Nurse Clinician I - (RN) - Medicine/Cardiology Unit (Days)

Novice Clinician

Entry level professional nurse, who is precepted, guided and mentored; possesses a basic general knowledge base and is focused on developing knowledge and skills with guidance and direction; meets standards for professional practice as specified in the Texas Nurse Practice Act; requires assistance, direction and/or supervision in the provision of patient care; With supervision of preceptor(s), the clinician provides safe, basic nursing care in routine and predictable situations. Practice may vary widely as the novice clinician transitions from new graduate, who requires assistance and direction to competent, independent clinician; provides patient care through nursing practices based upon the American Nurses Association Standards of Professional Practice and Professional Performance. Values specialty unit, nursing, and institutional strategic initiatives and health system goals.

Required Education & Experience:

GN/RN with current license or valid permit to practice professional nursing in Texas. Completion of an accredited basic nursing education program. Current BLS required.

Licenses & Certifications:

Required:

• RN
• BLS
• ACLS & PALS/ENPC
• Experienced ED nurses must have upon hire.
• Non-experienced ED nurses must obtain within 6 months from the date of hire.
• TNCC (Must obtain within 6 months from the date of hire)

Essential Job Functions:

All functions are guided and directed by more experienced RNs to the degree needed by the novice practitioner based upon experience, complexity, and knowledge regarding the specific function.

Professional Practice:

Nursing Process

With guidance and direction:

• Assesses, plans, implements, evaluates, and documents the daily care of assigned patients.
• Identifies nursing diagnoses/patient care needs. Develops and individualizes care plan and revises plan of care as needed.
• Executes physician's orders for all assigned patients. Administers medications and treatments and delivers culturally congruent and specialty appropriate competent nursing care in accordance with UTMB's policies, procedures, and standards in a caring and compassionate manner.
• Performs routine technical procedures/skills in specialty area assigned.

Patient/Family Teaching & Health Promotion

With guidance and direction:

• Provides basic patient/family instruction and healthcare teaching.
• Identifies potential impact of family dynamics.
• Learns to identify unique learning needs based on values, beliefs, barriers and readiness to learn.
• Learns to access evidence-based resources to provide patient/family education.
• Learns to utilize evidence-based teaching strategies such as Teach-Back, AskMe3, return demonstration, etc.

Care Coordination & Delegation

With guidance and direction:

• Learns to plan, coordinate and prioritize patient care activities, progressing to more complex assignments as competencies increase.
• Maintains safety and continuity of care using methods such as bedside shift report, hand-off tools/processes, inter-disciplinary care rounds, etc.
• Learns to demonstrate effective time management skills.
• Identifies appropriate and approved technology in the delivery of patient care.
• Relies on preceptor(s), colleagues, EHR to direct them to evidence-based clinical resources to guide patient care.
• Seeks guidance and appropriate direction when considering decision about delegation; learning to effectively and respectfully communicate and delegate complexity.

Professional Performance:

Ethics (legal/regulatory), Advocacy & Culturally Congruent Care

With guidance and direction:

• Identifies ethical situations and seeks assistance to resolve.
• Learns how to access available resources (ethics consultation) when ethical issues arise.
• Demonstrates emerging awareness of culturally sensitive care.

Communication & Collaboration

With guidance and direction:

• Supports healthy work environment by demonstrating respectful verbal and non-verbal communication with all members of the healthcare team. Seeks assistance for support with challenging communication.
• Learns to recognize colleagues when they go above and beyond in demonstrating UTMB's core values.
• Plans, coordinates, and prioritizes patient care activities in collaboration with inter-professional team.
• Identifies a potential professional mentor to develop skills and abilities.

Leadership

• Recognizes informal and formal unit/hospital leaders.
• Recognizes unit, nursing, and institutional strategic initiatives and health system goals.
• Learns the importance of financial responsibility to promote fiscal health for the patient, unit and organization.

Education, Evidence-Based Practice & Research

• Attends/participates in unit meetings/activities and supports the philosophy and goals of the unit department and organization.
• Participates in shared leadership at the unit level.
• Participates in unit-based quality improvement activities.
• Attends in-service and continuing education activities.
• Attends the UTMB Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program and completes an evidence-based practice project in order to successfully complete the program.
• Demonstrates commitment to lifelong learning (evidence-based practice, specialty certification, advanced degree, etc.).
• Appropriately poses questions to understand current processes and is open to change.
• Relies on preceptor(s), colleagues, EHR to direct them to evidence-based clinical resources to guide patient care.

Quality, Resources & Safety

• Learns to recognize, assess and report patient safety concerns.
• Able to locate unit quality metrics/outcomes data and identify improvement activities.
• Learns strategies for self-care to support transition to practice, personal safety and injury prevention.

General Requirements:

• Completes required specialty specific Competency Based Orientation (CBO) tools by the initial performance evaluation due date for placement in employee file.
• Actively participates in ongoing self-evaluation of competency using Competency Based Orientation (CBO) tools and e-performance nursing appraisal.
• Completes the annual self-evaluation on time for competency and performance evaluation.
• Performs and reports point of care testing (POCT).
• Prioritizes and organizes work so that required assignments are completed within a specified time frame.
• Provides and maintains a clean, safe environment and performs and/or assists others to perform proper aseptic technique, isolation procedures and infection control measures.
• Practices basic cost containment for patients and the unit.
• Consistently completes accurate, concise and legible documentation for all patient, unit and hospital records (including care delivery and telephone patient related interactions).
• Competently utilizes electronic forms of communication and documentation.
• Meets periodic UTMB and unit specific compliance requirements for health screening, training, attendance, safety, and CPR.
• Adheres to internal controls and reporting structure.

Equal Employment Opportunity

UTMB Health strives to provide equal opportunity employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. As a Federal Contractor, UTMB Health takes affirmative action to hire and advance protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.