Job Summary: The Staff Nurse is an integral part of the health care team. The Staff Nurse assists the health care team in a professional manner in the community health center setting. Responsibilities include administering quality nursing care, immunizations, and health education to patients of all ages in accordance with established nursing standards; assisting in the lab as appropriate; working with all health center personnel to ensure an efficient and safe environment of care.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Staff Nurse performs the following duties as assigned:
- Follow all policies, procedures, and protocols.
- Participate in writing policies, procedures, and protocols.
- Ensure documentation of client care as appropriate in a timely manner.
- Follow all OSHA Guidelines and Standards, provide ongoing assessment of OSHA compliance in the clinic, and be available to staff for questions/concerns regarding OSHA compliance and any client care.
- Ensure client/patient complaints are resolved in a timely manner.
- Assist providers operationally as needed.
- Schedule and conduct staff education/team meetings.
- Ensure ongoing medications/supply inventories.
- Order, monitor, and maintain inventory of needed supplies, medications, etc.
- Maintain referral resources for specialty care.
- Ensure that all equipment is in good working order with needed maintenance.
- Plan, schedule, and organize workload ensuring proper distribution and delegation of assignments.
- Participate in establishing new programs.
- Ensure incident report monitoring is up to date with follow-up as needed.
- Participate in the Performance Improvement Program.
- Demonstrate respect and regard for the dignity of all patients, families, visitors, and fellow employees to ensure a professional, responsible, and courteous environment.
- Promote effective working relations and work effectively as part of a team to facilitate the department’s ability to meet its goals and objectives.
- Attend all required safety training programs and describe responsibilities related to general safety, department/service safety, and specific job-related hazards.
- Operate assigned equipment and perform all procedures in a safe manner as instructed.
- Maintain work area and equipment in condition required by TJC standards.
- Demonstrate proper body mechanics in all functions.
- Check on the patient’s environment and equipment to ensure safety. Report safety concerns promptly to appropriate personnel.
- Follow exposure control plans/blood-borne and airborne pathogens.
- Demonstrate knowledge of techniques, procedures, and correct use of protective barrier equipment (Universal Precautions).
- Assure a safe environment by instituting appropriate control measures.
- Demonstrate flexibility, enthusiasm, and willingness to cooperate while working with others in assigned inter-professional care teams to support PCMH programmatic activities.
- Participate in population management activities, as directed.
- Assist the care team by helping to measure quality and identify, refine, and implement practice improvements that support the medical home, and assist in performance evaluation and quality improvement.
- Apply the principles of comprehensive, community-based, patient-centered, developmentally appropriate, and culturally and linguistically sensitive care.
- Help develop and train first-level nursing staff where appropriate.
- Perform all other related duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Required:
- Knowledge of basic principles of health promotion, prevention, and motivation.
- Knowledge of protocols in general and an ability to quickly gain specific knowledge of the Center’s current operational protocols.
- Knowledge of medical terminology and appropriate abbreviations.
- Demonstrates knowledge of the Texas Nursing Practice Act.
- Ability to read and comprehend medical instructions, short correspondence, and memos.
- Ability to document, with clarity, all information relevant to a patient’s needs.
- Ability to effectively present information in small group situations to patients, Center staff, and the general public.
- Ability to prepare statistical and administrative reports.
- Ability to work cooperatively with community agency personnel to coordinate services for patients.
- Ability to use a glucometer and interpret the results.
- Ability to use office equipment including but not limited to computers, fax machines, telephones, and copiers.
- Ability to prioritize and allocate resources.
Preferred:
- Bilingual in English and Spanish is preferred but not required.
Credentials and Experience
Required:
- Registered Nurse degree from an accredited school of nursing.
- Current unrestricted license from the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners to practice as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the State of Texas.
- Current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) for Healthcare Professionals Certification.
Preferred:
- Three (3) years of practice experience as an RN giving direct patient care.
- Three (3) years of experience training and monitoring staff.
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