Registered Nurse - Emergency Department

St. Josephs Medical Center•Houston, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department is accountable for observing, assessing, intervening, evaluating, and rehabilitating patients, providing health teaching, maintaining health, preventing illness, administering ordered medications and treatments, supervising or teaching nursing, and administering, supervising, and evaluating nursing practices, policies, and procedures. The role also includes carrying out acts delegated by a physician and developing nursing care plans. The nurse triages, assesses, and prioritizes emergency patients; provides care for traumatic injuries and cardiac symptoms; and manages rapidly changing or life-threatening conditions in accordance with department guidelines, order sets, and advanced cardiac and pediatric life support protocols. The role includes pain management, age-appropriate care and education, and discharge teaching for patients and caregivers. Nurses assigned to triage must have at least one year of emergency department experience, complete the ESI course, and have documented triage competency. The position supports St. Joseph Medical Center's mission, vision, and values; follows facility and patient-care guidelines, standards of conduct, and compliance policies; and protects patient health information. The nurse uses professional judgment and the nursing process, collaborates with patients, families, and healthcare colleagues, delegates and supervises support personnel, promotes patient safety, and contributes to quality improvement and a positive patient experience. The role also includes maintaining competency and current practice knowledge and stewarding hospital resources while ensuring quality care.

Requirements

Active Registered Nurse licensure accepted by the Texas State Board of Nursing.
Technical, clerical, critical-thinking, and interpersonal skills relevant to patient care and the assigned area.
BLS, ACLS, PALS, and TNCC certifications, as required by certification policy.
Ability to communicate effectively in English, verbally and in writing.
For assignment to triage: at least one year of emergency department experience, completion of the ESI course, and documented competency in triage.

Nice To Haves

Emergency room experience.
Baccalaureate degree or progression toward a baccalaureate degree.
National certification recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Bilingual or multilingual ability.

Responsibilities

Triage, assess, and prioritize patients upon arrival using the ESI Level 5 Triage System, when qualified and assigned.
Perform primary and secondary assessments for patients with traumatic injuries and initiate immediate nursing care and therapy for patients with cardiac symptoms.
Assess and manage rapidly changing or life-threatening conditions in accordance with Emergency Care Center guidelines, order sets, and Advanced Cardiac and Pediatric Life Support protocols.
Manage patients' pain-control needs.
Provide age-appropriate care and education for infants, children, adolescents, young adults, and elderly patients.
Educate patients or caregivers on home care, medication use, pain management and comfort, referrals and resources, and when to seek further care and follow-up.
Complete eight hours of stroke-specific education each year.
Incorporate patients' physiological, psychological, cultural, developmental, and spiritual needs into their care plans.
Direct, supervise, and guide support personnel, and evaluate the effectiveness of delegated tasks.
Collaborate with interprofessional and intraprofessional colleagues to ensure quality outcomes.
Complete annual education and competency validation requirements.
Use the nursing process, professional judgment, and critical thinking to plan and deliver care consistent with assessment data, physician treatment plans, and professional standards.
Promote patient safety, identify risks and hazards, and take actions to mitigate harm and prevent exposure to infectious pathogens and communicable conditions.
Communicate complete, unbiased, timely, and accurate information to patients and families, and support their participation in care and decision-making.
Collaborate with patients, families, healthcare practitioners, and leaders in care delivery and in policy and program development, implementation, and evaluation.
Take ownership of patient-safety issues and support a just culture and patient and family representation in decisions affecting care.
Maintain knowledge of current standards, trends, and developments in practice.
Foster positive relationships with customers and contribute to improving HCAHPS results.
Promote stewardship of hospital resources while ensuring quality patient care.
Support and communicate the medical center's mission, vision, and values; follow Standards of Conduct, Corporate Compliance, and HIPAA policies.
Perform other duties as assigned.