Nurse II

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS•El Paso, TX

22h•Onsite

About The Position

Join the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and be part of a team committed to creating a positive impact in the lives of fellow Texans. At HHSC, your contributions matter, and we support you at each stage of your life and work journey. The state supported living centers serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are medically fragile or who have behavioral problems. The centers provide campus-based direct services and supports at 13 centers located throughout the state. This position is available for Morning, Evening and Night shifts on multiple homes and may be eligible to earn additional pay for work performed on evenings, nights and/or weekends, and for work performed on maximum security locations. The Direct Care RN performs routine level nursing work providing for the assessment, care and treatment of individuals who reside in a State Supported Living Center (SSLC) setting. This role involves evaluating, treating, and documenting healthcare needs, reporting issues, and communicating with an interdisciplinary team including direct care staff, physicians/PCP, administration, and other nursing staff to ensure optimal care. The Nurse II also notifies supervisors and PCPs of trends and concerns, completes data entry, required documentation, and reports, and maintains records. They assist with services provided by LVNs and Certified Medication Aides (CMA), participate in facility quality assurance/quality improvement (QA/QI) initiatives, provide treatment to HHS employees injured in the course of employment, and respond to emergency situations. The position works under moderate supervision of the Nurse Manager or Nursing Operations Officer, with limited latitude for initiative and independent judgment.

Requirements

Knowledge of nursing techniques and procedures.
Knowledge of health care laws and regulations.
Knowledge of medical diagnoses and procedures.
Knowledge of accepted medical treatment programs.
Knowledge of community health and nursing care principles, practices, and procedures.
Knowledge of state and federal laws and Intermediate Care Facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF-IID) rules, regulations, policy and procedures related to State Supported Living Center or ability to quickly gain that knowledge.
Knowledge of nursing care standards, the Settlement Agreement and the Healthcare Guidelines or ability to quickly gain the knowledge.
Skill in the care and treatment of patients.
Skills in the use of computer/software and an electronic health record system.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to present ideas clearly and concisely in both written and oral communications.
Ability to provide patient care.
Ability to prepare and maintain records.
Ability to interpret policies and procedures.
Ability to interpret health care regulations.
Ability to recognize patterns of medical necessity treatment.
Ability to demonstrate a working knowledge of emergency procedures and emergency equipment.
Ability to appropriately interact with individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities, with their family members, and with staff members.
Ability to work independently and productively with all levels of staff.
Ability to provide support and coaching to LVNs, CMAs and DSPs.
Ability to make decisions and recommendations to SSLC leadership including on-call administrators.
Licensed to practice as a registered nurse in the State of Texas (or a state that recognizes reciprocity through the Nurse Licensure Compact).
Work experience as a practicing registered nurse is required.
Applicants must pass a fingerprint criminal background check, pre-employment drug screen, and registry checks including the Client Abuse/Neglect Reporting System (CANRS), Nurse Aide, Medication Aide and Employee Misconduct and HHS List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE).
Males between the ages of 18 – 25 must be registered with the Selective Service.
All State Supported Living Center Employees are subject to Random Drug Testing.
All applicants must be at least 18 years of age to be considered for employment at a state-operated facility.

Nice To Haves

At least six (6) months of experience as a practicing registered nurse in a health agency, hospital, or health-care facility is preferred.
Bachelor's Degree is preferred.

Responsibilities

Attends work on a regular basis and may be required to work a specific shift schedule or, at times, even a rotating schedule, extended shift and/or overtime in accordance with agency leave policy and performs other duties as assigned.
May serve in an on-call status on a rotating schedule as required to meet operational needs of the facility.
Performs routine nursing tasks and procedures in accordance with HHSC, SSLC and state regulations, such as tracheostomy care, gastrostomy/jejunostomy care, wound care, breathing treatments.
Collects specimens for laboratory examination and conducts appropriate screening tests when requested by lab personnel.
Administers medications, immunizations, and treatments and observes patients for unusual symptoms and reactions.
Makes rounds and/or home visits as needed and works in other locations at the SSLC as needed.
Monitors individuals’ weight, diet, feedings, and vital signs.
Monitors for signs and symptoms of illness and uses appropriate nursing judgement to provide adequate care for the individual, including initiating acute care plans.
Assists in evaluating nursing intervention outcomes and provides input to other members of the healthcare team including recommendations for improvements.
Instructs direct support professionals on how to monitor individuals after a treatment or procedure using instruction sheets such as that used for post-sedation monitoring of signs and symptoms.
Timely and accurately documents and reports pertinent treatments and observations in the individual’s medical record (electronic health record or paper chart) in accordance with SSLC procedures and protocols.
Prepares reports as required.
Assists with services provided by LVNs and/or Certified Medication Aides (CMA), as needed, and makes recommendations for improvements, including acclimating them to the individuals, their needs and preferences.
Assists LVNs with implementation of protocols, procedures and programs to improve overall health and safety of staff and individuals.
Provides assistance with completing follow up assessments, guidelines, acute care plan (ACP) interventions, injury reports, restraints, and med variances.
Provides support to Nurse Manager’s including reviews and follow up on controlled drug counts, medication counts, emergency checklist logs, refrigerator temp logs, and glucose controls.
Assists the Infection Control nurse by implementing measures that prevent the spread of disease, assists the Quality Assurance Nurse in the implementation of therapeutic nursing programs.
Participates in facility Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement initiatives.
Responds to emergency situations to ensure safety of individuals.
Follows safety and infection control procedures of the SSLC.
Provides educational and safety training to SSLC staff upon request.
Provides treatment to HHS employees injured in course and scope of employment.
Actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation.