At Houston Methodist the Occupational Health Nurse PRN position provides expert integrated costeffective quality patient care through the coordination of clinical care for occupational health clients and programs which includes organization planning developing and implementing occupational health programs. This position encompasses new employee volunteer and allied health assessments ongoing employee health management and education as well as for cause drug testing. Responsibilities for this position include but are not limited to initial management monitoring and reporting of occupational injuries and illnesses returntowork status case management immunization administration and compliance safe patient handling equipment education and training and regularly works with physicians on employee health assessments. The Occupational Health Nurse PRN position collaborates with Infection Prevention and Control in the investigation reporting and followthrough related to employee exposures to infectious or communicable diseases.
PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Uses therapeutic communication which includes active listening and teaching to establish a relationship with patients guests and interprofessional team.
- Contributes to teamwork by awareness of overall department workload consistently offering assistance and responding positively to requests for assistance. Collaborates to foster healthy relationships in the work environment. Seeks guidance from and offers guidance to interprofessional team when appropriate and applies feedback to improve outcomes.
- Functions directly and indirectly as a clinical resource/consultant by working with staff management patients/families and/or other groups as applicable.
SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Performs preemployment health assessments on all new postoffer candidates allied health professionals (not managed by medical staff credentialing) and other contract agency volunteers and students per policy.
- Coordinates and performs activities related to ongoing employee health management to include the annual Tuberculosis (TB) and Influenza program for employees allied health staff volunteers and contract personnel. Administers tracks coordinates and reports immunization programs.
- Provides nursing care to include administration of injections dispensing nonprescription medications vital signs wound care and work status reports. Provides first aid treatment as needed and appropriate. Refers employees to physicians as appropriate.
QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Conducts initial management review and monitoring of all occupational injuries and illnesses.
- Utilizes results from data collection activities to include occupational injury and illness volumes and trends results from infection control surveillance trends of employee illnesses to identify and prioritize areas of focus for improvement. Participates in and reports to safety committees as needed.
- Assists in development and revision of policies and procedures to meet current practice standards. May present at Medical Staff Environment of Care (EOC) and Safety Committees.
- Collaborates with Infection Control physicians and others in the investigation reporting and followthrough of employees potentially exposed to infectious or communicable diseases.
FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Displays selfmotivation to independently manage time effectively timely document care minimize incidental overtime and prioritize daily tasks. Provides input into the unit resource utilization including unit capital and operational budget needs.
- Adheres to fiscal responsibility when ordering and maintaining medical and office supply inventory.
GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Coordinates collaborates and participates in training along with other key stakeholders such as education and department leadership regarding safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) principles.
- Coordinates planning of and may present educational programs to enhance staff knowledge.
- Designs gathers reviews and utilizes qualitative and quantitative data analyses to develop educational material to promote patient safety and risk reduction.
This job description is not intended to be allinclusive; 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 OR Associates degree from an accredited school of Nursing with an additional two years of nursing experience (in addition to the minimum experience requirements listed below)
WORK EXPERIENCE
- Three years of clinical nursing experience
- Occupational health nursing experience preferred
LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRED
- RN Registered Nurse Texas State Licensure and/or Compact State Licensure within 60 days OR
- RNTemp Registered Nurse Temporary State Licensure within 60 days AND
- BLS Basic Life Support (AHA)
LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS PREFERRED
- COHN Certified Occupational Health Nurse (ABOHN) OR
- COHN/S Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist (ABOHN)
KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job determined through ongoing 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 coworkers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
- Strong assessment organizational and problem solving skills 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
- 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 No
- Other (department approved) Yes
ONCALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be oncall during emergencies (ie. DIsaster Severe Weather Events etc) regardless of selection below.
TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**
- May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
- May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No
Company Profile:
Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital opened in June 2017 as the eighth hospital in the Houston Methodist system. This 267bed 725000squarefoot fullservice acutecare hospital offers many of the same services as our flagship hospital in the Texas Medical Center. Also on the beautiful hospital campus located at the intersection of Interstate 45 and Texas State Highway 242 are two medical office buildings which include a Breast Care Center; Cancer Center; infusion center; heart and vascular services; neurology; orthopedics and sports medicine; rehabilitation services; wellness services; an outpatient laboratory; and several other multispecialty physician practices. In January 2022 Houston Methodist The Woodlands opened Healing Tower a $250 million expansion project that added 106 beds focused on medicalsurgical and womens services and provided nine operating rooms. The project also included the expansion of the endoscopy center emergency department and diagnostic imaging department with an enhanced neurodiagnostic and interventional center.
Houston Methodist is an equal opportunity employer inclusive of women minorities disabled persons and veterans.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Houston Methodist is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Equal employment opportunity is a sound and just concept to which Houston Methodist is firmly bound. Houston Methodist will not engage in discrimination against or harassment of any person employed or seeking employment with Houston Methodist on the basis of race color religion sex sexual orientation gender identity national origin age disability status as a protected veteran or other characteristics protected by law. VEVRAA Federal Contractor priority referral Protected Veterans requested.