Clinical Nurse, Outpatient - Physicians Network (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

SUMMARY

The primary purpose of the Clinical Nurse is to positively affect patient outcomes by providing, coordinating and supporting evidence based direct patient care across the continuum of care for patients receiving radiation therapy, including brachytherapy. The highest quality of patient care and the appropriate use of resources are achieved in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team.

SCOPE

Performs clinical and management functions at the service level to assure patient care. These activities are performed in a dynamic environment through interactions with the multidisciplinary team within the department and in the multidisciplinary care centers.

CORE VALUES

Caring (courtesy, friendliness and teamwork), integrity (reliability, accountability and safety) and discovery behaviors (responsiveness and personal leadership/self-initiative) are essential to this position.

Caring Behaviors

• Courtesy: Is respectful and courteous to each other at all times

• Friendliness/Teamwork: Promotes and rewards teamwork and inclusiveness; is sensitive to the concerns of our patients and our co-workers

Integrity Behaviors

• Reliability: Communicates frequently, honestly and openly

• Accountability: Holds self and others accountable for practicing our values

• Safety: Notices a safety concern and brings it to someone's attention; models safe behaviors (wears badge, washes hands, keeps work area clean and orderly)

Discovery Behaviors

• Responsiveness: By his/her actions, creates an environment of trust; encourages learning, creativity and new ideas

• Personal Leadership/Self-Initiative: Helps others to identify and solve problems; seeks personal growth and enables others to do so

KEY FUNCTIONS

1. Ensures adherence to the Nurse Practice Act of the State of Texas, institutional standards of care, institutional policies and procedures, and compliance with regulatory agencies; implements collaborative efforts to improve patient services.

2. Coordinates activities of the Center and personnel including education, staffing, selection, counseling, and evaluation.

3. Serves as professional role model and mentor throughout the institution.

4. Other duties as assigned.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• IC - Coach & Develop:

o Assess strengths and development needs of employees;

o Provide challenging development opportunities; and

o Provide relevant, timely feedback; mentor others.

• IC - Build Relationships:

o Initiate, develop, and manage relationships and networks; and

o Show sincere interest in others and their concerns.

• IC - Provide Direction:

o Provide clear direction and priorities toward a common vision;

o Clarify roles and responsibilities for employees; and

o Promote empowerment.

• TC—Patient Care

o Employee demonstrates population-based competencies (age-specific, diversity) which cross the continuum of care

o Employee functions within their professional scope

• TC—Professionalism

o Employee demonstrates commitment to collaborative professional relationships with physicians and all members of the health care team

o Employee demonstrates a high level of responsibility, ethical practice, sensitivity to a diverse patient population and adherence to legal and regulatory requirements

o Employee demonstrates a commitment to excellence (i.e.: proper hand-washing practices) and on-going professional development

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

IA. Exemplary Professional Practice

• Accountable for the management and provision of patient care on assigned service(s).

• Assess patient needs for nursing care and other services, including clinical skills and visual, aural and analytical abilities.

• Utilizes critical thinking skills to recognize and solve patient problems.

• Identifies and integrates the age specific care needs, principles of oncology practice, institutional goals and standards and current professional practice standards in providing care to patients.

Utilizes the nursing process and nursing standards to prevent and/or manage actual/potential problems.

• Acts as a patient and family advocate in order to uphold patient rights

• Trains, coaches and assists team members to ensure optimum patient care and efficient use of resources.

• Effectively and consistently functions in related roles as required (e.g. charge nurse, preceptor, clinical

coach, etc.).

• Demonstrates clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, administering

medications, performing procedures and managing emergencies.

• Identifies and assesses patient's needs for nursing care and other services.

• Collaborates with physicians, other services, patient and patient's family to plan care and evaluate outcomes.

• Utilizes organizational skills to assure continuity of care in collaboration with other disciplines through

appropriate planning, education, and coordination of other services.

• Delegates to other health care team members appropriately.

• Assures continuity of care through appropriate discharge planning, patient education and coordination of services.

• .

IB. Consultation, Simulation, and Treatment Planning Phase

• Identifies self and nursing role to patient

• Checks patient identification

• Verifies that informed consent has been obtained

• Obtains nursing history and assessment

• Identifies patient's physical and psychosocial needs

• Assesses patient's literacy level and ability to learn

• Teaches patient and family about general and site-specific side effects of radiation therapy and

self-care measures

• Solicits questions to be sure patient and family understand teaching

• Explains treatment protocols appropriate to patient (e.g., external beam radiation, brachytherapy,

radiosensitizers, radioprotectors, hyperfactionation, total body irradiation, combined modality therapy)

• Reinforces discussion of appropriate clinical trials and assists in informed consent process

• Documents individualized plan of care

• Communicates plan of care to patient, family, and radiation therapy team

• Assesses patient for general side effects of treatment (e.g., fatigue, skin changes)

• Assesses patient for acute site-specific or modality-specific side effects of treatment (e.g., alopecia, mucositis)

• Initiates measures to manage general side effects (e.g., dry desquamation, moist, desquamation, anorexia)

• Initiates measures to manage site-specific side effects (e.g., mucositis)

• Teaches self-care measures to manage side effects of treatment

• Alerts patient to report potentially dangerous or uncomfortable symptoms immediately to nurse of physician

• Monitors patient's psychological status and coping skills

• Explains procedures and answers patient's questions

• Documents patient's response to treatment and symptom management

• Checks appropriate laboratory data and communicates results to other member of healthcare team as needed

• Institutes appropriate radiation safety precautions

• Consults and collaborates with other members of the healthcare team. Demonstrates effective communication skills

• Refers patient as needed to appropriate specialists (e.g., dietitian, pain management team, sexual counselor)

• Discusses discharge instructions with patient and family

• Assesses patient for late effects of treatment

• Teaches or reinforces appropriate self-care measures

• Assesses patient for symptoms of recurrent disease

• Monitors patient's psychological status and coping skills

• Consults and collaborates with other members of the healthcare team as needed

• Checks appropriate laboratory and diagnostic data

• Reinforces need for patient to continue to report potentially dangerous or uncomfortable symptoms immediately to nurse or physician

• Evaluates and documents long-term response to therapy and side effects

• Refers patients as needed to appropriate specialists (e.g., dietitian, pain management team, sexual counselor)

• Instructs patient in cancer prevention and early detection measures.

II. New Knowledge, Innovation and Improvements

• Improves practice by integrating results and theories of research studies.

• Participates in /leads evidenced based practice projects.

• Participates in the redesign of care delivery for unit/center patient population.

• Inputs, retrieves, and interprets data from multiple manual and computer information systems.

• Exhibits professional verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

• Maintains patient rights and demonstrates respect for persons of all ages and diverse cultures.

III. Transformational Leadership

• Completes assigned duties in an efficient and timely manner.

• Performs procedures in a safe, efficient, and cost-effective manner.

• Participates in meeting the educational needs of self and others.

• Completes projects and other duties as assigned.

• Implements changes to achieve identified team goals.

• Organizes and prioritizes work of patient care team

• Trains, coaches and assists team members to ensure optimum patient care and efficient use of resources..

• Assures continuity of care as patients transition across the continuum through appropriate discharge

planning, patient education and coordination of services.

• Practice autonomously within the scope of professional nursing practice.

• Seeks opportunities to meet individual objectives identified in the Professional Development

Model.

IV. Empirical Quality Results

• Acts on behalf of the patients and family to ensure care that is safe and appropriate with consideration for

values, diversity, and human rights.

• Ensures integration of safety and quality standards into practice and delivery of team care.

• Minimizes at-risk behavior in self and others.

• Actively utilizes incident reporting system.

• Collaborates with others in quality and performance improvement efforts.

• Documents care according to established standards.

• Participates in nursing and medical research and facilitates transfer of new knowledge to patient care.

• Participates in the Quality Improvement Process.

• Improves practice by integrating results and theories of research studies.

• Participates in data collection for current studies.

• Seeks solutions to problems inherent in our institution rather than creating work-arounds.

V. Structural Empowerment

• Active member in shared decision making model at unit level.

• Is empowered to problem solve to meet organizational and unit goals and achieve desired outcomes.

• Accountable for identifying barriers to patient care and solutions.

• Active in developing strong relationships and partnerships with the organization to improve patient

outcomes.

VI. Other Duties as Assigned

• Demonstrates commitment to collaborative professional relationships with physicians and all members of

the heath care team.

• Demonstrates a high level of responsibility, ethical practice, sensitivity to a diverse patient population and

adherence to legal and regulatory requirements

• Demonstrates a commitment to excellence (i.e. proper hand washing practices) and on-going professional

development.

EDUCATION

Required: Graduate of an accredited school of professional nursing.

Preferred: Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Master of Science in Nursing

LICENSE/CERTIFICATION

Required: Current State of New Mexico or Texas Professional Registered Nurse license.

Preferred: Certification in Oncology or specialty practice area.

EXPERIENCE

Required: None

Preferred: Two to four years relevant clinical experience; two in oncology.

It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html