Quality Resource Nurse - Clinic Operations (Medical Center)

Quality Resource Nurse

At Houston Methodist, the Quality Resource Nurse position is responsible for providing clinical expertise and serves as a resource to the organization through educational programs and quality improvement projects by supporting multiple areas across the organization. The Quality Resource Nurse position will oversee and routinely review clinical support practices to identify educational and process needs in an assigned area. This position assists clinics with coordinating program education based on protocols and standard operating procedures, which include the compliance of policies and procedures related to practice operations, patient safety, quality, training, and customer service. The Quality Resource Nurse position will assist with clinical standardization and coach staff in areas of clinical and professional practice and role modeling compassionate communication with physicians and the interprofessional healthcare team.

The Houston Methodist experience expectations include providing personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values.

Responsibilities include:

• Schedules ongoing coordinated education in-services. Develops educational information and practice for clinical staff. Contributes to improving clinical staff satisfaction/engagement by serving as a role model and mentor, coaching staff in effective verbal, non-verbal, and written communication, which includes active listening and facilitating teamwork.
• Partners with staff, medical staff, and clinical leadership to ensure excellence in performance improvement, patient safety, and outcomes management.
• Communicates appropriately and clearly with clinic management staff, exhibiting a willingness to master new work routines and methods.
• Contributes towards improvement of department scores for employee engagement, i.e. peer-to-peer accountability.
• Functions as a subject matter expert consultant to clinical team members through protocol assessments for care.
• Provides quality reports and analysis at the request of clinical leadership.
• Visits department/staff units in assigned areas to improve visibility and communication with clinical staff. Regularly rounds on key constituents (patients, families, employees, and physicians) to solicit feedback regarding performance, needs, etc., and enhance communication, ensuring alignment that the experience is exceptional. Provides a feedback loop for all aspects of patient care to the Clinical Operations Leadership. Acts as a liaison for the Clinical Operations Leadership when immediate contact with the Clinical Operations Leadership is unavailable.
• Adopts lean principles in driving process improvements. Assists with clinical and operational oversight of performance improvement. Participates in quality improvement initiatives to ensure continued assessment and process improvement.
• Ensures a safe and effective working environment; monitors and/or revises the department safety plan and/or any specific accreditation/regulatory required safety guidelines, including infection control principles. Monitors and confirms staff maintain their required credentials that demonstrate competency per accrediting agency or department guidelines as applicable.
• Employs a proactive approach to optimizing safe outcomes by monitoring and improving the department workflow, using peer-to-peer accountability, reporting accidents, near misses, and/or adverse events immediately per department protocol and identifying solutions via collaboration. Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety.
• Identifies system problems that may contribute to errors and monitors corrective actions to ensure effective resolution. Initiates and participates in joint performance improvement activities and these initiatives are designed to measure and improve the quality of care delivered and are consistent with the organization priorities. Independently seeks opportunities to identify and streamline inefficiencies in clinical areas through action plans and follow-up with leaders in assigned areas.
• Provides recommendations to clinic/organizational leadership to achieve targets based on improved patient satisfaction.
• Identifies trends for improvement opportunities or practice changes and supports initiatives. Researches the change and presents options to appropriate clinical leadership.
• Drives change initiatives, maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures. Partners effectively with stakeholders as appropriate.
• Attends workshops and other educational programs to ensure awareness of current developments and trends. Stays up-to-date with professional organizational standards. Incorporates evidence-based practices. Expands individual nursing knowledge and coaches staff to grow in knowledge, abilities, skills, and attitudes. Completes and updates My Development plan on an on-going 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 include:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited school of nursing
• Five years of nursing experience in a healthcare environment
• Experience must include demonstrated leadership ability, preferably working in a related nursing management position in a healthcare setting

Licenses and certifications required:

• 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)

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going 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
• Embodies the behaviors associated with the Leadership, Art, and Science of Nursing (identified in Duties and Responsibilities) at the Proficient level according to Benner's model of clinical practice.
• Displays professionalism, remains composed under stress, and takes responsibility for delivering on personal and organizational commitments.
• Ability to work independently; possesses organization/time management and prioritization skills

Supplemental requirements:

• Work attire: Uniform No, Scrubs Yes, Business professional Yes
• On-call*: On Call* No
• Travel**: May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes, May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area Yes

Company profile:

Houston Methodist Specialty Physician Group - As one of the nation's leading hospitals and academic medical centers Houston Methodist has brought together some of the nation's leading experts in multiple specialties to serve our patients. As part of Houston Methodist Specialty Physician Group (HMSPG), these specialists not only provide excellent clinical care, but are on the forefront of research, developing leading-edge technologies and treatments, and teaching the medical pioneers of tomorrow. This combination of clinical service, research and academics ensures patients have access to the latest in treatments and technologies while providing the best in comprehensive patient care. Established as a non-profit corporation and certified by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, HMSPG enables physicians to maintain autonomy with respect to their clinical practice while growing their practice within an academic environment.