Department Overview

The Registered Nurse (RN) working as a member of an inter-disciplinary team is integral to Clinical Transplant Services. The RN functions as a liaison between the patients and staff members of the transplant team (physicians, social worker, financial counselor, psychiatrists, etc.) and has the primary responsibility for providing direct and indirect professional nursing care for patients. The RN functions as a liaison between the patients and staff members of the living donor and transplant team (physicians, social worker, financial counselor, psychiatrists, etc.) and has the primary responsibility for providing direct and indirect professional nursing care for potential and actual living donors. This responsibility includes the prospective donor categories of directed donor, non-directed/altruistic donor and paired exchange donor through multiple registries. The RN will screen and educate potential donors, direct the evaluation process, facilitate Committee Review, direct additional testing and update testing, and coordinate exchanges with the appropriate registry and other transplant programs. The RN provides outreach classes and community education around living donation. After donation, the RN is responsible for patient/family education, donor advocacy per regulatory requirements and discharge planning. After discharge, the RN is responsible for patient follow-up including clinic visits, diagnostic procedures, laboratory tests, education, and regulatory follow-up. accomplished through frequent contact with the patients and families, the physicians, and other team members. The RN assesses patient and family needs, develops a plan of care, implements and evaluates the care delivered, working closely with all members of the interdisciplinary team. The ILDA role includes representing and counseling the prospective living donor, protecting and promoting their interests, and respecting their decision and ensuring their decision is informed and free of coercion. This role also interacts with the donor through all phases of care and per regulatory requirements.

Function/Duties of Position

Coordinates the full continuum of the living donor process: screen and educate potential living donor candidates; direct evaluation process; maintain patient records; facilitate Committee Review; monitor post-op/recovery phase; comply with long term follow-up and reporting requirements.

Coordinates the full continuum of the Paired Exchange living donor process: screen and educate potential living donor candidates; direct evaluation process; maintain patient records; facilitate Committee Review; monitor post-op/recovery phase; comply with long term follow-up and reporting requirements. Works within specific Paired Exchange Program requirements: forms, education, records submission and registry data.

Independent Living Donor Advocate (ILDA) responsibilities: representing and counseling the prospective living organ donor, protecting and promoting the interests of the prospective living organ donor, respecting the prospective living organ donor's decision and ensuring the decision is informed and free of coercion. Documentation of all informed consent points. Detailed knowledge and understanding of the transplantation process but not involvement in recipient transplantation activities on a routine basis, except with respect to recipient education re: living donation.

Develop, coordinate, and implement changes in the nursing process as it relates to transplant; assume responsibility for professional/job related development; participate in program development if appropriate; incorporate quality improvement practices into performance; understands and incorporates regulatory changes into practice.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum requirements for all RNs
• Current, unencumbered Oregon RN license
• Current BLS required at time of hire with American Heart AssociationAssociate or Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from a program accredited by Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA)
• BSN preferred
• Associate Degree Nurses required to enroll in BSN program within 3 years of hire and complete within 5 years of hire.
• Minimum 3-5 years acute-care inpatient hospital nursing or ambulatory nursing.
• Able to triage and prioritize patient issues using critical thinking skills.
• Excellent written and verbal (incl. face-to-face) communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with attention to detail.
• Able to work as part of a team and to work independently and problem-solve.
• Able to work with frequent interruptions
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without accommodation

Preferred Qualifications

• Transplant nursing experience (inpatient or outpatient setting) strongly preferred.
• Ambulatory experience, preferred.

Additional Details

Usual Orientation Time:

• New Grads: N/A. This is not a position for a new grad
• Specialty Experience: 12-16 weeks
• Experience, but not in specialty area: 16-24 weeks

*Bonus Disclaimer: current RN employees at OHSU, Portland Adventist Medical Center or Hillsboro Medical Center are not eligible for the hiring bonus.

All are welcome