Nurse III Registered Nurse Case Manager

About the role

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is seeking a highly skilled Registered Nurse Case Manager to join our team at the Lubbock State Supported Living Center. This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including 100% paid employee health insurance, a defined benefit pension plan, and numerous opportunities for career advancement.

Responsibilities

• Attends work on a regular basis and may be required to work a specific shift schedule or, at times, even a rotating schedule, extended shift and/or overtime in accordance with agency leave policy and performs other duties as assigned.
• Serves in an on-call status on a rotating schedule as required to meet operational needs of the facility.
• Performs highly complex nursing case management for assigned individuals, including those with highly specialized medical and behavioral health needs.
• Develops, evaluates, and monitors nursing interventions to ensure treatment plans, policies, procedures, nursing standards, and quality-of-care expectations are followed.
• Conducts rounds in assigned homes and infirmary areas to assess health status, gather information from staff, identify trends or emerging concerns, and determine needed follow-up.
• Reviews and monitors health indicators, care plans, and clinical records, including vital signs, weight, nutrition, symptoms, medication refusals, injuries, seizures, labs, consults, hospital or infirmary status, IHCPs, acute care plans, DSP instructions, physician orders, MARs, treatment records, incident reports, preventive screenings, immunizations, EKGs, psychotropic medication monitoring, and other recurring health requirements.
• Uses nursing judgment to identify desired effects, side effects, contraindications, adverse reactions, and clinical trends. Evaluates outcome, communicates concerns to the PCP and IDT and initiates appropriate follow-up.
• Monitors meal and medication administration at least quarterly and documents observations in the electronic health record. For individuals at medium or high risk for choking or aspiration, conducts meal monitoring at least monthly and documents observations related to condition, signs of illness, pain, coughing, swallowing difficulty, positioning, dining plan use, medication administration technique, and pill texture when applicable.
• Responds to chronic and acute health care concerns, facilitates treatment and follow-up, communicates with the PCP, LAR, health care team, and IDT, participates in specialized clinics and consultations, provides assessment and feedback related to medical or leisure trips, completes post-hospitalization ISPA and follow-up care, maintains required training, and reports concerns to the CNE/NOO.
• Performs comprehensive and highly complex physical assessments on a quarterly, annual, and as-needed basis in accordance with training and facility protocols. Completes head-to-toe assessments, nursing reviews, annual assessments, SAMs, fall risk assessments, risk ratings, health care plan recommendations, DSP instructions, and related documentation within required timeframes.
• Reviews current medical assessments, labs, consults, immunizations, diagnostic testing, meal monitoring records, medication administration observations, suction tooth brushing monitoring, and other required assessments. Conducts appropriate screenings, recognizes signs and symptoms of illness or injury, identifies abnormal findings, determines when referrals or plan changes are needed, develops acute care plans and integrated health care plans, communicates findings to the IDT, and evaluates diagnostic information within the RN scope of practice.
• Makes recommendations to the CNE/NOO on how to improve case management processes to ensure quality services for individuals.
• Attends on-campus medical appointments, treatments, or clinics with individuals as assigned and off-campus appointments when needed to coordinate continuity of care.
• Prepares and communicates relevant nursing and medical information, follows up on recommendations, orders, and plan changes, completes required nursing notes or provider communication, supports emergency room, hospital, transfer, and placement communication, and coordinates family or guardian notification and required consents for consults, procedures, vaccinations, psychotropic medications, pre-treatment sedation, and other care needs.

Qualifications

To succeed in this role, you must hold a current Texas RN license and have a minimum of 2 years of experience as a Registered Nurse, preferably in a healthcare setting serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Experience with complex case management and specialized medical and behavioral health needs is preferred.

Skills

• Strong clinical skills and knowledge of nursing practices.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and electronic health record systems.

Benefits

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission offers a comprehensive benefits package, including 100% paid employee health insurance, a defined benefit pension plan, and numerous opportunities for career advancement.

Pay

The starting salary for this position is $7,532.75 per month.

Schedule

This position is full-time and works a day shift with occasional evening and weekend work as needed.