PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Accurately and clearly communicates information regarding the OR schedule and staffing resource needs. Reviews next day OR schedule and works with the management team to make room assignments based on skill and knowledge. Communicates with staff concerning changes in their assignment, taking into consideration staff competency. Reassigns staff to another room as appropriate, directly informing staff or their manager.

• Ensures students, new medical students, residents, and visitors, etc. have been appropriately processed/credentialed accordingly. Maintains constant awareness that observers and visitors do not scrub, escalating issues as they arise.

• Fosters staff engagement by demonstrating active listening, requesting, and acknowledging feedback, making equitable decisions, providing rationale when appropriate, and supporting organizational goals. Anticipates the needs of the staff members and proactively offers assistance. Role models interprofessional communication, which includes active listening and teaching, and assists with staff stress management as needed. Improves department scores for employee engagement.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Leads the patient and family-centered care standards, as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document. Proactively recognizes, determines a plan of action, and responds to situations, such as emergency codes.

• Coordinates activities that align the surgeon and their schedule for efficiency and effectiveness by going to rooms and communicating with the surgeon and staff assigned as to the projection for time to send for the next patient. Communicates and discusses information with Anesthesia board runner and staff assigned to to-follow case.

• Confers with the Lead in Sterile Processing/Materials Management to ensure all cases are pulled and all equipment, instrumentation, and supplies are available for scheduled cases and any appropriate resources are ready for use.

• Maintains ongoing interactions with entire care team, and patients and families as appropriate, throughout the perioperative experience, on improvement of patient care through consistent rounding, as needed. Drives department service standards and activities to improve department score for patient satisfaction, through role modeling and fostering 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 by actively participating in continuous improvement environment initiatives to improve quality and safety scores on the unit and hospital scorecards, through peer-to-peer accountability, using teachable moments, reporting near misses, and identifying solutions by collaborating with the interprofessional team promoting situational awareness.

• Coordinates OR flow throughout the shift considering staff skill level and safety to ensure that duty to patients can be met. Reviews surgery schedule the day prior and at the beginning of the shift, delegating appropriately with Sterile Processing Department (SPD) team. Informs staff, anesthesia, and surgeon of any issues.

• Facilitates seamless patient flow to/from/through the department by providing an accurate report to oncoming OR Charge Nurse or upcoming on-call staff, ensuring all emergency add-on cases are posted on the schedule, anticipating any changes to schedule, communicating to OR staff and to all involved department. Role models the standards related to regulatory requirements and professional practice as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Reviews the OR schedule on a regular ongoing basis with Anesthesia board runner and interprofessional health care team, determining room availability, to maximize productive use of operating rooms.

• Ensures staff have checked their rooms and removed what is not needed and that restocking has occurred. Holds assigned staff accountable for restocking. Oversees shift by shift resource utilization through the allocation of staff, supplies and contributions to the patient throughput.

• Implements department strategies to achieve financial target and encourages others to do the same through timely documentation of care, optimizing efficiency, minimizing incidental overtime, and other areas according to department specifications.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Encourages identification and implementation of innovative solutions for practice changes 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. Incorporates evidence-based practices which are presented to shared governance and leadership. Supports change initiatives and adapts to unexpected changes.

• Identifies and assumes responsibility of own learning needs and seeks continuing education opportunities to meet those needs. Develops and disseminates, as appropriate, informational/educational resources and programs designed to improve quality and professional practice 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

• Bachelors degree or higher from an accredited school of Nursing

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Two years operating room nursing experience with demonstration of progressive leadership skills