Team Leader Nursing, Gastroenterology/Hepatology

About the role

Children’s Health’s mission is to “Make Life Better for Children.” The Team Leader, Nursing in the GI D8 department provides frontline leadership, bridges communication between staff and managers, oversees orientation, and drives quality and performance improvement. The role splits time between clinical care (≈60%) and administrative/leadership duties (≈40%), with at least 10% of clinical time dedicated to coaching and mentoring.

Responsibilities

• Perform all aspects of the Clinical Nurse job description during bedside care shifts.
• People Leadership
  • Participate in interview and selection of new team members.
  • Administer periodic evaluations and annual PEAC’s/merit increases.
  • Provide performance feedback, documentation, and counseling of performance issues.
  • Maintain positive staff relations through evidence‑based leadership and Just Culture.
  • Complete scouting reports and conduct weekly rounding on staff.
  • Keep staff informed of unit, department, division, and organization changes.
  • Mentor staff and create developmental opportunities to achieve career goals.
  • Administer disciplinary action, up to termination, with manager/HR support.
  • Recognize and reward staff achievements.
  • Develop and implement action plans from annual Employee Opinion Survey feedback.
  • Ensure staff meet patient‑care needs, safety standards, effectiveness, patient rights, and guest relations.
  • Promote team‑oriented care, good customer relations, sound clinical judgment, and evidence‑based practice.
  • Hold staff accountable for prescribing, delegating, and coordinating patient care using clinical judgment and critical thinking.
• Operational Leadership
  • Schedule new hires with preceptors during orientation.
  • Process Lawson personnel actions for staff.
  • Balance staff schedules to ensure adequate coverage and skill mix each shift.
  • Monitor attendance trends and address dependability issues.
  • Approve PTO requests and monitor FMLA/STD/LOA.
  • Review Omnicell reports.
  • Develop and maintain positive physician relationships.
  • Ensure direct‑report timecards are accurate before bi‑weekly payroll sign‑off and address repeated discrepancies.
• Regulatory & Quality Compliance
  • Conduct clean sweeps and unit‑based audits.
  • Prepare for disease‑specific certification audits where applicable.
  • Maintain regulatory readiness and perform unit environmental rounds.
  • Monitor expiration of staff licenses and certifications.
  • Submit employee paperwork to HR promptly.
  • Protect and secure Patient Health Information (PHI) at all times.
  • Adhere to infection‑prevention initiatives (hand hygiene, waste disposal, etc.).
• Staffing
  • Assume Charge Nurse role as needed.
  • Take on patient load shifts as required.
• Miscellaneous
  • Maintain and certify unit‑specific super users.
  • Conduct family rounding where implemented.
  • Attend leadership meetings and complete assigned projects.
  • Participate in committees as assigned.
  • Ensure staff provide culturally sensitive education to patients, families, and care teams.
  • Collaborate with physicians, families, and staff to develop and implement optimal care plans.
  • Advocate for patients and staff, addressing ethical and clinical concerns.
  • Maintain knowledge and tools to manage environmental and system resources for patients, families, and staff.
  • Continuously assess patient condition and coordinate treatment changes with the healthcare team.

Requirements

• At least 2 years of clinical nursing experience.
• Required leadership experience.
• BSN in Nursing (essential).
• Current Texas RN license.
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification.
• Pediatric Assessment, Communication and Escalation Skills (PACES) certification.
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification.

Qualifications & Skills

• Ability to lead a team of 12‑17 staff across administrative, clinical, and support services.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build trust with customers, internal partners, physicians, and families.
• Effective problem‑solving and decision‑making using data analysis and evidence‑based practice.
• Proficiency in coaching, mentoring, and providing performance feedback.
• Capability to manage change, adjust to new structures, and maintain performance during transitions.
• Excellent communication—both verbal and written—to convey information clearly to diverse audiences.
• Time‑management and resource‑allocation skills to ensure efficient completion of tasks.
• Commitment to high standards of patient safety