At Houston Methodist, the Nurse Practitioner Acute Care (NP-AC) is responsible for functioning as a licensed registered nurse and care provider to provide all aspects of patient care, including diagnosis, treatment and consultation while maintaining and promoting the health of the patient. This position may work in both inpatient and outpatient situations and performs according to the nurse practice act of the State of Texas and as part of a treatment team. The NP-AC position role models compassionate communication with patients, physicians and the interprofessional health care team and provides education to patients about preventative care and prescribed treatments. This position may also conduct physicals, order tests and serve as a patient's healthcare provider, prescribing medications as appropriate. The NP-AC position affects direct patient care according to the Houston Methodist Professional Practice Model Nursing Practice and Professional Performance policies and procedures.

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

• Demonstrates leadership as a clinical resource, interprofessional consultant, and patient advocate. Identifies staff development opportunities for professional growth of colleagues, provides coaching to meet identified goals.

• Communicates organizational information and aspects of administrative and clinical practice in a respectful and positive manner when interacting with staff. Advocates for a balanced workload, promotes positive behaviors, and peer-to-peer accountability. Facilitates the promotion of teamwork.

• Collaborates with the interprofessional healthcare team members to manage/coordinate patient care. Advocates on patient/family's behalf to identify and resolve clinical and ethical concerns.

• Collaborates to foster healthy relationships in the work environment. Acts as a role model and coaches staff in effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication. Serves as preceptor for Nurse Practitioner students and medical resident(s), as applicable. Uses peer-to-peer accountability towards improvement of department score for employee engagement.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Coordinates appropriate, timely patient care under physician supervision, for a defined patient population(s), focusing on identified expected unit/optimal outcomes, individualized to the patient. Prioritizes care based on the patient's needs, abilities, and preferences.

• Coordinates patient care between healthcare providers. Attends and participates in interprofessional rounds, as appropriate.

• Helps drive improvement of department score for patient satisfaction, through peer-to-peer accountability to service standards.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Functions as a quality care provider, coordinating, maintaining, and promoting the health of the patient. Assists the interprofessional healthcare team in the development and implementation of protocols to ensure patient safety. Affects direct patient care according to the nurse practice act of the State of Texas and the Houston Methodist Professional Practice Model Nursing Practice and Professional Performance.

• Conducts health assessments (initial, ongoing, discharge, as appropriate). Identifies normal/abnormal health characteristics, develops plan of care, initiates appropriate interventions, and evaluates care outcomes on defined patient populations(s).

• Performs invasive, diagnostic, or therapeutic procedures necessary for defined patient population(s) based on licensure and credentialed privileges.

• Provides safe and effective care by leading and initiating outcome, quality, and safety improvement activities in alignment with organizational goals. Integrates and contributes to professional practice standards, policies, procedures, protocols and leads improvements in patient safety-related processes.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Implements department strategies to achieve financial targets and mentors others to do the same through timely documentation of care, decreasing length of stay, optimizing efficiency, and other areas according to departmental specifications.

• Projects awareness and understanding of resource allocation based on patient needs and staff experience, knowledge, and skills.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Promotes quality health care through integration of current research into practice and participation in research/evidence-based activities. Identifies opportunities for practice changes and performance improvement.

• Provides education of information/knowledge in professional activities such as research, presentations, and publications. Expands individual nursing knowledge and coaches staff to grow in knowledge, abilities, skills, and attitudes. Serves as clinical resource. 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

• Master's degree in Nursing

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Two years of registered nurse, advanced practice or nurse practitioner clinical experience

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 AND
• APRN - Advanced Practice Registered Nurse - Texas Board of Nursing AND
• Magnet - ANCC Recognized Certification -- as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, based on applicable patient population, i.e., ACNP, AG-ACNP, ACNPC-AG OR
• AANP - Credentialed member, American Academy Of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) -- as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, based on applicable patient population, i.e., ACNP, AG-ACNP, ACNPC-AG AND
• BLS - Basic Life Support (AHA) AND
• ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support (AHA) -- (not required for Employee Health, Primary Care and Telemedicine departments) AND
• AP - Prescriptive Authority - Texas Board of Nursing AND
• DEA - Narcotics License (DEA) within 6 months

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 highly developed assessment, clinical, documentation, leadership, and analytical skills

• Uses therapeutic communication to establish a relationship with patients, families and interprofessional team to collaborate on the plan of care

• Strong 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

• Demonstrates proficient time management skills

• Uses critical thinking skills and clinical judgment to work autonomously as defined by the Nurse Practice Act

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

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

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

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.