Registered Nurse II - Observation Unit

At Houston Methodist, the Registered Nurse (RN) II position is a licensed staff nurse, an experienced clinician, functions at the Competent to Proficient stage of Benner's model of clinical practice. The RN II position provides professional nursing care to a diverse patient population, conducts nursing assessments, assists with exams and treatment, patient education, and maintenance of medical records. The RN II 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. The RN II 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 assumes leadership roles with progressive responsibility including but not limited to participating in or leading unit and shared governance initiatives, serving as charge nurse or preceptor to students or new employees, and possibly contributing to service line or hospital-wide initiatives in partnership with management.

FLSA STATUS
Non-exempt

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Graduate of education program approved by the credentialing body for the required credential(s) indicated below in the Certifications, Licenses and Registrations section

EXPERIENCE

• Twelve months registered nurse experience in a healthcare environment

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required

• RN - Registered Nurse - Texas State Licensure - Texas Board of Nursing_PSV Compact Licensure - must obtain permanent Texas license within 60 days (if establishing Texas residency) and
• BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association

Preferred

• Magnet - ANCC Recognized Certification

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through ongoing skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations as defined in orientation checklist and annual departmental competency checklist
• 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
• Maintains level of professional contributions as defined in Clinical Career Path program guide
• Working knowledge of Microsoft products including Outlook

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

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 overall unit acuity, 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 interprofessional health care team, when appropriate, and applies feedback to improve patient outcomes.
• Implements staff education specific to patient populations and unit processes; coaches and mentors other staff and students. May include preceptorship. Uses peer-to-peer accountability towards improvement of department score for turnover/retention/employee engagement on unit-based scorecard.

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.
• Develops, updates and communicates plan of care, including discharge, in partnership with the patient, family and interprofessional health care team, using the nursing process. Prioritizes care based on the patient’s needs, abilities and preferences. Advocates on patient/family’s behalf to identify and resolve clinical and ethical concerns, utilizing appropriate resources.
• Provides patient teaching based on learning needs, uses appropriate resources, incorporating planning for care after discharge. Consistently evaluates the patient’s comprehension and adapts teaching methods accordingly.
• Helps drive improvement of department score for patient satisfaction on unit-based scorecard, through peer-to-peer accountability to service standards.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Follows the standards of care related to the nursing process, as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document.
• Follows the standards related to 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 core measure and patient safety outcomes, supported by accurate documentation.
• 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 on the unit-based scorecard, through peer-to-peer accountability, reporting near misses, and collaborating with the interprofessional health care team.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Displays self-motivation to independently manage time effectively, timely document care, minimize incidental overtime, and prioritize daily tasks. Provides input into the unit resource utilization including unit capital and operational budget needs.
• Contributes towards meeting department financial targets on unit-based scorecard through decreasing length of stay, optimizing efficiency and other areas according to department specifications.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies and presents areas for innovation, efficiency and improvement in patient care or unit operations using evidence-based practice literature. Offers innovative solutions through evidence-based practice/performance improvement projects and shared governance activities.
• Champions new care pathways or service line implementation to improve service to the community. Identifies trends for improvement opportunities or practice changes and supports initiatives. Researches the change and presents options to shared governance and leadership.

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* Yes

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

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