GREENSBORO, N.C., July 31, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prophecy Healthcare® – l eader in healthcare competency – conducted validation workshops during the past two consecutive months in preparation for an August release of new Operating Room (OR) and Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) RN exams. Using exams during the hiring process, with validated content linked to job role responsibilities of healthcare positions, directly correlates to improving quality of patient care.
The upcoming release of the OR RN and PACU RN assessments are exciting additions to Prophecy's comprehensive nursing assessment library . The content validation process takes the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (1978) and applies them to the development of these assessments.
Validation workshops were held in Texas with a partnering facility. The two-phase development process started with an in-depth Job Analysis where 20 Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) provided a series of ratings for key job duties/tasks and specific knowledge, skills, and abilities expected of healthcare professionals on the first day of the job. The SMEs then developed a test plan and wrote items for the exams.
Overseeing the implementation of the research and revision process , Leslie Jeffries RN, BSN, Director of Clinical Validation, shared, "From personal experience as a patient, I've been overcome by the anxious feelings associated with preparation for surgery. While under and recovering from anesthesia, the OR and PACU nurses serve as advocate ensuring that the patient's safety is maintained . It takes a high level of trust to completely rely on other individuals as you go through any surgical procedure. And, these two specialties are an integral part of the healthcare delivery system, considering over 50 million inpatient surgeries were performed last year alone. Hospitals and surgical departments can rest assured that Prophecy will be delivering the most comprehensive, pre-employment job knowledge assessments for OR and PACU RN's, anywhere in the industry."
OR RN Assessments
The Operating Room RN is an invaluable member of the peri-operative multidisciplinary team, working collaboratively with surgeons, anesthesiologists, surgical technologists, and nursing teams. This specialty requires the OR RN to possess many specific competencies related to care of the surgical patient. Some of these include:
- comprehensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology,
- surgical scrub technique,
- circulating nurse responsibilities,
- proper patient positioning,
- safety measures for both patient and staff in the OR,
- nursing process in care plan management for surgical patients,
- a wide variety of equipment,
- ethical and legal issues related to OR nursing practice,
There are very few areas in the health care delivery system, where a patient relies so heavily on the nurse serving as the advocate for them.
PACU RN Assessments
After most surgical procedures in the acute care or ambulatory setting, the patient awakens after anesthesia, and is greeted by the PACU RN. This specialty is sometimes referred to as "recovery." PACU RN's care for a wide variety of patients, from pediatrics to the elderly. These specialized RN's provide care to patients as they are regaining consciousness from anesthesia, and possess a depth of knowledge in:
- anesthesia,
- respiratory instability/pulmonary support,
- hemodynamic monitoring
- anatomy & physiology
- pharmacology, especially in anesthetics, reversals, and antibiotics,
- pain management
- ECG monitors, including dysrhythmia interpretation
PACU RNs must be acutely aware of the many side effects of anesthesia being prepared to intervene as appropriate in each patient scenario. In addition, excellent communication skills are required of PACU nurses especially during transition of the patient to the next level of care.
Prophecy encourages other facilities to show their commitment to patient safety by becoming Prophecy Certified Validation Partners - providing high caliber pre-screening assessment tools for the healthcare industry one specialty at a time.
About Prophecy Healthcare®
Originally founded in 2004 as NurseTesting.com, Prophecy Healthcare got its start as the first online Pre-Employment Testing Company exclusive to the Healthcare Industry. Initially focusing solely on clinical assessments measuring clinical competencies, efforts to exceed industry expectations led to isolating critical competencies missed in traditional testing initiatives, such as stress tolerance, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. The Prophecy approach offers the ability to find candidates with the clinical hard skills, personality attributes, and desired soft skills to match each organization. For more information about Prophecy, visit http://www.prophecyhealth.com or call 336.802.1070.
Meredith Juengel Director of Relationship Management (336)802-1070 ext 722
