Acute Care Unit

Patient Population: Adult/Geriatric Medical and Surgical and PCU level patients.

# of beds: 19

Patient Ratios: 1:5 (Med/Surg), 1:4 (PCU)

Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Brenham is a 25-bed critical access hospital, providing medical and surgical care, delivered by a team of medical experts. We are accredited by The Joint Commission and are also designated as a Level IV Trauma Center, and a Support Level III Stroke Facility. Additionally, we have achieved the American Nurse Credentialing Center Magnet Designation as a region. This is a hospital that works for you and exceeds all expectations! Don?t just take our word for it, let us show you a career that?s worth bragging about. 

We welcome applicants who will serve faithfully, act honestly, never settle, and recognize that we are in it together to deliver world-class healthcare.


ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE ROLE

Clinical Judgment: Creates, fosters and sustains a healthy work environment which supports evidence-based practice and research. Coordinates patient care through collaboration with inter-professional team members in planning, implementing and evaluating patients plans of care. Identifies potential problems and/or resources for patients and families. Supervises personnel in providing safe, cost-effective, efficient care based on individual patient needs. Ensures staff members maintain competency based on standards of practice for patient population. Provides nursing care as needed. 

Clinical Inquiry: Systematically evaluates the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice, including, but not limited to, nursing sensitive indicators. Facilitates practice changes among nursing staff through quality and performance improvement initiatives and use of best, evidence-based practices and research findings. Identifies, proposes and conducts clinical research.

Caring Practices: Creates and sustains a compassionate, supportive, safe and therapeutic environment for patients, families and staff. Assists in the coordination of patient care conferences and inter-professional rounds to address patient/family needs, discharge planning and best caring practices and outcomes.

Response to Diversity: Identifies issues arising from individual differences and develops awareness of these issues in nursing staff, medical staff and other health care providers. Role models, teaches and provides age-specific and developmentally- appropriate patient care in accordance with established guidelines and scope of duty or practice for patients served in department. Identifies and resolves conflicts between others that affect performance and/or the work environment.
Advocacy and Moral Agency: Advocates on behalf of the nursing staff to represent the concerns of patients, families and staff. Fosters an ethical practice environment for professional practice and patient care based on optimum communication, teamwork and coordination of care. Addresses ethical issues through a systematic process using institutional ethics committee as needed. Promotes health care at local, state and national levels.

Facilitation of Learning: Monitors the learning needs of staff and patients/families and assists in the design, implementation and evaluation of educational activities to enhance their knowledge and skills. Fosters an environment that is supportive of staff's professional and personal growth. Facilitates the development of clinical and leadership expertise in staff through role modeling, teaching and coaching/mentoring. Identifies staff professional growth opportunities and assists in the development of the department's succession plan. Provides and evaluates a comprehensive onboarding/orientation program for newly- hired staff. Functions as a resource within the clinical specialty program.

Collaboration: Role models, teaches and mentors professional leadership and accountability for nursing's role within the inter-professional health care team. Collaborates with medical, allied health and administrative staff to ensure the provision of safe, quality, compassionate care. Participates in departmental and organizational programs, committees and special projects to achieve desired outcomes. 

Systems Thinking: Recognizes, responds and provides follow-up to issues, concerns and suggestions on behalf of patient population and staff. Provides timely follow-up to critical incidents and sentinel events and provides input into system redesign to promote a culture of safety for patients, families and staff and decrease risk. Allocates resources (e.g., staffing, supplies and equipment) and coordinates services to optimize patient care, throughput and services that maximize efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Assists in educating nursing staff in planning and evaluating staffing based on nursing-sensitive indicators. Assists nursing manager in human resource management of personnel: hiring, coaching for improved performance and professional development and terminating employees. Assists in developing/monitoring the operating and capital budgets, resolving variances and implementing strategies to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Assists in the development of department goals and objectives. Interprets and guides nursing and unit-based personnel on BSWH policies and procedures. Assumes accountability, responsibility and authority for daily operations at department/shift level. Performs in the capacity of Nursing Manager in his/her absence. Completes special projects and other duties as assigned.

Professionalism: Improves nursing practice and the work environment through promotion and facilitation of shared governance and decision-making processes. Identifies personal/professional development goals and commits to life-long learning for self and staff to maintain current knowledge in nursing and leadership/management practices through learning activities such as, continuing education, networking with professional colleagues, membership and involvement in professional nursing organizations, self-study, professional reading, certification and seeking advanced degrees. Contributes to the professional development of peers, colleagues and others. Plans, develops, implements, evaluates and revises the department's recognition program to ensure meaningful recognition of the contributions of others. Demonstrates commitment to community service.

KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

Knowledge and understanding of nursing and patient care standards and procedures.

Knowledge of laws, rules and regulations; standards and guidelines of certifying and accrediting bodies; hospital and department/unit standards, protocols, policies and procedures governing the provision of nursing care applicable to the area of assignment.

Knowledge of medical terminology; principles and practices of health promotion, risk reduction, illness and disease prevention and management; medications and drugs, common dosages, their physical and physiological effects, and possible adverse reactions.

Knowledge of medical and professional nursing ethics and patient privacy rights.

Must be able to communicate thoughts clearly; both verbally and in writing.

Ability to provide age-specific, quality, patient-centered care to all patients through the nursing process and standards of nursing practice with sensitivity and respect for the diversity of human experience and to develop, evaluate, implement and, as necessary, modify a patient care plan to meet the needs of individual patients.

Ability to make operational decisions around how work gets done - quality and productivity standards, measurable goals for employees and project teams, etc.

Ability to use broader objectives to determine how best to use resources to meet schedules and goals.

Ability to make or approve effective hiring and termination decisions.

Ability to evaluate and recommend changes to policies, and establish procedures that affect the managed organization.

General computer skills, including but not limited to: Microsoft Office, information security, scheduling and payroll systems, electronic medical documentation, and email.

About Baylor Scott & White Health

Baylor Scott & White Health (BSWH) is the largest not-for-profit health care system in Texas and one of the largest in the United States. With a commitment to and a track record of innovation, collaboration, integrity and compassion for the patient, BSWH stands to be one of the nation’s exemplary health care organizations. Our mission is to serve all people by providing personalized health and wellness through exemplary care, education and research as a Christian ministry of healing. Joining our team is not just accepting a job, it’s accepting a calling!

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