Job Description

Work schedule: Full-time rotating (40 hours/week), variable schedule, with rotating weekends and holidays.

Primary Purpose:
A Registered Nurse with > 2 years of experience. The RN is a licensed professional who uses the Parkland nursing professional practice model to coordinate patient care delivery, that focuses on a particular patient population(s)/specific health condition, by the health care team. Using the nursing process, the RN assesses the patient, identifies nursing diagnoses based on responses to health problems, develops and implements an individualized plan of care, and evaluates the patient's response. The RN utilizes knowledge of patient needs and the healthcare environment to assist patients to transition through the healthcare encounter without any preventable complications or delays. The RN delegates interventions to health care personnel based on the Texas Nursing Practice Act, each patient's condition and the competencies of the employee.

Minimum Specifications:
Education

• Must be a graduate from an accredited school of nursing

Experience

• Must have two (2) years of nursing experience.
• Highly prefer Trauma / Acute care experience providing direct bedside, patient care in a high acuity, fast-paced hospital environment (excluding Med/Surg, ED Observation/Clinical Decision Units; Clinical Rotations as part of a degree program, and or LVN experience.

Certification/Registration/Licensure:
*Please Note: All certification cards must provide an expiration date. The expiration date must be more than 30 days from date of hire. Completion of course certificates will not substitute this requirement.

• Current/Valid State of TX RN license or temporary RN license or, Compact RN license in good standing.
• Current/Valid Basic Life Support (BLS) healthcare provider certification card at time of hire, and the ability to maintain thereafter from one of the following: American Heart Association; American Red Cross; or Military Training Network.
• Current/Valid American Heart Association Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) or Advanced Life Support (ALS) certification card at time hire, and the ability to maintain thereafter from one of the following: American Heart Association; American Red Cross; or Military Training Network.
• Current/Valid Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) or Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC) certification card at time of hire, and the ability to maintain thereafter.
• Current/Valid Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC) or Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN) at time of interview, and the ability to maintain thereafter (Please be prepared to upload this certification at time of application submission).
• Must have CEN, CCRN or TCRN within 18 months of hire

Skills or Special Abilities:

• Must be able to demonstrate an expert knowledge of all phases of trauma care to include pre-hospital care, resuscitation, stabilization, supportive care, rehabilitation, and organ/tissue routine inquiry.
• Must have effective written and verbal communication skills. Must demonstrate patient centered/patient valued behaviors.
• Must be able to demonstrate knowledge regarding ICD-9 coding, trauma injury severity scoring, and EMTALA transfer guidelines and performance improvement.
• Must be able to work variable hours including holidays and weekends.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for enhancing trauma care for all patients admitted to the Trauma Center through clinical expertise, communication, and implementation of defined trauma management protocols.
• Responsible for patient care management of all trauma activations, ensuring patient care, system and trauma center criteria are met. Documents activation criteria, injuries, plan of care, and admission data, ensuring accurate information. Assist in contacting family members and updating team members as needed. Follows patient through admission to ensure patient/family needs are met.
• Responsible for data collection and patient tracking for the Trauma Registry, Trauma Research, trauma center criteria, and the trauma performance improvement processes.
• Performs daily patient rounds to ensure the plan of care is appropriately addressed. Monitors bed availability, consult service response times, and perform procedure follow-up. Ensures patient/family psychosocial needs are addressed and identifies injury prevention educational needs. Coordinates care management activities with the care coordinator assigned to the trauma, neurosurgery, and orthopedic patient population.
• Maintains knowledge of applicable rules, regulations, policies, laws, and guidelines that impact the Trauma Management area. Assists in the development and implementation of measures that ensure compliance with the American College of Surgeons and Texas Department of Health's trauma center designation / verification requirements. Develops and monitors effective internal controls that promote adherence to applicable state/federal laws, and the program requirements of accreditation agencies and federal, state, and private health plans. Assists in monitoring criteria for UTSWMC Faculty Contract as needed. Seeking advice and guidance as necessary to ensure proper understanding.
• Identifies ways to improve work processes and improve customer satisfaction. Makes recommendations to supervisor, implements, and monitors results as appropriate in support of the overall goals of the Trauma area and Parkland. Consistently provides optimal customer service to internal and external Parkland customers. Participates in the Trauma Performance Improvement Process indicator reviews as needed and assists in producing a monthly summary of activities to ensure that Trauma Management protocols are effective.
• Maintains positive working relationships with management, residents, staff faculty, nurses, allied health, and other hospital employees to ensure effective communication and cooperative working relationships.
• Stays abreast of the latest developments, advancements and trends in the field of Trauma Management by attending seminars/workshops, reading professional journals, and actively participating in professional organizations. Maintains Texas RN licensure, TNCC and/or ATCN licensure, and ACLS certifications. Maintains CEN or CCRN certification. Presents and/or assists with the presentation of two (2) injury prevention and two (2) trauma continuing education related programs annually. Maintains a minimum of 16 hours of continuing education annually that is specific to trauma management in all phases of care, ICD9 scoring, injury scoring, trauma performance improvement, trauma system development, and disaster management. Integrates knowledge gained into current work practices. Educate patients, families, colleagues, and team in advanced, basic, and technical procedures in compliance with the Nurse Practice Act.
• Serves on Shared Governance Committees. Attends other interdisciplinary committees to ensure effective inter-departmental communication regarding trauma practice and quality issues within the institution and in the region.
• Assists in the development, implementation and monitoring of annual goals and objectives for the Trauma Services Department that support the mission and objectives of Parkland and the department.