Acute Care RN

Texas Health & Human Services Commission • Abilene, TX

1d • $7,533 - $8,886 • Onsite

About The Position

The Acute Care RN performs complex nursing work assessing, caring for, and treating individuals who reside at a State Supported Living Center (SSLC). The nurse works as part of a professional, interdisciplinary team and shares responsibility for developing individuals’ programs. The role evaluates, treats, and documents healthcare needs and concerns; communicates with direct care staff, physicians and primary care providers, administration, and nursing staff; and reports trends and concerns to the supervisor and PCP to support consistent, high-quality care. Duties also include data entry, reports, and record maintenance; serving as a nurse preceptor; assigning nursing responsibilities to an LVN and RN I as appropriate under the Nurse Practice Act; participating in quality assurance and quality improvement initiatives; treating HHS employees injured in the course and scope of employment; and responding to emergencies. The position works under the general supervision of the Nurse Manager or Nursing Operations Officer, with moderate latitude for initiative and independent judgment.

The role is based at Abilene State Supported Living Center and is designated as a regular night shift, with no telework eligibility listed. The position may involve rotating on-call duty, overtime, extended hours, weekends, holidays, working at other SSLC locations, and alternate shift or location assignments during disaster response, recovery, or Continuity of Operations activation. Additional pay may be available for evening, night, and/or weekend work. Nurses have access to free CEUs and updated resources through Lippincott. The posting also describes benefits for eligible full-time employees, including fully paid employee health insurance, a defined benefit pension plan, generous time off, and career advancement opportunities.

Requirements

• At least one year of experience as a practicing registered nurse.
• Current license to practice as a registered nurse in Texas, or in a state recognizing reciprocity through the Nurse Licensure Compact.
• Obtain and maintain current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification.
• Knowledge of nursing techniques and procedures, healthcare laws and regulations, medical diagnoses and procedures, accepted medical treatment programs, and community health and nursing care principles and practices.
• Knowledge of applicable state and federal laws, ICF-IID rules and regulations, SSLC policies and procedures, nursing care standards, the Settlement Agreement, and Healthcare Guidelines, or ability to quickly acquire this knowledge.
• Skill in caring for and treating patients and in using computers, software, and electronic health record systems.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present ideas clearly and concisely.
• Ability to provide patient care; prepare and maintain records; interpret policies, procedures, and healthcare regulations; and recognize patterns of medical necessity treatment.
• Ability to demonstrate working knowledge of emergency procedures and emergency equipment.
• Ability to interact appropriately with individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, their family members, and staff.
• Ability to work independently and productively with all levels of staff, train staff at all levels, and make decisions and recommendations to SSLC leadership, including on-call administrators.
• Pass fingerprint-based criminal background checks, a pre-employment drug screen, and required registry checks.
• Willingness to work weekends and holidays, and flexibility to work overtime, extended hours, and other schedules as required.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old; males ages 18–25 must be registered with the Selective Service.
• Employees are subject to random drug testing.

Nice To Haves

• Two years of experience as a practicing registered nurse is preferred.
• At least two years of experience as a practicing registered nurse in a health agency, hospital, or healthcare facility is preferred.
• A bachelor’s degree is preferred.
• Previous experience working with individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Attend work regularly, follow assigned shift schedules, and perform other duties as assigned; work rotating schedules, extended shifts, or overtime when required.
• Serve in rotating on-call status as required by facility operational needs.
• Perform complex nursing procedures, including tracheostomy care, gastrostomy/jejunostomy care, wound care, and breathing treatments; collect laboratory specimens and conduct requested screening tests.
• Support Nurse Managers with day-to-day supervision, including review and follow-up of controlled-drug and medication counts, emergency checklist logs, refrigerator temperature logs, and glucose controls.
• Administer medications, immunizations, and treatments; observe patients for unusual symptoms and reactions; make rounds or home visits and work at other SSLC locations as needed.
• Monitor individuals’ weight, diet, feedings, and vital signs; identify signs and symptoms of illness and use nursing judgment, including initiating acute care plans.
• Evaluate nursing intervention outcomes and provide input to other healthcare team members.
• Instruct direct support professionals on monitoring individuals after treatments or procedures, using instruction materials as appropriate.
• Accurately and promptly document and report treatments and observations in electronic or paper medical records according to SSLC procedures and protocols.
• Precept and train nurses, including helping new nurses learn nursing functions, individuals’ needs, and individual preferences.
• Assist LVNs and RNs with protocols, procedures, and programs intended to improve the health and safety of staff and individuals; assist with follow-up assessments, guidelines, advance care plan interventions, injury reports, restraints, and medication variances.
• Assist Infection Control and Quality Assurance nurses with disease-prevention measures and quality assurance program development and implementation; assist with therapeutic nursing programs and participate in facility QA/QI initiatives.
• Respond to emergencies to ensure individuals’ safety; follow SSLC safety and infection-control procedures; provide staff education and safety training upon request.
• Provide treatment to HHS employees injured in the course and scope of employment.
• Participate in or support agency disaster response, recovery, or Continuity of Operations activities, which may require an alternate shift pattern or work location.

Benefits

• 100% paid employee health insurance for eligible full-time employees.
• Defined benefit pension plan.
• Generous time off benefits.
• Career advancement opportunities.
• Free CEUs and updated resources through Lippincott access for nurses.
• Additional pay may be available for work performed on evenings, nights, and/or weekends.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed