The Clinical Nurse is an engaged and credentialed member of the Professional Nursing Organization and is responsible for autonomous practice directed by the professional tenets of practitioner, leader/decision maker, scientist and transferor. The Clinical Nurse is responsible for utilizing the nursing process to provide evidence-based care and to continuously monitor and evaluate practice to ensure safe passage of patients that is in the best interest of populations served.

Neuroscience: EMU/ENT/Stroke is a 31-bed Medical-Surgical level and epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU). The primary patient population includes neurology, neurosurgery, and ear, nose and throat (ENT) patients. Neuroscience/ENT provides specialized nursing care for patients with: strokes, epilepsy, brain and/or spinal cord tumors/injuries, movement disorders, laryngectomies and tracheotomies.

Our unit has a diverse patient population which provides an excellent learning environment to build a foundation for professional growth. We have a team approach and have a very active shared governance and practice area council. With the support of our clinical nurse supervisors and nurse educator, we provide a Neuro-specific learning environment for initial and continuous professional development with opportunities to cross-train amongst the neuro units.

The unit trains our nurses to provide specialty care allowing them to grow as nurses and advance their clinical skills. Dartmouth Health neuro nurses work across the continuum collaboratively with our Stroke Program to maintain our status as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, receiving annual education and training to care for the sickest stroke patients. Our Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) provides the highest level of monitoring for patients with seizures and epilepsy, including scalp and intracranial electrodes, and post-op care following epilepsy surgery. EMU nurses gain additional subspecialty education, and those with a deeper interest can participate in the AANN Certificate Program for the Seizure and Epilepsy Professional. We encourage our nurses to become ABNN certified as CNRN or SCRN and obtain Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS).

1. Practitioner
2. Utilizes the nursing process to assess, diagnose, identify outcomes, plan, implement and evaluate an individualized plan of care.
3. Utilizes critical thinking and the nursing process to anticipate and recognize changes in patient status, taking action to modify the plan of care or to elevate to the care team as necessary.
4. Practices in accordance with the ANA Code of Ethics to advocate for patients, uphold their autonomy in decision-making, ensure informed consent and assist patients in families in expressing self-determination.
5. Actively seeks feedback and acts to improve performance.
6. Engages in the governance of practice.
7. Leader/Decision Maker
8. Manages interpersonal relationships for self and with others.
9. Mentors colleagues for the advancement of nursing practice and the profession.
10. Assumes authority and accountability for the nursing care of patients while appropriately delegating elements of care to others members of the care delivery team in accordance with laws, regulations and policies and procedures.
11. Prioritizes and organizes time to optimize patient outcomes.
12. Scientist
13. Actively seeks out the most current evidence and standards and applies and translates to daily practice.
14. Role models a culture of inquiry, developing new knowledge by contributing to research, quality improvement, and evidence-based practice at the local level.
15. Transferor
16. Communicates effectively in a variety of formats in all areas of practice.
17. Actively partners with others to effect change that produces positive outcomes through the exchange of knowledge.
18. Precepts the student nurse, nurse extern, nurse resident, experienced clinical nurse and other members of the healthcare team.
19. Performs other duties as required or assigned.

• Graduate from an accredited Nursing Program required.                                          

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN) preferred. 

• Licensed RN with NH eligibility
• BLS