At Houston Methodist, the job title position is responsible for the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Specialist position is a licensed professional Registered Nurse (RN), Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT), or Perfusionist who is an experienced clinician, functions at the Proficient stage of Benner's model of clinical practice and exists to provide skilled operation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation equipment at the bedside in an ICU environment. This position demonstrates compassion and clinical competence when providing care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures, managing emergencies, and acting as a patient and family advocate in order to monitor and maintain patient rights. The ECMO Specialist position assists in coaching and mentoring department staff in areas of clinical and professional practice.

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

• Identifies staff development opportunities for professional growth of colleagues, provides coaching to meet identified goals. Role models and coaches team members in effective communication skills, assisting in their development of such skills. Participates in new employee preceptorships.

• Collaborates to foster healthy relationships in the work environment such as mitigation of conflict. Anticipates the needs of the staff members and proactively offers assistance. Communicates effectively with physicians and nurses regarding the status of the ECMO circuit and the response of the patient.

• Contributes to improving nurse satisfaction by serving as a role model and mentor, facilitating teamwork with RNs, non-licensed and interprofessional staff, as evidenced by the annual RN-RN teamwork score and interprofessional relationship score. Initiates contributions towards improvement of department scores for employee engagement, i.e., peer-to-peer accountability.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Leads 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. Mentors others regarding specialty populations.

• Operates ECMO equipment at the bedside in an ICU environment. Monitors the equipment and the patient to detect any problems.

• 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. Serves as a leader (including education, mentoring, and resource) for patient, families and interprofessional health care team. Strives to exceed patients and coworkers' expectations.

• Drives department activities to improve department score for patient satisfaction on unit-based scorecard, through peer-to-peer accountability.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Models the standards of care related to the nursing process, as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document. Provides care as the staff leader to patients on ECMO therapy and leads the interprofessional health care team in implementing plan of care. Collaborates with interprofessional health care team to achieve patient goals, including mobility, patient weaning, etc. Anticipates/prevents and recognize/resolves early declines in patient condition and emergent situations. Manages assignment of complex patients and other unit demands. Proactively recognizes, determines a plan of action, and responds to situations, such as emergency codes.

• 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. Serves as a patient advocate by identifying and reporting unsafe or malfunctioning equipment and unsafe operational practices to department leadership. Contributes to development of service line and hospital standards and guidelines.

• Ensures proper Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) patient level data for submission to ELSO database. Analyzes assessment data and audits plan of care in determining patient needs and outcomes. Completes all documentation as required to meet clinical standards and any research protocols or registry requirements. Supports ECMO CMPI team with various PI initiatives.

• Ensures safe blood flow, blended gases and overall technical safety of the patient receiving ECMO therapy. Supports technical components of ECMO patient circuitry, including intra-circuit management- infusions, CRRT, plasmapheresis, blood sampling and related therapy. Monitors and reports anticoagulation levels as ordered. Relays data to ordering provider and ensures care is delivered as ordered.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• 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 departmental specifications.

• Utilizes resources with cost effectiveness and value creation in mind. Actively participates in the stewardship and efficient utilization of resources and needs including unit capital and operational budgets. Self-motivated to independently manage time effectively and prioritize daily tasks, assisting coworkers as needed.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Leads and identifies opportunities for practice changes, innovative solutions to improve patient care and performance improvement. Investigates and incorporates evidence-based practices which are presented to shared governance and leadership. Supports change initiatives and adapts to unexpected changes.

• Serves as the clinical resource. Develops and disseminates, as appropriate, informational/educational resources and programs designed to improve quality and professional practice. 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 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

• Must have one of the following:
•       ◊ Registered Nurse (RN) -Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from an accredited education program or
•       ◊ Respiratory Therapist (RT) - Graduate of education program approved by the credentialing body for the required credential(s) indicated below in the Certifications, Licenses and Registrations section or
•       ◊ Perfusionist - Bachelor's Degree and Graduate of education program approved by the credentialing body for the required credential(s) indicated below in the Certification, Licenses and Registrations section
  

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Three years' experience with direct ECMO patient care

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• RN - Registered Nurse - Texas State Licensure and/or Compact State Licensure within 60 days OR
• RN-Temp - Registered Nurse - Temporary State Licensure within 60 days OR
• RRT - Registered Respiratory Therapist (NBRC) -- If Respiratory Therapist OR
• PFSN - Perfusionists - State Licensure -- If Perfusionist, must also have CCP OR
• CCP - Certified Cardiovascular Perfusionist (ABCP) -- If Perfusionist, must also have PFSN within 1 year AND
• BLS - Basic Life Support (AHA) -- For all roles AND
• ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support (AHA) -- For all roles

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

• Demonstrates proficient time management skills

• Must be able to perform skills and competencies as defined in orientation checklist and annual departmental competency checklist

• Completion of Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) training or equivalent

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform No
• Scrubs Yes
• Business professional No
• 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* Yes

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

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• 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.