Registered Nurse (RN) II - Observation

At Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital, 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 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, delivers patient education, and maintains medical records. This role involves direct patient care, often for individuals with varied and complex needs, and requires effective communication and collaboration with physicians and the interprofessional health care team to facilitate compassionate, efficient, and high-quality care.

The RN II demonstrates clinical competence in patient care, technology use, medication administration, procedures, and emergency management while acting as a patient and family advocate. This position includes progressive leadership responsibilities such as participating in or leading unit and shared governance initiatives, serving as a charge nurse or preceptor, and contributing to service line or hospital-wide projects in partnership with management.

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 assessing overall unit acuity, offering assistance, and responding positively to requests for help.
• Collaborates to foster healthy work relationships, seeks and offers guidance to improve patient outcomes, and applies feedback effectively.
• Implements staff education specific to patient populations and unit processes; coaches and mentors other staff and students, including preceptorship.
• Uses peer-to-peer accountability to improve department scores for turnover, retention, and employee engagement.

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 the patient’s needs, abilities, and preferences.
• Advocates for patients and families to identify and resolve clinical and ethical concerns, utilizing appropriate resources.
• Provides patient teaching based on learning needs, evaluates comprehension, and adapts teaching methods accordingly.
• Drives improvement of department scores for patient satisfaction 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.
• Adheres to regulatory and professional practice standards.
• Identifies areas for practice improvement using research-based evidence to achieve core measures and patient safety outcomes, supported by accurate documentation.
• Provides and modifies care for complex patients and coordinates with the interprofessional team based on evaluation and documentation.
• Uses clinical judgment and 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 team.

Finance

• Manages time effectively, documents care timely, minimizes incidental overtime, and prioritizes 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.

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.

Requirements

• Graduate of an education program approved by the credentialing body for registered nursing.
• Twelve months of registered nurse experience in a healthcare environment.

Qualifications

Licenses and Certifications

• Required:
  • Registered Nurse (RN) – Texas State Licensure (Texas Board of Nursing). Compact Licensure accepted; must obtain permanent Texas license within 60 days if establishing Texas residency.
  • Basic Life Support (BLS) or Instructor (AHA) – American Heart Association.
  • National Institute of Health Stroke Scale Certification (NIHSTROKE) (AHA) – within 4 months of hire.
• Preferred:
  • ANCC Recognized Certification (Magnet).

Knowledge and Abilities

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

Schedule

• Non-exempt (hourly) status.
• On-call requirements during emergencies (e.g., disaster, severe weather events).
• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area.

Work Attire

• Scrubs: Yes.
• Business professional: No.
• Other (department approved): No.