DSHS WSH Registered Nurse 3

About the role

Western State Hospital (WSH) is one of the largest psychiatric hospitals in Washington, dedicated to providing high-quality care to individuals with complex mental health needs. Located in Lakewood, WA, WSH offers a collaborative and supportive environment where healthcare professionals make a meaningful impact every day.

The Quality Management Department, Clinical Risk Management (CRM) RN3 reviews, provides analysis of data, and recommends information related to WSH quality functions. This position is essential in helping the hospital maintain Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) certification and patient safety. The role provides professional specialized nursing experience to the Quality Department, strategizes for improved patient care, and acts as a clinical resource for staff. The incumbent participates in establishing, implementing, and improving the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement Program (QAPI) and provides reports to hospital leadership to improve the quality of patient care and mitigate risk.

Responsibilities

• Performs Hospital-wide CRM functions and interprets quality of nursing care and patient safety issues as an adjunct to the CRM team (CRMT).
• Communicates with hospital leadership, treatment team members, and interviews patients.
• Describes and conducts nursing clinical reviews of injuries of unknown origin, injuries resulting from alleged patient abuse/neglect as defined by policy, or serious injuries that result from peer-to-peer assault or self-injurious behavior.
• Functions as a subject matter expert on Intensive Assessment (IA) reviews and Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
• Leads and/or facilitates IAs and RCAs.
• Reports the findings of IAs and RCAs to the hospital Cabinet within specified timeframes.
• Functions as part of the Clinical Risk Management Team in rotating assessment of abuse/neglect hotline calls.
• Reviews clinical practices of staff to determine the content of CRM reports and provides CRM reports to hospital leadership and Cabinet members.
• Creates and completes Department of Health reports as appropriate.
• Serves as a member of the Medication Variance Team, Infection Prevention/Control Committee, and/or other Quality Assessment Performance Improvement committees and/or programs.
• Reviews Adverse Drug Events (ADE) and assists on other project improvement processes.
• Conducts analysis and utilizes nursing judgment based on standards of practice.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited school of professional nursing and at least two years of professional nursing experience OR equivalent education/experience.
• At least six months of experience with Root Cause Analysis processes.
• Experience with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations and The Joint Commission (TJC) Standards and accreditation process.
• Ability to identify potential Near Miss and Sentinel Event occurrences in accordance with The Joint Commission and Western State Hospital policies.
• Demonstrated appropriate, proficient, and knowledgeable report and policy writing skills, and experience with project development.
• Preference given to candidates with three years of prior experience working with psychiatric patients.
• Proficiency and working knowledge of patient information systems, electronic health records, and Microsoft Office, including Access and PowerPoint.

Skills

• Effective oral and written communication with peers and patients.

Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history may be conducted. Employees driving on state business must have a valid driver's license. Employees driving a privately owned vehicle on state business must have liability insurance on the privately owned vehicle.