Staff Registered Nurse- Surgery

At Houston Methodist, the Staff Registered Nurse (RN) position is responsible for functioning at the Competent to Proficient stage of Benner's model of clinical practice. The Staff RN position provides professional nursing care to a diverse patient population, conducts nursing assessments, assists with exams and treatment, clinical triage, patient education, and maintenance of medical records. The Staff RN position provides direct patient care effectively and efficiently which may include patients with varied and complex needs. This position communicates and collaborates with the physicians and interprofessional health care team to facilitate, coordinate, and maintain compassionate, efficient, quality care and achievement of desired treatment outcomes, during and after care. The Staff RN position demonstrates clinical competence when providing care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures, and managing emergencies, acting as a patient and family advocate in order to monitor and maintain patient rights. This position uses leadership skills/clinical judgment in coordinating patient care and directing/delegating activities of the patient care clinical team. with progressive responsibility including but not limited to serving as preceptor to new employees and contributing to initiatives in partnership with management.

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Uses therapeutic communication, which includes active listening and teaching, to establish a relationship with patients, families and interprofessional health care team to collaborate on the plan of care.

• Contributes to teamwork by awareness of patient flow, consistently offering assistance, and responding positively to requests for assistance. Collaborates to foster healthy relationships in the work environment. Seeks guidance from and offers guidance to the interprofessional health care team, when appropriate, and applies feedback to improve patient outcomes.

• Implements staff education specific to patient populations and department processes, coaches and mentors other staff and students. May include preceptorship. Uses peer-to-peer accountability towards improvement of department score for employee engagement, i.e., peer-to-peer accountability.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Follows the patient and family-centered care standards, as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document. Conducts nursing assessments, assists with exams and treatment, and maintenance of medical records. Practices in a manner that is congruent with cultural diversity and inclusion principles.

• Advocates on patient/family's behalf to identify and resolve clinical and ethical concerns, utilizing appropriate resources, coordinating with the interprofessional team to facilitate a holistic and goal-oriented approach to care across the continuum that meets the patient's physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs.

• Monitor and effectively manage the electronic health record for incoming and outgoing electronic communication, that includes but not limited to patient medical advice requests and refill requests, that directly impact patient care plans.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Follows the standards related to the nursing process, regulatory requirements and professional practice as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document. Identifies areas of practice improvements with research-based evidence to achieve quality measures and patient safety outcomes, supported by accurate documentation and patient teaching.

• Provides and modifies care to complex patients and coordinates care with the interprofessional team based on evaluation of the patient's condition, supported by accurate documentation. Utilizes clinical judgement, using an evidence-based analytical approach.

• Improves quality and safety scores, through peer-to-peer accountability, reporting near misses, and collaborating with the interprofessional health care team.

• Operates all required equipment and machinery accurately and safely, prepares, assembles, and sterilizes instruments and supplies according to parameters of sterilization in accordance with The Department of Health, TJC, OSHA, CDC, AAMI and AORN standards. Maintains appropriate records, and monitors quality control and infection control standards. Provides asset management and support of surgical instruments and trays belonging to or consigned to the facility.

• Prepare equipment and assist the provider during treatment, examination and testing of patients. Ensure exam rooms are stocked, neat and orderly. Clean, sterilize and test medical equipment.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Displays self-motivation to independently manage time effectively, timely document care, minimize incidental overtime, and prioritize daily tasks. Provides input into department resource utilization including capital and operational budget needs.

• Contributes towards meeting department financial targets through optimizing efficiency and other areas according to department specifications.

• Maintain storage of patient products in a neat and orderly fashion, work to maximize theeffectiveness of the clinical spaces, and support inventory management for clinical materials by maintaing accurate inventory through routine reconciliation.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Champions new care pathways or service line implementations to improve care to the community. Identifies trends for improvement opportunities or practice changes and supports initiatives. Researches the change and presents options to appropriate clinical leadership.

• Identifies and presents areas for innovation, efficiency and improvement in patient care or department operations using evidence-based practice literature. Offers innovative solutions through evidence-based practice/performance improvement projects and department activities. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates My Development plan on an on-going basis.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• Graduate from an accredited School of Nursing

WORK EXPERIENCE

• One year of nursing experience in a healthcare environment

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• RN - Registered Nurse - Texas State Licensure and/or Compact State Licensure within 60 days OR
• RN-Temp - Registered Nurse - Temporary State Licensure within 60 days AND
• BLS - Basic Life Support (AHA) AND
• Other credentials and certifications as defined by department/service line

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations

• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security

• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles

• Strong assessment, organizational and problem-solving skills as evidenced by capacity to prioritize multiple tasks and role components

• Ability to function independently and exercise judgment in interactions with physicians, interprofessional care team and patients and their families

• Uses critical thinking skills and clinical judgment to work autonomously as defined by the Nurse Practice Act

• Demonstrates proficient time management skills

• Working knowledge of Microsoft products including Outlook

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform No
• Scrubs Yes
• Business professional No
• Other (department approved) No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* No

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

Company Profile:

Houston Methodist Specialty Physician Group is an integral part of Houston Methodist’s overall strategy to become one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers. Established as a nonprofit corporation certified by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, the Specialty Physician Group enables physicians to maintain autonomy with respect to clinical practice while growing their practice within an academic environment.

Houston Methodist is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Equal employment opportunity is a sound and just concept to which Houston Methodist is firmly bound. Houston Methodist will not engage in discrimination against or harassment of any person employed or seeking employment with Houston Methodist on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, status as a protected veteran or other characteristics protected by law. VEVRAA Federal Contractor – priority referral Protected Veterans requested.

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