RN II Labor and Delivery

FLSA Status: Non-exempt

About the Role

The Registered Nurse (RN) II position is a licensed staff nurse and an experienced clinician, functioning at the Competent to Proficient stage of Benner's model of clinical practice. This role provides professional nursing care to a diverse patient population, including conducting nursing assessments, assisting with exams and treatment, patient education, and maintaining medical records. The RN II delivers direct patient care effectively and efficiently, often managing patients with varied and complex needs. This position communicates and collaborates with physicians and the interprofessional healthcare team to facilitate, coordinate, and maintain compassionate, efficient, and quality care, achieving desired treatment outcomes.

The RN II demonstrates clinical competence in patient care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures, and managing emergencies while acting as a patient and family advocate. This role assumes leadership responsibilities, including participating in or leading unit and shared governance initiatives, serving as a charge nurse or preceptor to students or new employees, and contributing to service line or hospital-wide initiatives in partnership with management.

Responsibilities

People

• Uses therapeutic communication, including active listening and teaching, to establish relationships with patients, families, and the interprofessional healthcare 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.
• 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 treatments, 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 healthcare team.
• Prioritizes care based on the patient’s needs, abilities, and preferences.
• Advocates for patients and families to identify and resolve clinical and ethical concerns.
• 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 requirements and professional practice standards.
• Identifies areas for practice improvement using research-based evidence to achieve core measures and patient safety outcomes.
• Provides and modifies care for complex patients and coordinates care with the interprofessional team, supported by accurate 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 and optimizing efficiency.

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 and performance improvement projects, as well as 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 the required credentials.
• 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.
• Within 4 months:
  • BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association
  • ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association
  • NRP - Neonatal Resuscitation or Instructor (AHA, AAP) - American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics
  • FHMC - Fetal Heart Monitoring Cert - Int, Adv, or Instructor (AWHONN) - Association of Women's Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses

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, especially activities impacting patient or employee safety.
• Effectively communicates with patients, physicians, family members, and coworkers in a customer-service-focused manner.
• Strong assessment, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks.
• 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

Full-time, nights.

Supplemental Requirements

• Work Attire: Scrubs (department-approved).
• 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.