At Houston Methodist, the RN Clinical Communications Coordinator position a registered nurse, responsible for facilitating and coordinating patient care during all phases of transplantation. The Clinical Communication Coordinator position provides professional nursing care to a diverse patient population and interacts with all members of interprofessional transplant team to ensure coordination of care for the transplant patient. This position provides indirect patient care effectively and efficiently which may include patients with varied and complex needs. Responsibilities for the RN Clinical Communications Coordinator position include appropriately identifying candidates upon transplant referral and coordinating the evaluation process; assessing and triaging all organ specific patient calls through the transplant communication center for appropriate resolution of issues including independently managing issues as appropriate; facilitating transplant clinic activity; and ensuring proper documentation of all patient care issues through the communication center including completion of any issues triaged to other team members.

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVED
Refer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

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

• Displays cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion principles

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Serves as the voice of the department through frontline, telephonic communication for all phases of transplant. Role models interprofessional communication, using therapeutic communication, which includes active listening and teaching, to establish a relationship with patients and families. Identifies and responds to the clinical, psychosocial, and economic needs of the transplant patient/family/caregiver during all phases of transplantation and communicates the plan of care.

• Communicates with candidate, referring physicians, other health care providers, payors, and transplant team members regarding the patient's status and maintains communication as needed. Provides telephonic patient education in the areas of transplant and organ donation.

• Fosters teamwork approach in all interactions with peers and team members. Anticipates needs of other team members; proactively offers assistance. Serves as a resource for referring physician activities. Contributes to 1mproving department score for employee satisfaction/engagement.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Follows the patient and family-centered care standards, as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document. Practices in a manner that is congruent with cultural diversity and inclusion principles. Coordinates with interprofessional healthcare team, the evaluation process for potential transplant candidate. Contributes to meeting patient satisfaction measures.

• Advocates on patient/family's behalf to identify and resolve clinical and ethical concerns, utilizing appropriate resources. Assesses candidate/family/caregiver educational deficits for all phases of the transplant process. Provides additional education via phone as indicated by assessment. Provides education and appropriate resources regarding disease process, potential candidacy, living donation options, OPTN/UNOS regulations, organ allocation, waiting phase, transplant process, Candidate/Family/Caregiver responsibility throughout the transplant process.

• Ensures patient and referring physician are informed in writing of transplant referral and evaluation processes.

• Collects and reviews data pertinent to recipients' health and organ function per protocol and as needed in follow-up. Communicates critical lab data and diagnostic results to transplant physician/health care provider. Arranges for consultations, diagnostic procedures, and hospitalization when indicated. Ensures antibody screen is obtained regularly per transplant center protocol (if applicable to organ). Identifies the need for candidate re-evaluation and initiates when appropriate.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies appropriate candidate upon referral and interacts with appropriate staff. Identifies requirements for candidate evaluation, including possible co-morbidities, potential problems, abnormal diagnostic findings, and/or significant changes and evaluates as indicated. Identifies absolute and relative contraindications to transplantation and communicates all findings with transplant team.

• Provides patients with update on candidate listing status per OPTN/UNOS regulations and center requirements.

• Follows the standards of care related to the nursing process, as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document. Observes, monitors, assesses patient status and reports to appropriate health care provider. Provides and maintains comprehensive documentation of all calls received and facilitated via the communication center. Ensure timely resolution of all calls.

• Follows the standards related to regulatory requirements and professional practice as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document. Maintains and submits accurate data for hospital-based statistics and regulatory agencies such as UNOS/UNET, CMS, and Medicaid in order to ensure proper department financial management, compliance with all governmental reporting requirements, and proper quality outcomes monitoring. Contributes to meeting department and organ program targets for quality, compliance, and safety.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Validates patient's insurance authorization for inpatient and outpatient transplant referral process. Obtains/Provides clinical information to financial team/insurance carriers to support medical necessity for transplant evaluation. Coordinates with the interprofessional team for timely financial approvals.

• Displays self-motivation to independently manage time effectively, timely document care, minimize incidental overtime, and prioritize daily tasks. Contributes to meeting department and organ program targets for financial measures.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Participates and contributes in department initiatives for quality and process/performance improvement. Works in collaboration with team to provide solutions by participating in department projects and shared governance activities.

• Identifies own learning needs and actively seeks educational opportunities, both formal and informal, to meet those needs. Applies evidence-based practice to daily work, such as reviewing the professional literature and attending professional meetings and sharing with colleagues. Completes and updates the 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.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited School of Nursing

WORK EXPERIENCE

• One year nursing healthcare experience

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• RN - Registered Nurse - Texas State Licensure and/or Compact State Licensure within 90 days OR
• RN-Temp - Registered Nurse - Temporary State Licensure within 90 days AND
• BLS - Basic Life Support (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

• Skilled at managing complex patient care issues and ability to prioritize/triage based on patient status

• Extremely well-organized and detail oriented, self-directed, and has ability to work independently

• Strong assessment, organizational and problem-solving skills 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

• Participates in department donor awareness events, educational opportunities, and community activities

• Working knowledge of Microsoft products

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform No
• Scrubs Yes
• Business professional Yes
• Other (department approved) No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* No

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area No
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

Since its founding in 1919, Houston Methodist Hospital has earned worldwide recognition. Houston Methodist Hospital is affiliated with the Weill Medical College of Cornell University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, one of the nation's leading centers for medical education and research.  In 2020, U.S. News & World Report named Houston Methodist Hospital to its top ranked Honor Roll for the fourth time and second consecutive year. 2020 also marked the ninth year in a row Houston Methodist Hospital has been named the No. 1 hospital in Texas. Houston Methodist Hospital directs millions of research dollars into patient care and offers the latest innovations in medical, surgical and diagnostic techniques. With 952 operating beds, 85 operating rooms and over 8,000 employees, Houston Methodist offers complete care for patients from around the world.

 

The same high-quality care for which Houston Methodist is known is available at several Emergency Care Centers in Houston and the surrounding areas.  These Emergency Care Centers house exam rooms, full digital radiography suite, low radiation dose 16-slice CT scan, ultrasound and a full on-site stat chemistry lab.