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Nurse Clinician I (Out-Patient), Saint Vincent's House

Galveston, Texas, United States

New

Nursing & Care Management

UTMB Health

Requisition # 2504855

Minimum Qualifications:

GN/RN with a current license or valid permit to practice professional nursing in Texas. Completion of an accredited basic nursing education program. Current BLS required.

Job Summary:

Novice Clinician – entry level professional nurse, who is precepted, guided and mentored; possesses a basic general knowledge base and is focused on developing knowledge and skills with guidance and direction; meets standards for professional practice as specified in the Texas Nurse Practice Act; requires assistance, direction and/or supervision in the provision of patient care; With supervision of preceptor(s), the clinician provides safe, basic nursing care in routine and predictable situations. Practice may vary widely as the novice clinician transitions from a new graduate, who requires assistance and direction, to a competent, independent clinician, providing patient care through nursing practices based upon the American Nurses Association Standards of Professional Practice and Professional Performance. Values specialty unit, nursing, and institutional strategic initiatives and health system goals.

Preferred Qualifications:

+ Relevant UTMB experience.

+ Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Job Duties:

The St. Vincent’s Community Nurse provides direct patient care in community clinics to an under-resourced and under-insured population, creating a welcoming and supportive environment for patients and learners. In this role, the nurse conducts comprehensive assessments, assists in care coordination for patients with chronic conditions and substance use disorders, and provides wound care, including cleaning, dressing, and monitoring healing progress. The nurse works collaboratively with providers, social workers, and community partners to address both medical and psychosocial needs, while also educating patients and families on health maintenance, medication adherence, and available community resources. Accurate and timely documentation of patient encounters is essential, along with supporting outreach and follow-up to ensure continuity of care. The nurse also plays an active role in maintaining infection control standards, managing clinic supplies, and contributing to quality improvement initiatives as part of a multidisciplinary team.

All functions are guided and directed by more experienced RNs to the degree needed by the novice practitioner based upon experience, complexity, and knowledge regarding the specific function.

Professional Practice

Nursing Process:

With guidance and direction,

+ assesses, plans, implements, evaluates, and documents the care of assigned patients

+ identifies patient care needs, formulates appropriate nursing diagnoses, develops and individualizes a care plan, and revises the plan of care as needed

+ executes physician and advanced practice providers' orders for all assigned patients; administers medications and treatments, and delivers culturally congruent nursing care in accordance with UTMB's policies, procedures, and standards in a caring, compassionate manner

+ performs routine technical procedures/skills in the specialty area assigned

Patient/Family Teaching & Health Promotion:

With guidance and direction,

+ provides basic patient/family instruction and healthcare teaching

+ identifies potential impact of family dynamics

+ learns to identify unique learning needs based on values, beliefs, barriers, and readiness to learn

+ learns to access evidence-based resources to provide patient/family education

+ learns to utilize evidence-based teaching strategies such as Teach-Back, AskMe3®, return demonstration, etc.

Care Coordination:

With guidance and direction,

+ learns to plan, coordinate, and prioritize patient care activities, progressing to more complex assignments as competencies increase

+ maintains safety and continuity of care using methods such as hand-off tools/processes, inter-disciplinary

+ learns to demonstrate effective time management skills

+ identifies appropriate and approved technology in the delivery of patient care

+ relies on preceptor(s), colleagues, and EHRs to direct them to evidence-based clinical resources to guide patient care

+ seeks guidance and appropriate direction when considering a decision about delegation; learning to effectively and respectfully communicate and delegate

Professional Performance

Ethics (legal/regulatory), Advocacy & Culturally Congruent Care:

With guidance and direction,

+ identifies ethical situations and seeks assistance to resolve.

+ learns how to access available resources (ethics consultation) when ethical issues arise.

+ demonstrates emerging awareness of culturally sensitive care.

Communication & Collaboration:

With guidance and direction,

+ supports a healthy work environment by demonstrating respectful verbal and non-verbal communication with all members of the healthcare team. Seeks assistance for support with challenging communication.

+ learns how to recognize colleagues when they go above and beyond, demonstrating UTMB’s core values.

+ plans, coordinates, and prioritizes patient care activities in collaboration with the inter-professional team.

+ identifies a potential professional mentor to develop skills and abilities.

Leadership:

+ Recognizes informal and formal unit leaders

+ Aware of clinic, nursing, and institutional strategic initiatives and health system goals

+ Learns the importance of financial responsibility to promote fiscal health for the patient, clinic, and organization.

Education, Evidence-based Practice & Research:

+ Attends/participates in unit meetings/activities and supports the philosophy and goals of the unit department and organization

+ Participates in shared leadership at the unit level

+ Participates in unit-based quality improvement activities

+ Attends in-service and continuing education activities

+ Attends the UTMB Vizient/AACN™ Nurse Residency Program and completes an evidence-based practice project in order to successfully complete the program.

+ Demonstrates commitment to lifelong learning (evidence-based practice, specialty certification, advanced degree, etc.)

+ Appropriately poses questions to understand current processes and is open to change.

+ Relies on preceptor(s), colleagues, and EHRs to direct them to evidence-based clinical resources to guide patient care.

Quality, Resources & Safety:

+ Learns to recognize, assess, and report patient safety concerns

+ Able to locate unit quality metrics/outcomes data and identify improvement activities

+ Learns strategies for self-care to support transition to practice, personal safety, and injury prevention

+ Participate in EOC audits and maintain compliance standards related to the environment of care.

+ Knowledgeable of Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals.

General requirements:

+ Completes required specialty-specific Competency-Based Orientation (CBO) tools by the initial performance evaluation due date for placement in employee file.

+ Actively participates in ongoing self-evaluation of competency using competency-based orientation tools and e-performance nursing appraisal.

+ Completes the annual self-evaluation on time for competency and performance evaluation.

+ Performs, documents, and reports point-of-care testing (POCT).

+ Prioritizes and organizes work so that required assignments are completed within a specified time frame

+ Provides and maintains a clean, safe environment and performs and/or assists others to perform proper aseptic technique, isolation procedures, and infection control measures.

+ Practices basic cost containment for patients and the clinic.

+ Consistently completes accurate, concise, timely, and legible documentation for all patient, unit, and hospital records (including care delivery and telephone patient-related interactions).

+ Competently utilizes electronic forms of communication and documentation.

+ Meets periodic UTMB and unit-specific compliance requirements for health screening training, attendance, safety, and CPR.

+ Adheres to internal controls and reporting structure.

+ Performs related duties as required.

Equipment:

Standard patient care supplies, equipment, assistive patient lift/transport devices, and mechanical devices for a selected patient population. Standard hospital-related office equipment. Show competency in point-of-care testing (POCT) and quality requirements.

Working Environment/Location of Position:

+ The work environment is located in a comfortable indoor area except at times where clinics are held at community partner sites that may sometimes take place outside.

+ Conditions such as noise, odors, cramped workspace, and/or fumes could sometimes cause discomfort.

+ Moderate to extreme physical effort may be required, such as walking, standing, squatting, reaching, pushing, pulling, performing CPR, and lifting materials, equipment, objects, and/or patients.

+ Lifting may be heavy and awkward, over 50 lbs.

+ Vision, hearing, talking, and sense of touch abilities must be adequate to enable one to quickly and accurately perform tasks such as reading small print, reading from monitoring equipment, defining details, sending and receiving clear and accurate oral and written communication.

+ Frequent periods of concentrated or focused attention will be needed to interpret visual, auditory, and sensory inputs.

+ Alertness and careful attention to detail will be required to avoid injury.

+ May be exposed to such occupational hazards as communicable diseases, bloodborne pathogens, ionizing & non-ionizing radiation, hazardous medications, and disoriented or combative patients or others.

+ May be required to be on standby and work extended shifts in situations deemed necessary by the Chief Nursing Officer, Nursing Director, and/or Nurse Manager.

Salary Range:

Actual salary commensurate with experience. This position is grant-funded and dependent upon continued available funds.

Equal Employment Opportunity

UTMB Health strives to provide equal opportunity employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. As a Federal Contractor, UTMB Health takes affirmative action to hire and advance protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Compensation