Emergency Room Nurse

About the role

At Houston Methodist, the Registered Nurse (RN) II position is a licensed staff nurse functioning at the Competent to Proficient stage of Benner’s model of clinical practice. The RN II provides professional nursing care to a diverse patient population, conducts nursing assessments, assists with exams and treatment, patient education, and maintenance of medical records. Direct patient care may include patients with varied and complex needs. The position communicates and collaborates with physicians and the interprofessional health care team to facilitate, coordinate, and maintain compassionate, efficient, quality care and achievement of desired treatment outcomes. The RN II demonstrates clinical competence in providing care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures, and managing emergencies, while acting as a patient and family advocate to monitor and maintain patient rights. The role assumes leadership responsibilities including unit and shared governance initiatives, charge nurse duties, preceptorship, and participation in service line or hospital-wide initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Conduct nursing assessments, assist with exams and treatments, and maintain medical records.
• Provide direct patient care to diverse and complex patient populations.
• Communicate and collaborate with physicians and the interprofessional health care team to coordinate care and achieve treatment outcomes.
• Demonstrate clinical competence in technology use, medication administration, procedures, and emergency management.
• Act as a patient and family advocate to ensure patient rights are maintained.
• Participate in or lead unit and shared governance initiatives.
• Serve as charge nurse or preceptor to students or new employees.
• Contribute to service line or hospital-wide initiatives in partnership with management.

Qualifications

• Education: Graduate of an education program approved by the credentialing body for the required credential(s).
• Experience: Twelve months of registered nurse experience in a healthcare environment.

Licenses and Certifications

• RN – Registered Nurse – Texas State Licensure – Texas Board of Nursing (Compact Licensure; must obtain permanent Texas license within 60 days if establishing Texas residency).
• BLS – Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA).
• ACLS – Advanced Cardiac Life Support or Instructor (AHA).
• PALS – Pediatric Advanced Life Support or Instructor (AHA).
• NIH Stroke Scale Certification (AHA).
• Nonviolent Crisis Intervention or Instructor (CPI).

Preferred: Magnet-recognized certification, ENPC, TNCC.

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrates skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, verified through ongoing assessments and performance evaluations.
• Proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing English sufficient to perform essential job functions, especially regarding patient and employee safety.
• Effective communication with patients, physicians, family members, and coworkers, consistent with customer service and positive language principles.
• Strong assessment, organizational, and problem-solving skills; ability to prioritize multiple tasks and role components.
• Ability to function independently and exercise clinical judgment in interactions with physicians, the interprofessional team, and patients/families.
• Proficient time management skills and capacity to work autonomously as defined by the Nurse Practice Act.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft products including Outlook.

Essential Functions

People

• Uses therapeutic communication, including active listening and teaching, to establish relationships with patients, families, and the interprofessional team.
• Contributes to teamwork by being aware of unit acuity, offering assistance, and responding positively to requests.
• Collaborates to foster healthy work environment relationships and applies feedback to improve patient outcomes.
• Implements staff education specific to patient populations and unit processes; coaches and mentors staff and students, which may include preceptorship.
• Uses peer-to-peer accountability to improve department score for turnover, retention, and employee engagement on the unit-based scorecard.

Service

• Follows 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 maintains medical records.
• Practices in a manner congruent with cultural diversity and inclusion principles.
• Develops, updates, and communicates the plan of care, including discharge, in partnership with the patient, family, and interprofessional team using the nursing process.
• Prioritizes care based on patient needs, abilities, and preferences; advocates on behalf of patients/families to resolve clinical and ethical concerns.
• Provides patient teaching based on learning needs, evaluates comprehension, and adapts teaching methods accordingly.
• Helps drive improvement of department score for patient satisfaction on the unit-based scorecard through peer-to-peer accountability to service standards.

Quality/Safety

• Follows standards of care related to the nursing process and regulatory requirements as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document.
• Identifies areas for practice improvement with research-based evidence to achieve core measure and patient safety outcomes, supported by accurate documentation.
• Provides and modifies care for complex patients and coordinates care with the interprofessional team based on patient evaluation, supported by accurate documentation.
• Utilizes clinical judgment and evidence-based analytical approaches to improve quality and safety scores on the unit-based scorecard through peer-to-peer accountability, reporting near misses, and collaboration with the interprofessional team.

Finance

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

Growth/Innovation

• 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 community service.
• Identifies trends for improvement opportunities or practice changes and supports initiatives; researches changes and presents options to shared governance and leadership.

Supplemental Requirements

• Work Attire: Scrubs permitted; other requirements as department approved.
• On-Call: Yes (employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies such as disasters or severe weather events).
• Travel: May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area.