Promotes self-management and behaviour change with our patients to address chronic diseases early in the disease cycle to prevent disease progression and reduce potential health complications.
• Collaborates with the client and family and the interprofessional team to develop health care plans and recommendations concerning treatment, prevention, and health promotion options.
• Anticipates and recognizes rapidly changing situations; and a patient\xe2\x80\x99s transition from stable to unstable, establishes priorities; and takes immediate appropriate action to collaborate and consult with the Registered Nurse.
• Provides health education using effective teaching strategies that consider the patient/family\xe2\x80\x99s learning needs, readiness, and motivation to learn.
• Collaborates with appropriate team members on patient care needs.
• Processes orders and seeks verification of orders from prescribers.
• Contributes to activities to facilitate care continuity and coordination; advocates for care needs to be met in most appropriate setting; and

Qualifications include:

Education/Certifications

• Successful completion of a Practical Nursing Diploma Program. Candidates who are currently working as an RPN at the Health Centre with a medication administration certificate will be considered.
• Current BLS Certificate
• Complete Course on Prevention and Management of Aggressive Behaviour (ie STOP HARM) within 6 months

Professional Registration

• Currently registered as a Registered Practical Nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario.

Required Experience

• A minimum of 2 years recent experience in a Primary Care/Family Practice, community or emergency nursing is required.
• Recent mental health nursing experience

Required Skills/Competencies

• Experience in a community primary care setting, preferably in an underserviced area, or in combination with community and hospital or public health settings
• Demonstrated ability, commitment to, and knowledge of primary health care with a focus on the provision of health promotion and disease prevention-related services as well as chronic disease management required.
• Demonstrated ability to work in an interprofessional team environment.
• Demonstrated experience in teaching and providing health education to individuals and in group settings; as well as to interprofessional learners (including residents and clinical clerks)
• Excellent computer skills and a minimum of 2 years\xe2\x80\x99 experience with an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Primary Care system or equivalent experience required.
• Strong assessment and triaging skills, acute care experience an asset.
• Clinical Skills in Well Women Care course an asset.
• Knowledge and proficiency in current, evidence-based methods and practices of primary care delivery
• Experience in group program development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent communication, decision-making, problem-solving, conflict management, and time management skills.
• Satisfactory attendance record

Unity Health Toronto