LTCR Home Health Nurse Surveyor (Nurse III)

About the role

As part of a collaborative team of public servants, a nurse surveyor protects residents' health and safety by conducting on-site inspections and investigations, including investigations of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, in Texas home health agencies and hospices to assess their compliance with state and federal laws and rules. In this front-line field position, a nurse is mobile and flexible and performs minimal work at an office. However, the role does require writing reports detailing any deficiencies/violations against a facility and a narrative to support regulatory determinations.

Essential Job Functions

• Conducts on-site licensure inspections, complaint and incident investigations, and annual comprehensive surveys in facilities to determine compliance with federal and state health and safety regulations
• Conducts complaint/incident investigations, including for allegations for abuse, neglect, and exploitation
• Communicates clearly and accurately with others (internally and externally) to provide, exchange, or verify information, answer inquiries, or resolve issues or complaints in Texas long-term care facilities
• Conducts exit conferences with facility staff regarding findings and deficiencies
• Completes inspection or survey reports detailing deficiencies, and narratives to support regulatory findings
• Revisits home health agencies to verify correction of previously cited regulatory violations
• Performs quality assurance reviews of documents prepared by others, for example, publications, assessments, and reports
• Might supervise the work of team members during inspections and lend expertise to a survey team in the areas identified above
• May need to testify at hearings or in court proceedings to provide information regarding policy/procedures, history, findings, or activities
• In the event of emergency licensure action, be available to assist with non-skilled care, oversight to residents in a facility and there is a potential that skilled care will be necessary
• Be available for on-call duties for emergencies such as weather events or high-priority situations in facilities or at providers

Qualifications

• Must be licensed as a registered nurse by the State of Texas or a state that recognizes reciprocity through the Nurse Licensure Compact
• Experience working as an independent/autonomous health care provider in a home health or hospice setting, long-term care facility, hospital, or as a field nurse or case manager
• Prefer two years of experience providing services in a health care setting as a registered nurse
• Minimum of one year of experience in institutional care, home health care, hospice care, or other long-term care setting preferred
• Applicant must complete all training (federal/state) for Home and Community Support Services Agencies

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of issues, concerns, and needs of populations at risk in various health care and/or institutional environments (elderly, mentally ill, developmentally disabled, functionally dependent, medically frail, etc.)
• Skill in interpersonal relations
• Skill in performing quality assurance monitoring, program review, certification, survey, or investigations
• Skill in providing guidance, policy clarifications, and information to others
• Skill in preparing detailed written reports
• Ability to multi-task and track multiple activities with competing priorities
• Ability to collect and analyze data
• Ability to analyze and solve work problems
• Ability to interpret regulatory policies, procedures, and regulations
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to use the computer for writing reports
• Ability to exercise professional judgment and reach sound decisions
• Oral, written, and electronic communication skills, including computer word processing software
• Ability to be task organized and punctual

Pay and Schedule

Salary range: $7,474.23 - $8,886.16 per month (Starting market rate salary $89,690.71 annually). Pay frequency: Monthly. Shift: Day. Full time position. FLSA Exempt. Travel required up to 80%, including statewide, overnight, and weekend travel. Flexibility in work hours is required. On-call duties for emergencies or high-priority situations may be required. Telework: Not eligible.

Benefits

• 100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees
• Defined benefit pension plan (Employees Retirement System of Texas)
• 401(k) and 457 Programs
• Generous time off benefits
• Lifetime monthly retirement annuity
• Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program eligibility (HHSC is a qualifying organization)
• Numerous opportunities for career advancement