Covenant Health

Registered Nurse, Post-Surgical Unit

Full Time, 72 Hours Per Pay Period, Variable Shifts

Fort Sanders Regional Overview:

Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is an award-winning, certified, and accredited facility with 468 beds. As a Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center, Fort Sanders offers state-of-the art care that maximizes recovery from stroke.  We are also the region’s leader in technology in areas such as bariatric surgery, robotic surgery and minimally invasive spine surgery. Our door-to-balloon times for heart attack patients are below the national average, and our hip fracture center offers advanced diagnosis, surgery and recovery procedures for hip patients.

Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is a member of Covenant Health, a locally-owned, non-profit health system based in Knoxville, TN, with a “patient-focused” culture. It has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as its 2020 “Best-in-State-Employer” for Tennessee. The CEO of our company, Jim VanderSteeg, attends every new employee orientation and will ask you to sign our pledge of excellence to always put patients first, strive for excellence in everything we do, and make Covenant Health the first and best choice for patients in our region. As you’d expect, we offer our employees a robust benefits package, including: offering unmatched medical insurance, tuition reimbursement; student loan repayment assistance, certification bonuses; leadership and professional development programs; an employer-matched 401(k); and a generous Combined Time Off (CTO) program.

Department Description:

Working in the Post-Surgical Unit offers a deeply rewarding and enriching experience. Nurses in this unit provide care for patients recovering from a diverse range of surgical procedures, including abdominal, vascular, urological and general surgeries, as well as wound care and skin grafts. This environment presents frequent opportunities to engage with complex medical conditions and post-operative complications, fostering the development of advanced clinical judgment and critical thinking skills.

As a fast-paced unit with frequent admissions and discharges, strong time management and prioritization abilities are essential. Nurses play a pivotal role in guiding patients through their transition from surgery to recovery, often witnessing firsthand the profound impact of their care as patients regain strength and independence.

Collaboration is key, with close partnerships formed alongside surgeons, physical therapists, and other healthcare professionals. The unit also offers exposure to evolving surgical techniques and recovery protocols, making it an excellent setting for continuous learning and professional growth.

Experience in this unit can serve as a strong foundation for future roles in specialized areas such as Surgical Intensive Care Units (SICUs) and Post-Anesthesia Care Units (PACUs).

Position Summary:

Provides professional nursing care within an assigned unit; Coordinates care planning with other disciplines; Has the ability to lead and educate other nurses.

Recruiter: Lacey Spoon || apply@covhlth.com

• Correlates patient history and support systems within hospital care/nursing home care.
• Assesses needs of patient and family.
• Develops and initiates plan of care, involving patient and family.
• Recommends interventions.
• Evaluates plan of care.
• Clinical expertise and knowledge is such that individual can resolve complex patient/management/physician problems without supervision.
• Demonstrates competence in performing critical skills to include appropriate delivery of care according to the age-specific needs of the population served.
• Leads process improvement initiatives in their department or participates on a facility team. Provides leadership in the professional practice setting and the profession and serves as a mentor to nursing students and other nurses. Applies leadership concepts, skills, and decision making in the provision of high-quality nursing care and healthcare team coordination.
• Precepts new employees/students or attends formal preceptor workshop and is willing to precept. Reviews clinical performance of preceptee with unit leader or clinical instructor.
• Provides four contact hours of educational activities, excluding basic patient education.
• Contributes to development and evaluation of unit orientation program.
• Provides ongoing guidance and support to new nurses, with an emphasis on multicultural care.
• Supervises LPNs, Nursing Assistants, HUCs, Techs, and sitters. Directs and delegates support personnel in implementing the patient’s plan of care, provides guidance, and immediately intervenes with deviation standards of care.
• Has the ability to work across sister units within the facility.
• Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards. Completes required education assignments annually. Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Education:

Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) required.

Minimum Experience:

Minimum of three (3) years professional experience. 

Licensure Requirement:

Must have and maintain Tennessee State RN licensure. CPR required

RN license

RNRN