Neonatal Program Manager

Neonatal Program Manager

At Houston Methodist, the Neonatal Program Manager (NPM) position has authority and responsibility, with hospital leadership and Neonatal Medical Director (NMD), for the design, development, and maintenance of the neonatal patient care service line. This position has accountability for the implementation and evaluation of neonatal patient care services strategy and must be clinically active and a practicing registered nurse participating in neonatal care at the entity of the program. The NPM position ensures quality, service and safety metrics are met in neonatal patient care services and provides oversight to ensure the standardization and efficiency of care for neonatal patients throughout the continuum of care to include criteria for transfer, consultation or higher-level of care, and discharge. This position serves as a liaison between the Hospital client department, consultants, contractors, regulatory agencies, and others, and inclusive of the Quality Assessment Performance Improvement (QAPI) program. Besides conducting nursing assessments, assisting with exams and treatment and maintenance of medical records, the NPM position assists in coaching and mentoring department staff in areas of clinical and professional practice.

Houston Methodist Experience Expectations:

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
• Integrity: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
• Compassion: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
• Accountability: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
• Respect: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
• Excellence: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.
• Practices the Caring and Serving Model
• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards
• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)
• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience
• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job
• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

Responsibilities

People Essential Functions:

• Collaborates with the Neonatal Medical Director, maternal program consulting physician(s) and nursing leaders to include, but not limited to, criteria for transfer, consultation or higher-level of care, developing and/or revising policies, procedures and guidelines and monitoring for variances, ensuring staff competency in resuscitation techniques, team-based education, and training in the care of the neonatal patient.
• Develops collaborative relationships with other NPMs of designated facilities within the applicable Neonatal Care Region.
• Drives contributions toward improvement of department scores for employee engagement, i.e., peer-to-peer accountability.

Service Essential Functions:

• Regularly and actively participates in neonatal care. Evaluates, and monitors the provision, progress, and achievement of objectives for neonatal patient care services from admission, stabilization, operative intervention(s), through discharge, and telehealth telemedicine utilization, if applicable.
• Develops and implements effective patient teaching strategies based on learning needs; uses appropriate resources, incorporating planning for care after discharge. Consistently evaluates the patient's comprehension and adapts teaching methods accordingly.
• Drives department activities to improve department score for patient satisfaction, through peer-to-peer accountability.

Quality/Safety Essential Functions:

• Regularly leads and participates in the neonatal program oversight, QAPI Plan, neonatal-specific reviews, PCR meetings, regional QAPI initiatives, regional collaboratives, and meetings. Inclusive of the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Program, identifies corrective action. Ensures appropriate data initiatives are collected and submitted to appropriate databases, individuals, agencies, etc.
• Models the standards related to regulatory requirements and professional practice as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document. Role models highly developed assessment, clinical documentation, leadership, and analytical skills; integrates and contributes to professional practice standards, policies, procedures, protocols and leads improvements in patient safety-related processes at unit or service line level. Contributes to development of service line and hospital standards and guidelines.
• Leads and identifies opportunities for practice changes and performance improvement. Investigates and incorporates evidence-based practices which are presented to shared governance and leadership. Leads initiatives to improve quality and safety scores, through peer-to-peer accountability, reporting near misses and identifying solutions by collaborating with the interprofessional team. Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety. Audits plan of care and audits other areas as needed.

Finance Essential Functions:

• Models independent time management effectively and prioritization of daily tasks, minimizing incidental overtime. Collaborates with interprofessional health care team to facilitate patient throughput efficiently to meet organizational goals.
• Implements department strategies to achieve financial target and mentors others to do the same through timely documentation of care, decreasing length of stay, optimizing efficiency, minimizing incidental overtime, and other areas according to department specifications.

Growth/Innovation Essential Functions:

• Expands individual nursing knowledge and coaches staff to grow in knowledge, abilities, skills, and attitudes. Serves as the clinical resource. Develops and disseminates, as appropriate, informational/educational resources and programs designed to improve quality and professional practice. Supports change initiatives and adapts to unexpected changes.
• Fosters identification and implementation of innovative solutions to improve patient care or unit operations such as reduction of hospital readmissions or other department-specific measures by leading and/or participating in unit projects and shared governance activities.
• Seeks opportunities to identify self-development needs and takes appropriate action. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the My Development Plan on an ongoing basis.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited school of nursing
• Master's degree preferred

Work Experience:

• Five years neonatal nursing experience in a healthcare environment; if Master's degree, three years neonatal nursing experience

License/Certification:

• RN - Registered Nurse - Texas State Licensure -- Compact Licensure - Must obtain permanent Texas license within 60 days (if establishing Texas residency) AND
• BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) AND
• NRP - Neonatal Resuscitation or Instructor (AHA,AAP) AND
• Magnet - ANCC Recognized Certification within 1 year

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through ongoing skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
• Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development of the life span
• Exhibits good listening skills
• Ability to work independently and analyze and solve problems
• Demonstrates the ability to manage complex clinical and interpersonal situations
• Able to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects
• Acts as effective change agent
• Uses therapeutic communication to establish a relationship with patients, families and interprofessional team to collaborate on the plan of care
• Strong assessment, organizational and problem-solving skill as evidenced by capacity to prioritize multiple tasks and role components
• Ability to function independently and exercise judgment in interactions with physicians, interprofessional care team and patients and their families
• Uses critical thinking skills and clinical judgment to work autonomously as defined by the Nurse Practice Act
• Competent in Microsoft