Registered Nurse II (RN) OR Outpatient Surgery

At Houston Methodist, the Registered Nurse (RN) II position is a licensed staff nurse, an experienced clinician, functioning at the Competent to Proficient stage of Benner's model of clinical practice.

About the role

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. This position provides direct patient care effectively and efficiently, which may include patients with varied and complex needs. The RN II 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 when providing care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures, and managing emergencies, acting as a patient and family advocate to monitor and maintain patient rights. This position assumes leadership roles with progressive responsibility, including but not limited to participating in or leading unit and shared governance initiatives, serving as charge nurse or preceptor to students or new employees, and contributing to service line or hospital-wide initiatives in partnership with management.

FLSA status: Non-exempt

Responsibilities

People

• Uses therapeutic communication, including active listening and teaching, to establish relationships with patients, families, and the interprofessional health care team to collaborate on the plan of care.
• Contributes to teamwork by awareness of overall unit acuity, consistently offering assistance, and responding positively to requests for assistance.
• Collaborates to foster healthy relationships in the work environment, seeks guidance from, and offers guidance to the interprofessional health care team, and applies feedback to improve patient outcomes.
• Implements staff education specific to patient populations and unit processes; coaches and mentors other staff and students, including preceptorship.
• Uses peer-to-peer accountability towards improvement of department score for turnover/retention/employee engagement on 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.
• Develops, updates, and communicates the plan of care, including discharge, in partnership with the patient, family, and interprofessional health care team, using the nursing process.
• Prioritizes care based on the patient’s needs, abilities, and preferences.
• Advocates on patient/family’s behalf to identify and resolve clinical and ethical concerns, utilizing appropriate resources.
• Provides patient teaching based on learning needs, uses appropriate resources, and incorporates planning for care after discharge.
• Evaluates the patient’s comprehension and adapts teaching methods accordingly.
• Drives improvement of department score for patient satisfaction on unit-based scorecard through peer-to-peer accountability to service standards.

Quality/Safety

• Follows standards of care related to the nursing process as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document.
• Follows standards related to regulatory requirements and professional practice as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document.
• Identifies areas of practice improvements with research-based evidence to achieve core measure and patient safety outcomes, supported by accurate documentation.
• Provides and modifies care to complex patients and coordinates care with the interprofessional team based on evaluation of the patient’s condition, supported by accurate documentation.
• Utilizes clinical judgment using an evidence-based analytical approach.
• Improves quality and safety scores on the unit-based scorecard through peer-to-peer accountability, reporting near misses, and collaborating with the interprofessional health care 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 unit capital and operational budget needs.
• Contributes toward meeting department financial targets on unit-based scorecard through decreasing length of stay, optimizing efficiency, and other areas according to department specifications.

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

Requirements

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

Qualifications

Licenses and Certifications

• Required:
  • 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) - American Heart Association
• Preferred:
  • Magnet - ANCC Recognized Certification
  • ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support or Instructor (AHA)

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through ongoing skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations.
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language to perform essential functions, especially activities impacting patient or employee safety or security.
• Effectively communicates with patients, physicians, family members, and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and positive language principles.
• Strong assessment, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the capacity to prioritize multiple tasks and role components.
• Functions independently and exercises judgment in interactions with physicians, interprofessional care team, and patients and their families.
• Uses critical thinking skills and clinical judgment to work autonomously as defined by the Nurse Practice Act.
• Demonstrates proficient time management skills.
• Maintains level of professional contributions as defined in the Clinical Career Path program guide.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft products, including Outlook.

Supplemental Requirements

• On-call: Employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (e.g., disaster, severe weather events).
• Travel: May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area.
• Work Attire:
  • Uniform: No
  • Scrubs: Yes
  • Business professional: No
  • Other (department approved): No