Job Title: Critical Care Nurse (CCN)
Job Summary
The Critical Care Nurse is a specialized Registered Nurse responsible for providing advanced, life-sustaining care to critically ill or unstable patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), High Dependency Unit (HDU), or Emergency Department. This role demands expert clinical assessment skills, the ability to operate complex medical equipment, and the capacity to make quick, precise decisions in high-pressure situations, while adhering to the standards of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Zambia (NMCZ).
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Patient Assessment & Monitoring: Conduct comprehensive, age-specific assessments of patients' physical, psychosocial, and spiritual status. Continuously monitor vital signs, interpret diagnostic test results, and detect subtle changes in patient conditions to determine the need for immediate intervention.
- Life-Sustaining Interventions: Administer complex medications and intravenous fluids, manage mechanical ventilation and other life-support equipment, and perform therapeutic or diagnostic procedures as ordered by physicians.
- Emergency Response: Respond rapidly and effectively to medical emergencies, initiating resuscitation and advanced life support protocols.
- Equipment Management: Set up, monitor, and troubleshoot specialized medical equipment, including ventilators, cardiac monitors, infusion pumps, and hemodynamic monitoring systems.
- Collaboration & Care Planning: Collaborate closely with physicians and multidisciplinary teams (e.g., respiratory therapists, social workers) to develop, implement, and revise individualized care plans that achieve optimal patient outcomes.
- Documentation & Record-Keeping: Maintain accurate, detailed, and up-to-date patient records, including assessments, interventions, outcomes, and patient responses to treatment, for medico-legal purposes and continuity of care.
- Patient & Family Support: Provide education, support, and empathy to patients and their families during highly stressful and challenging times, acting as a patient advocate and translating complex medical information simply.
- Quality Improvement: Participate in quality improvement initiatives, clinical audits, and the development/review of nursing practice protocols to enhance patient safety and care delivery processes.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Education: A Diploma or Bachelor of Science in Nursing from a recognized institution is required. A post-basic Advanced Diploma or Bachelor's degree in Critical Care Nursing is highly desirable/often required.
- Registration & Licensing: Must be fully registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Zambia (NMCZ) and possess a valid practicing license.
- Experience: A minimum of 2-3 years of post-graduation work experience in a critical care setting (ICU, HDU, or ER) is typically required.
- Certifications: Current certifications in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) are essential.
- Skills:
- Strong clinical judgment, critical thinking, and decisive problem-solving abilities.
- Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to remain calm, composed, and effective under intense pressure.
- High emotional intelligence, empathy, and compassion for patients and families.
- Computer literate for basic record-keeping and data management
