Hospital - Acute Care RN III (Day Shift, Full Time)

Acute Care RN II

The Acute Care RN II is a licensed staff nurse who functions at the competent stage. The RN II provides professional nursing care to a diverse patient population, conducting nursing assessments, assisting with exams and treatment, patient education, and maintaining medical records. The RN II provides direct patient care effectively and efficiently, which may include patients with varied and complex needs. Collaborates with interprofessional health care team to facilitate, coordinate, and maintain compassionate, efficient, quality care and achieve desired treatment outcomes. Demonstrates competence when providing care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures, and managing emergencies, acting as a patient and family advocate to monitor and maintain patient rights. Participates in or leads unit and shared governance initiatives, serving as a preceptor to students or new employees, and possibly contributes to specialty line or hospital-wide initiatives in partnership with management.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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 through peer-to-peer accountability to service standards.
• Follows the standards related to regulatory requirements and professional practice. 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 judgment, 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 healthcare team.
• Displays self-motivation to independently manage time effectively, timely document care, minimize incidental overtime, and prioritize daily tasks. Contributes towards meeting department financial targets through decreasing length of stay, optimizing efficiency, and other areas according to department specifications.
• 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.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• 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 Office products
• Ability to serve as a preceptor and a mentor by fostering a teaching environment. Position eligible for preceptor premium pay with completion of preceptor education and leader approval.

Education:

• Bachelor's of Science in Nursing required

Certification/Licensure:

• Current Texas Board of Nursing (or Compact State) RN license; Or a Temporary Texas RN License (Permanent TX license within 90 days upon hire).
• American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) certification, within 7 days of hire.

Required Skills

• One (1) year of nursing experience in a healthcare environment.

About Us

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) is a nationally recognized, top-tier public research university that unites the power of higher education, biomedical discovery and healthcare within one visionary institution. As the third-largest research university in Texas and a Carnegie R1-designated institution, UT San Antonio is a model of access and excellence advancing knowledge, social mobility and public health across South Texas and beyond. UT San Antonio serves approximately 42,000 students in 320 academic programs spanning science, engineering, medicine, health, liberal arts, AI, cybersecurity, business, education and more. With 17,000 faculty and staff, UT San Antonio has been recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Employers for Company Culture. Benefits Overview UT Health San Antonio offers an excellent benefits package for its employees. Employees who work at least 20 hours a week, with an appointment of at least 4.5 months, are eligible for benefits. Medical - UT SELECT Medical insurance is offered free for employees and administered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. Family members can be added to the plan through payroll deduction. Employees and their dependents can also receive discounted copays and coinsurance when using UT Health Physicians, a network of 800 premier physicians including more than 100 specialists. Employees receive $50,000 of group term life insurance and $50,000 of basic accidental death and dismemberment insurance for free, with options to purchase additional employee and dependent coverage for both at group rates. Dental - Three dental insurance plan options are available for employees and their families through Delta Dental Insurance Company, two PPOs and one dental HMO plan. Both PPO plans allow employees to choose any licensed dentist. Vision - Fully insured Vision Care benefits are offered by Superior Vision Services. Two vision plan options that offer either standard or enhanced vision benefits. Disability - Employees can enroll in the Disability Insurance which provides income if a non-work related illness or injury prevents you from working. FSAs - Employees can enroll in flexible spending accounts (FSAs) to set aside money from earnings before taxes for qualifying dependent day care expenses or out-of-pocket health care expenses. Retirement - Employees are eligible for either the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) or the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP). TRS is a defined benefit retirement plan which UT Health matches employee contributions. ORP is for eligible faculty staff employees. Voluntary retirement programs are also available to invest before- or after-tax dollars with the choice of five quality retirement plan providers. Time Off - A generous leave program offers multiple paid leave options:

• Front-loaded Paid Time Off: 128 to 208 hours (16 to 26 days) of Paid Time Off based on years of service, given at the start of each fiscal year. PTO may be prorated in year one based on date of hire.
• Extended Illness Bank: 8 hours (1 day) accrued per month which can be used for illness or injury after one day of Paid Time Off is taken.
• Paid Family Leave: Up to 240 hours (6 weeks) to care for a spouse, child, or parent after 6 months of consecutive employment.
• Holidays: 12 set paid holidays each year.

Discounts - Employees enjoy a range of discounts on services, tickets, and gym membership. EEO Statement UT Health San Antonio is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer.