RN Poison Center

Overview

UnityPoint-Poison Control Center

Full-Time ONSITE

Day/Evening Shifts & Every 3rd Weekend

Provides telephone triage, assessment, management and follow-up advice for the Iowa public and health care providers.  Promotes public and professional education in the field of toxicology.

Why UnityPoint Health?

At UnityPoint Health, you matter. We’re proud to be recognized as a Top 150 Place to Work in Healthcare by Becker's Healthcare several years in a row for our commitment to our team members.  

Our competitive Total Rewards program offers benefits options that align with your needs and priorities, no matter what life stage you’re in.  Here are just a few:      

• Expect paid time off, parental leave, 401K matching and an employee recognition program.   

• Dental and health insurance, paid holidays, short and long-term disability and more. We even offer pet insurance for your four-legged family members.  

• Early access to earned wages with Daily Pay, tuition reimbursement to help further your career and adoption assistance to help you grow your family.   

With a collective goal to champion a culture of belonging where everyone feels valued and respected, we honor the ways people are unique and embrace what brings us together.   

And, we believe equipping you with support and development opportunities is a vital part of delivering an exceptional employment experience. 

Find a fulfilling career and make a difference with UnityPoint Health.

Responsibilities

Telephone Consultation and Data Collection

• Works under minimal supervision to provide clinical information and case management advice for telephone calls received by the Iowa Poison Control Center (IPCC).
• Obtains pertinent information from the caller to assess the seriousness of the situation and the caller's level of understanding/state of mind and independently determine whether the situation can be handled by the IPCC or whether the patient should be seen by a health care provider.
• Utilizes appropriate resources (Poisindex®, triage and clinical guidelines, reference books, on-call toxicologist) in the triage and management of poisoned/overdosed patients.
• Provides follow-up calls with callbacks as needed to ascertain patient status, symptom resolution, compliance with recommended therapy, and where appropriate, status after discharge.
• Delivers high quality care while demonstrating knowledge and skills of clinical toxicology in accordance with established policies, procedures and standards of care.
• Utilizes critical thinking in making independent judgments, and maintains responsibility and accountability for the knowledge required to manage the wide variety of poisonings encountered.
• Promptly completes documentation to assure an accurate legal record of patient’s care utilizing the IPCC’s computerized medical record system.
• Assures data collected is compliant with National Poison Data System (NPDS) coding requirements and allows quality assurance review of information obtained and provided.
• Provides a high-level customer service at every level.
• Conduct daily peer case review and uses results of quality improvement activities to initiate change.

Development and Public and Professional Education

• Maintains sufficient skill, knowledge, education and experience to provide poison information to the public, healthcare providers, and public health agencies.
• Participates in outreach education efforts as assigned.
• Maintains status as a Certified Specialist in Poison Information (CSPI).
• Participates in training of pharmacy, medical or nursing students, as appropriate or assigned.
• Writes and edits articles for monthly newsletter.
• Assists in orienting, training, instructing and/or supervising new staff and students.
• Attends required case review sessions, in-services and staff meetings.

Qualifications

• Education:  Graduate of accredited nursing program.
• Experience: Minimum 5 years experience in critical care or emergency department nursing. Or other acute care experience (e.g. critical access hospital) required.
• License/Certifications: Current licensure in good standing to practice as a Registered Nurse in Iowa. Successfully completes Certified Specialist in Poison Information (CSPI) examination within three (3) exam administrations after becoming eligible.  Certification must be renewed every seven years.
• Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: Ability to multi-task. Demonstrate ability to quickly learn and interpret toxicology related information. Strong prioritizing and organizational skills. Critical thinking skills using independent judgment in making decisions and knows when to ask for assistance. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to use computers and computer systems; the Internet and several simultaneous applications. Writes, reads, comprehends and speaks fluent English. Micromedex databases. Standard office, knowledge of Microsoft Windows PC environment. Computer literature search and basic data management skills. Ability to sit for long periods of time on the telephone in front of computer. Full use of upper extremities.