HFC Nurse III Surveyor

Texas Health & Human Services Commission•San Antonio, TX

1d•$7,474 - $8,886•Onsite

About The Position

The Nurse III Surveyor is an advanced-level nursing role with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Working under limited supervision, the surveyor conducts on-site inspections and investigations of regulated health care facilities to assess compliance with applicable state and federal laws, regulations, and rules. Facility types include hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, end-stage renal disease facilities, birthing centers, rehabilitation facilities, and other regulated providers. The role involves reviewing clinical, management, and business records; interviewing patients, consumers, and staff; observing care and facility operations; evaluating plans of correction; documenting findings; and recommending or referring cases for enforcement action when appropriate. The surveyor prepares accurate, timely reports and uses regulatory databases and other software to document findings, manage workload, and support quality assurance. The position may also train and mentor new surveyors, represent the agency in stakeholder interactions, and respond to provider and consumer inquiries. This is a mobile field position with minimal office work. Travel is extensive and includes statewide trips, overnight stays, and weekend travel; the posting states up to 85% travel and describes weekly statewide work-site travel with one day or less per week in the office. Flexible work hours and reliable transportation are required. On-call duties may be required for emergencies or high-priority situations. Telework is not eligible at posting, though the description also states telework status may depend on completing a six-month probationary period and meeting applicable requirements. Applicants must be a registered nurse in Texas or a state that participates in Nurse Licensure Compact reciprocity, and must have three years of registered nursing experience. A four-year degree with nursing coursework or graduation from an accredited nursing program is generally preferred; education and experience may be substituted year for year. Applicants must pass a fingerprint criminal background check. Employees who accept this position may not continue employment at HHSC-regulated facilities or providers and must disclose potential conflicts of interest and specified outside affiliations.

Requirements

Current Registered Nurse registration in Texas or in a state recognizing reciprocity through the Nurse Licensure Compact.
Three years of registered nursing experience.
Knowledge of local, state, and federal health care laws and regulations relevant to regulated programs.
Knowledge of health care facility operations, regulation, and procedures.
Knowledge of public administration and management techniques, statistical analysis, research, training, marketing, and program management processes.
Written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking.
Ability to manage competing priorities; identify problems, evaluate alternatives, and implement solutions.
Ability to gather, correlate, and analyze facts; maintain records; prepare reports; and explain public health law.
Ability to develop, evaluate, and interpret policies and procedures; communicate effectively; guide others; and present information orally and in writing.
Ability to use computers and software for word processing, database management, and report writing.
Ability to plan, assign, and/or supervise the work of others.
Flexibility in work hours and availability for extensive statewide travel, including overnight and weekend travel.
Reliable transportation.
Pass a fingerprint criminal background check.
Disclose potential conflicts of interest, secondary employment, volunteer activities, and relevant family or friend relationships with regulated providers; employment at HHSC-regulated facilities or providers cannot continue if the applicant accepts this position.

Nice To Haves

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in nursing, or graduation from an accredited nursing program; the posting describes this as generally preferred.
Experience or education may substitute for one another on a year-for-year basis.

Responsibilities

Conduct recertification, initial, and follow-up surveys and complaint investigations at licensed or Medicare-certified health care facilities.
Review clinical records, facility management and business records, interview patients, consumers, and staff, and observe facility operations to assess compliance and quality of care.
Determine the validity of complaint allegations and document survey and investigation findings in ASPEN in accordance with the Principles of Documentation.
Review facility plans of correction and determine whether proposed corrective actions are acceptable.
Develop recommendations for state enforcement action or federal termination action, and refer matters to other regulatory entities when appropriate.
Prepare and submit complete, accurate, and timely survey, investigation, licensing, and field evaluation reports.
Plan, assign, and/or supervise the work of survey staff and teams; provide consultation, mentoring, precepting, and orientation to newly employed surveyors.
Use surveyor training materials and applicable facility laws and regulations to teach survey processes and participate in training workshops.
Assist management and quality assurance staff with developing and implementing quality assurance processes.
Represent the agency and respond to providers, consumers, stakeholders, other state agencies, and federal partners verbally and in writing.
Use TULIP, ASPEN (ACO/ACTS), IQIES, SharePoint, Microsoft Office, and other systems for data entry, reporting, workload monitoring, and quality assurance.
Submit travel documentation and enter leave in CAPPS in a timely and accurate manner.
Attend work on a regular and predictable schedule, perform other assigned duties, and assist in emergency situations or other program activities as requested.