Charge Nurse - Operating Room

At Houston Methodist the Charge Nurse position is a licensed professional Registered Nurse (RN) who as an experienced clinician functions at the Competent to Proficient stage of Benners model of clinical practice. This position creates an environment for the management and delivery of safe patient care. In addition to fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of a clinical nurse the Charge Nurse position is a role model and coach to department personnel and assists in developing their skills and knowledge. This position provides nursing care to a diverse patient population. Besides conducting nursing assessments assisting with exams and treatment and maintenance of medical records this position assists in coaching and mentoring department staff in areas of clinical and professional practice. Role modeling compassionate communication with physicians and the interprofessional health care team the Charge Nurse assumes leadership responsibilities with high level contributions at the bedside unit service line and across the institution. Responsibilities for this position may include but are not limited to leading unit and shared governance activities assessing unit needs related to practice and improvement opportunities serving as a clinical resource for both unit and hospital staff and coordinating unit and hospital-wide education in partnership with management.

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVED
Refer to departmental Scope of Service and Provision of Care plans as applicable for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional ethical physical and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth dignity and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET Managing Up Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees experiential journeys to ensure strong communication ease of access to information and a seamless experience

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Actively supports the organizations vision fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Fosters staff engagement by demonstrating active listening requesting and acknowledging feedback making equitable decisions providing rationale when appropriate and supporting organizational goals. Anticipates the needs of the staff members and proactively offers assistance. Role models inter-professional communication which includes active listening and teaching and assists with staff stress management as needed. Improves departmental scores for turnover/retention on unit-based scorecard.

• Role models fair and consistent leadership skills for effective team dynamics and team building strategies through problem solving coaching and developing staff. Coaches staff to use efficient and effective communication to establish and maintain a team environment and to include the patient and family as a part of the team regarding their plan of care. Provides input into staff performance reviews as appropriate.

• Functions as a mentor and resource to unit staff provides oversight for students/new employee/preceptorships. Identifies levels of organizational conflict and applies tools to effectively resolve concerns complaints or conflict with patients families physicians and other inter-professional healthcare team members.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Leads the patient and family-centered care standards as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document. Mentors others regarding specialty populations; audits plan of care.

• Maintains ongoing interactions with patients families and staff on the improvement of patient care through leader rounding. Ensures effective collaboration with other departments regarding patient process issues.

• Drives department service standards and activities to improve department score for patient satisfaction on unit-based scorecard through role modeling and fostering accountability.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Models the standards of care related to the nursing process as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document by actively participating in meeting and improving nurse sensitive quality indicators and patient safety goals. Participates in the creation of a continuous improvement environment by promoting situational awareness assisting with audits as needed and using teachable moments.

• Coordinates nursing care throughout the shift considering patient acuity staff skill level and safety to ensure that our duty to our patients can be met. Models the standards related to regulatory requirements and professional practice as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document.

• Facilitates seamless patient flow to/from/through the department leading the delivery of quality family-centered care throughout the continuum of care. Ensures the patient plan of care is accurate and timely coaching staff if documentation deficiencies are identified. Works closely with the OAs and bed management regarding timely patient placement. Proactively recognizes determines a plan of action and responds to situations such as Rapid Response/CERTs and emergency codes.

• Participates in initiatives to improve quality and safety scores on the unit and hospital scorecards through peer-to-peer accountability reporting near misses and identifying solutions by collaborating with the interprofessional team. Role models situational awareness using teachable moments to improve safety. Assists with audits as needed.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Implements department strategies to achieve financial target on unit-based scorecard and mentors others to do the same through timely documentation of care decreasing length of stay optimizing efficiency minimizing incidental overtime and other areas according to departmental specifications.

• Attends daily care coordination rounds to facilitate patient progression. Ensures that follow-up has been implemented on any concerns or issues identified by the team. Manages productivity in accordance with staffing grid.

• Provides input into unit resource utilization including unit capital and operational budget needs. Oversees shift by shift resource utilization through the allocation of staff supplies and contributions to the patient throughput.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Fosters identification and implementation of innovative solutions for practice changes to improve patient care or unit operations such as reduction of hospital readmissions or other department-specific measures by leading and/or participating in unit projects and shared governance activities. Investigates and incorporates evidence-based practices which are presented to shared governance and leadership. Supports change initiatives and adapts to unexpected changes.

• Expands individual nursing knowledge and coaches staff to grow in knowledge abilities skills and attitudes. Serves as clinical resource. Develops and disseminates as appropriate informational/educational resources and programs designed to improve quality and professional practice.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• Graduate of education program approved by the credentialing body for the required credential(s) indicated below in the Certifications Licenses and Registrations section

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Twenty four months of clinical nursing experience with demonstration of progressive leadership skills

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• RN - Registered Nurse - Texas State Licensure -- Compact Licensure - must obtain permanent Texas license within 60 days (if establishing Texas residency) AND
• BLS - Basic Life Support (AHA)

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - PREFERRED

• Magnet - ANCC Recognized Certification (ANCC)
• ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support (AHA)

KNOWLEDGE 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 necessary to perform the essential functions of this job especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security

• Ability to effectively communicate with patients physicians family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles

• Strong assessment organizational and problem solving skills as evidenced by capacity to prioritize multiple tasks and role components

• Ability to function independently and exercise judgment in interactions with physicians interprofessional healthcare 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

• Demonstrates highly developed assessment skills; contributes to policies procedure and protocols

• Has knowledge of Nursing Units Dashboard and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores

• Demonstrates expertise in operating the electronic medical record

• Maintains level of professional contributions as defined in Clinical Career Path program guide

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform Yes
• Scrubs Yes
• Business professional No
• Other (department approved) No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster Severe Weather Events etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* Yes

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

Houston Methodist The Woodlands opened in 2017 as the eighth hospital in the Houston Methodist system. This 187-bed 470000-square-foot full-service acute care hospital offers many of the same services as our flagship hospital in the Texas Medical Center. Also on the $380 million hospital campus located at the intersection of I-45 and TX 242 is a medical office building which opened in 2016. Medical Office Building 1 includes a breast care center cancer center & infusion center orthopedics & sports medicine rehabilitation services wellness services and an outpatient laboratory in addition to multi-specialty physician practices. A second medical office building and 785-car parking garage opened in 2018.