Job Summary: The LifeFlight Flight Nurse applies the nursing process to plan and implement the care of patients, including patient and family education and continuum of care planning. Effectively communicates pertinent patient/family information to the health care team. Collaborates in establishing patient goals and evaluates progress to ensure effective outcomes. Furthers professional growth by engaging in learning activities according to the Board of Nursing standards.
Vanderbilt LifeFlight is nationally-recognized for our advanced set of protocols and our flight medicine practitioners' generous scope of practice including:
Chest tube insertion
Central line insertion
Surgical airways
Pericardiocentesis
Rapid sequence intubation
Department/Unit Summary
Vanderbilt LifeFlight is Tennessee's premiere air medical transport program, providing service via helicopters, a fixed wing aircraft and ground ambulances. Our team has an accident-free safety record since its inception in 1984. We are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Trauma Systems (CAMTS) and and are an IFR program. Our aircraft fleet includes the following: EC145, EC-135, and EC-130. Our fixed-wing aircraft is a Pilatus PC-12.
We transport to all Nashville hospitals and have immediate access to the region's only Level I Trauma Center, Burn Center and Children's Hospital, all at Vanderbilt. Our helicopters will carry a Nurse/MD, Nurse/Nurse or Nurse/Paramedic team. LifeFlight nurses have an average of 10 years of experience in emergency and/or critical care.
Position Shift:
Our flight medicine personnel normally work one 24-hour shift and one 12-hour shift per week. We use self-scheduling to offer you the flexibility to enhance your work/life balance.
$20,000 SIGN ON BONUS for eligible new hires (former employees must be separated from Vanderbilt University Medical Center for a period of more than 12 months to be eligible). $15,000 relocation stipend for eligible new hires.
Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:
Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded and your abilities challenged. It is a place where your diversity -- of culture, thinking, learning and leading -- is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt's mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.
View how Vanderbilt Health employees celebrate the difference they make every day:
Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:
Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. It is a place where your diversity -- of culture, thinking, learning and leading -- is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt's mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.
Our Nursing Philosophy:
We believe highly skilled and specialized nursing care is essential to Vanderbilt University Medical Center's mission of quality in patient care, education and research. We believe nursing is an applied art and science focused on helping people, families and communities reach excellent health and well-being.
As a Vanderbilt University Medical Center employee, you make a difference to our patients and their families by bringing compassion and care to those in need of hope and healing. Please see our current employee benefits offered:
Affordable High Quality Health Plan Options
Dental and /or vision plan
403 (b) retirement plan
Paid Time off (flex PTO)
Tuition Reimbursement and adoption assistance (maximums applied)
Collaborates in establishing the plan of care, coordinates and implements care delivery while anticipating patient care needs across the continuum.
Analyzes comprehensive information pertinent to the patient's care and management to determine nursing diagnosis.
Continually utilizes the nursing process to evaluate patient's progress towards goals and applies appropriate interventions to ensure effective outcomes.
Employs strategies to promote health and a safe and healthy environment.
The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.
TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES:
NURSING PATIENT ASSESSMENT & EVALUATION (NOVICE):- Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency to successfully demonstrate the ability to assess and evaluate patients in practical applications of moderate difficulty. Conducts primary care patient interviews and physical examinations. Demonstrates sufficient acumen to recognize problems, ask questions and to contact the patient's primary care provider and other members of the healthcare team. Has experience in gathering pertinent clinical data that aid in referral, treatment, or other primary care pathways.
CARE PLANNING (NOVICE):- Demonstrates ability to anticipate resource needs, identify distinct tasks, set priorities, schedule activities, meet deadlines, and organize work within areas of direct responsibility. Competently handles multiple assignments often simultaneously by prioritizing work into manageable and measurable units. Ability to adapt to changes to patient care and area needs with minimal disruption and loss of productivity. Follows up to assure problems and issues are resolved.
NURSING PATIENT EDUCATION (NOVICE):- Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency in providing patient education in practical applications of moderate difficulty.
EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE (NOVICE):- Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency to successfully search for evidence to answer clinical questions. Generally works under the direction of others while accomplishing assignments.
CORE ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Organizational Impact: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance.
Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment.
Breadth of Knowledge: Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area.
Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members.
CORE CAPABILITIES:
SUPPORTING COLLEAGUES (P2):
Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance and gain knowledge in new areas.
Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.
Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences.
DELIVERING EXCELLENT SERVICES (P2):
Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.
Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.
Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness.
ENSURING HIGH QUALITY (P2):
Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.
Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them.
Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring.
MANAGING RESOURCES EFFECTIVELY (P2):
Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.
Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.
Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities.
FOSTERING INNOVATION (P2):
Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.
Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.
Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.
Basic Qualifications
Requirements:
3 years of experience in Emergency Room or ICU or a combination of three years in both
Advanced Nursing Certification (CEN, CCRN or CFRN)
BLS
ACLS
EMT-P or EMT (For experienced flight personnel from a state not requiring, VUMC will pay for a bridge program that must be obtained by the start date)
Heavy Work category requiring exertion of 50 to 100 lbs. of force occasionally and/or up to 20 to 50 lbs. of force frequently and/or up to 10 to 20 lbs. of force continually to move objects.
Movement
Occasional: Sitting: Remaining in seated position
Occasional: Lifting over 35 lbs: Raising and lowering objects from one level to another, includes upward pulling over 35 lbs, with help of coworkers or assistive device
Occasional: Carrying under 35 lbs: Transporting an object holding in hands, arms or shoulders, with help of coworkers or assistive device.
Occasional: Bending/Stooping: Trunk bending downward and forward by bending spine at waist requiring full use of lower extremities and back muscles
Occasional: Climbing: Ascending or descending stairs/ramps using feet and legs and/or hands and arms.
Occasional: Kneeling:Bending legs at knees to come to rest on knee or knees.
Occasional: Crouching/Squatting: Bending body downward and forward by bending legs and spine.Reaching above shoulders: Extending arms in any direction above shoulders.
Occasional: Reaching above shoulders: Extending arms in any direction above shoulders.
Frequent: Standing: Remaining on one's feet without moving.
Frequent: Walking: Moving about on foot.
Frequent: Lifting under 35 lbs: Raising and lowering objects under 35 lbs from one level to another
Frequent: Push/Pull: Exerting force to move objects away from or toward.
Frequent: Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing, crouching or maneuvering self, patient and equipment simultaneously while working in large and small spaces
Frequent: Reaching below shoulders: Extending arms in any direction below shoulders.
Frequent: Handling: Seizing, holding, grasping, turning or otherwise working with hand or hands.
Frequent: Fingering: Picking, pinching, gripping, working primarily with fingers requiring fine manipulation.
Frequent: Bimanual Dexterity: Requiring the use of both hands.
Sensory
Frequent: Communication: Expressing or exchanging written/verbal/electronic information.
Continuous: Auditory: Perceiving the variances of sounds, tones and pitches and able to focus on single source of auditory information
Continuous: Vision: Clarity of near vision at 20 inches or less and far vision at 20 feet or more with depth perception, peripheral vision, color vision.
Continuous: Smell: Ability to detect and identify odors.
Continuous: Feeling: Ability to perceive size, shape, temperature, texture by touch with fingertips.
Environmental Conditions
Occasional: Chemicals and Gasses: Medications, cleaning chemicals, oxygen, other medical gases used in work area.
Frequent: Pathogens: Risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other contagious illnesses.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center is home to Vanderbilt University Hospital, The Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital and the Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital. These hospitals experienced more than 61,000 inpatient admissions during fiscal year 2015. Vanderbilt’s adult and pediatric clinics treated nearly 2 million patients during this same period. Vanderbilt University Hospital and the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt are recognized again this year by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals as among the nation’s best with 18 nationally ranked specialties. Vanderbilt University Medical Center is world renowned because of the innovation, work ethic and collegiality of its employees. From our health care advances to our compassionate care, Vanderbilt owes its accomplishments and reputation to staff and faculty who bring skill and drive and innovation to the medical center day after day. World-leading academic departments and comprehensive centers of excellence pursue scientific discoveries and transformational educational and clinical advances across the entire spectrum of health and disease.As t...he largest employer in middle Tennessee, we welcome those who are interested in ongoing development in a caring, culturally sensitive and professional atmosphere. Most of us spend so much of our lives at work, we want to be part of maintaining a workplace in which people support one another and encourage reaching for excellence. Many high-achieving employees stay at Vanderbilt because of the professional growth they experience and because of their appreciation of Vanderbilt’s benefits, public events and discussions, athletic opportunities, beautiful setting and, above all, sense of community and purpose.Vanderbilt and its employees share a set of mutual expectations that have been created with productivity, legality, fairness and safety always in mind. We believe that our investment in training and compensating employees multiplies in value when we enable individuals to deliver their best performance for the benefit of us all.
