Registered Nurse II (RN) - Neuro ICU

About the role

At Houston Methodist, the Registered Nurse (RN) II position is a licensed staff nurse and experienced clinician functioning at the Competent to Proficient stage of Benner’s model. The RN II provides professional nursing care to a diverse patient population, conducts nursing assessments, assists with exams and treatment, delivers patient education, and maintains medical records. The role includes direct patient care for patients with varied and complex needs, collaboration with physicians and the interprofessional health‑care team, and advocacy for patient and family rights. RN II nurses also assume leadership responsibilities such as participating in or leading unit and shared‑governance initiatives, serving as charge nurse or preceptor, and contributing to service‑line or hospital‑wide projects.

Qualifications

• Education: Graduate of an education program approved by the credentialing body for the required credential(s).
• Experience: Twelve months registered nurse experience in a health‑care environment.
• Licenses and Certifications (required):
  • RN – Registered Nurse – Texas State Licensure (Texas Board of Nursing) – PSV Compact Licensure (must obtain permanent Texas license within 60 days if establishing Texas residency).
  • BLS – Basic Life Support or Instructor (American Heart Association).
  • ACLS – Advanced Cardiac Life Support or Instructor (American Heart Association).
  • NIH Stroke – National Institute of Health Stroke Scale Certification (American Heart Association).
• Preferred certifications:
  • Magnet – ANCC Recognized Certification or NV.
  • Nonviolent Crisis Intervention or Instructor (CPI).

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrates skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, verified through ongoing assessments and annual competency checklists.
• Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing English, especially for activities impacting patient or employee safety.
• Effective communication with patients, physicians, families, and co‑workers, applying a customer‑service focus and positive language principles.
• Strong assessment, organizational, and problem‑solving skills; ability to prioritize multiple tasks.
• Independent judgment in interactions with physicians, interprofessional care team, patients, and families.
• Critical thinking and clinical judgment to work autonomously as defined by the Nurse Practice Act.
• Proficient time‑management skills.
• Maintains professional contributions per the Clinical Career Path program guide.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft products, including Outlook.

Essential Functions

People

• Uses therapeutic communication, active listening, and teaching to establish relationships with patients, families, and the interprofessional team.
• Contributes to teamwork by monitoring unit acuity, offering assistance, and responding positively to requests.
• Collaborates to foster healthy workplace relationships and seeks/offers guidance to improve patient outcomes.
• Implements staff education specific to patient populations and unit processes; serves as preceptor, coach, and mentor.
• Engages in peer‑to‑peer accountability to improve department turnover, retention, and employee‑engagement scores.

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 accurate medical records.
• Practices in alignment with cultural diversity and inclusion principles.
• Develops, updates, and communicates the plan of care—including discharge—collaboratively with patients, families, and the care team.
• Prioritizes care based on patient needs, abilities, and preferences; advocates for patients/families to resolve clinical and ethical concerns.
• Provides patient teaching tailored to learning needs, evaluates comprehension, and adapts methods as needed.
• Drives improvement of patient‑satisfaction scores through peer accountability to service standards.

Quality / Safety

• Adheres to nursing process standards and regulatory requirements as defined in Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice documents.
• Identifies practice‑improvement opportunities using research‑based evidence to achieve core measure and patient‑safety outcomes.
• Provides and modifies care for complex patients, coordinating with the interprofessional team and documenting accurately.
• Applies evidence‑based clinical judgment and analytical approaches.
• Improves quality and safety scores via peer accountability, near‑miss reporting, and collaboration with the care team.

Finance

• Self‑motivated time management to document care promptly, minimize incidental overtime, and prioritize daily tasks.
• Provides input on unit resource utilization, including capital and operational budget needs.
• Contributes to meeting department financial targets by decreasing length of stay, optimizing efficiency, and other specified initiatives.

Growth / Innovation

• Identifies and presents opportunities for innovation, efficiency, and improvement in patient care or unit operations using evidence‑based literature.
• Offers innovative solutions through performance‑improvement projects and shared‑governance activities.
• Champions new care pathways or service‑line implementations to benefit the community.
• Researches change options and presents them to shared governance and leadership.

Supplemental Requirements

• Work attire: Uniform – No; Scrubs – Yes; Business professional – No; Other (department approved) – No.
• On‑call: Employees may be required to be on‑call during emergencies (e.g., disaster, severe weather events).
• Travel:
  • Within the Houston Metropolitan area – Yes.
  • Outside the Houston Metropolitan area – No.

FLSA status: Non‑exempt.