Experienced Clinical Nurse - Clinical Decision Unit (CDU - ER)

UT MD Anderson Cancer Center•Houston, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Clinical Nurse in the Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) at MD Anderson Cancer Center manages patient outcomes by providing, coordinating and supporting clinical aspects of direct patient care across the continuum of care. They impact quality of patient care, patient outcomes and use of resources in a designated area in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team. The Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) is an outpatient unit that provides observation services to patients that do not meet the admission criteria. A designated 16-bed medical unit where adult patients in need of additional monitoring, diagnostic evaluation and/or treatment may be placed while a clinical decision is being made to admit the patient for hospitalization or discharge the patient for further care. Available for patient care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. Because the CDU and the ER work closely together, Clinical Nurses in this role will be cross-trained to the ER and may float to the ER to support patient care needs.

Requirements

Graduation from an accredited school of professional nursing.
Current State of Texas Professional Nursing license (RN).
At least one year of recent RN experience in a hospital ER/ED setting.
Previous ER/ED experience is required.
Comfortable caring for a diverse patient population in a fast-paced environment and transitioning between the CDU and ER settings.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Certification in oncology or other nursing specialty.
American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS), ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) or PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) certification as required by patient care area.

Responsibilities

Manages patient outcomes by providing, coordinating and supporting clinical aspects of direct patient care across the continuum of care.
Collaborates with physicians, other services, patient and patient's family to plan care and evaluate outcomes.
Improves practice by integrating results and theories of research studies.
Participates in data collection for current studies.
Demonstrates clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures and managing emergencies.
Documents care according to established standards.
Accesses, inputs and retrieves information from computer systems.
Assures continuity of care through appropriate discharge planning, patient education and coordination of services.
Acts as a patient and family advocate in order to uphold patient rights.
Trains, coaches and assists team members to ensure optimum patient care and efficient use of resources.