HCSS Medical Surgical Registered Nurse

Competent Clinician

Possesses knowledge and skill to meet standards for competent professional nursing practice as specified in the Texas Nurse Practice Act. Experienced, knowledgeable, and skilled in specialty area. Competently functions as a member of the interdisciplinary team. Practice is characterized by predominantly interdependent decision-making. Practice is problem focused and patient centered in the manner care is provided. Able to manage unexpected or emergency situations that are commonly seen in assigned specialty population. Serves as a resource for Nurse Clinician I or II. Can manage commonly seen contingency situations that arise on the clinical unit. 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.

Major Duties / Critical Tasks

• Nursing Process: Competently and independently assesses, plans, implements, evaluates, and documents the daily care of assigned patients. Competently identifies patient care needs, formulates appropriate nursing diagnoses, develops, and individualizes care plan, and revises plan of care as needed. Competently 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. Competently and independently performs routine and complex technical procedures/skills in assigned specialty area.
• Patient/Family Teaching & Health Promotion: Provides uncomplicated and complex patient/family instruction and healthcare teaching based on identified learning needs (patient values, beliefs, barriers, and readiness to learn). Coaches others in strategies for patient/family inclusion and serves as a resource to others for patients/families with complex learning needs. Identifies potential impact of family dynamics. Utilizes evidence-based resources to provide patient/family education. Utilizes evidence-based teaching strategies such as Teach-Back, AskMe3, return demonstration, etc.
• Care Coordination & Delegation: Competently and independently plans, coordinates, and prioritizes patient care activities according to skill level and work complexity. Maintains safety and continuity of care using methods such as bedside shift report, hand-off tools/processes, inter-disciplinary care rounds, etc.; Role models and coaches others to utilize these methods. Demonstrates flexibility in time management to manage changing patient priorities; coaches and supports others to plan, coordinate and prioritize care. Demonstrates competent use of technology in the delivery of patient care and serves as a resource and provides trouble shooting support to others. Delegates appropriately; may seek guidance or clarification of non-routinely delegated tasks.
• Ethics (legal/regulatory), Advocacy & Culturally Congruent Care: Identifies ethical situations and initiates appropriate communication/consultation to address. Delivers culturally congruent care using available resources to meet the needs of patient/family; recognizes situations in which personal bias may influence. Serves as a patient advocate; may seek guidance/assistance in difficult situations.
• Communication & Collaboration: Supports healthy work environment by demonstrating respectful verbal and non-verbal communication with all members of the healthcare team; may seek support with challenging communication issues; addresses behavior that does not support respectful environment. Recognizes colleagues when they go above and beyond in demonstrating UTMB's core values. Plans, coordinates, and prioritizes patient care activities in collaboration/communication with inter-professional team, including consult recommendations.
• Leadership: Recognizes informal and formal unit/hospital leaders and can educate colleagues regarding unit/hospital leadership. Recognizes unit, nursing, and institutional strategic initiatives and health system goals. Recognizes the importance of financial responsibility to promote fiscal health for the patient, unit, and organization. Demonstrates openness to change by actively seeking knowledge and needed information; uses positive communication and role modeling to promote understanding of change to colleagues. Functions as a unit leader, providing direction and assistance to team members. Mentors others and promotes professional development of less experienced colleagues.
• Education, Evidence-Based Practice & Research: Actively attends/participates in unit meetings/activities and supports the philosophy and goals of the unit/department and UTMB. Actively participates in shared leadership at the unit level; encourages colleague participation. Attends presentations, professional development activities; encourages attendance/participation of colleagues. Participates in one journal club annually. Shares educational findings, experiences, and ideas with colleagues through shared leadership meetings, presentations, professional development activities. Mentors others and develops learning opportunities. Demonstrates commitment to lifelong learning (evidence-based practice, specialty certification, advanced degree). Demonstrates knowledge and utilization of evidence-based resources to guide patient care; coaches colleagues to utilize evidence-based resources.
• Quality, Resources & Safety: Identifies patient safety concerns, and reports appropriately; addresses immediate safety concerns appropriately. Coaches others regarding unit quality metrics/outcomes data and improvement activities; actively engages in discussion, activities related to unit goals; Participates in systematic processes to achieve quality outcomes. Demonstrates self-care through practices that support personal well-being, personal safety, and injury prevention. Serves as a resource to colleagues regarding the Electronic Health Record; identifies opportunities for system improvements and communicates ideas via appropriate channels.

Required Education / Experience

RN with current license or valid permit to practice professional nursing in Texas.

Two (2) years of inpatient hospital experience. The most recent experience must be with the last 12 months.

Must have current BLS certification obtained through American Heart Association (AHA)

Equipment

Able to use equipment and related supplies for a selected patient population.

Able to use mechanical devices, such as those used in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, oxygen administration, and intravenous therapy. Show competency in point of care testing (POCT) and quality requirements for that testing.

Able to use related computer equipment.

Working Environment

Work environment is in a comfortable indoor area. Conditions such as noise, odors, cramped workspace and/or fumes could sometimes cause discomfort. Moderate to extreme physical effort may be required, such as walking, standing, performing CPR, and lifting materials, equipment, objects, and/or patients. Occasional lifting may be very heavy and awkward, over 50 lbs. Vision, hearing, talking, and sense of touch abilities must be adequate to enable one to perform tasks quickly and accurately such as reading small print, reading from monitoring equipment, defining details, sending, and receiving clear and accurate oral communication. Frequent periods of concentrated or focused attention will be needed to interpret visual, auditory, and sensory inputs. Shift work may be required. Alertness and careful attention to detail will be required to avoid injury. May be exposed to such occupational hazards as communicable diseases, radiation, chemotherapeutic agents, and disoriented or combative patients.

Any qualifications to be considered as equivalents in lieu of stated minimums require the prior approval of the Executive Director of Human Resources

Compensation