Oncology Charge RN

The Oncology Charge Nurse fosters an environment for managing and delivering safe patient care in a hospital setting. In addition to fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of a clinical nurse, the charge nurse is a role model and coach to department personnel and assists in developing their skills and knowledge. Provides nursing care to a diverse patient population and role models compassionate communication with physicians and the interprofessional health care team. Assumes leadership responsibilities with high-level contributions across the institution.

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor's of Science in Nursing required

CERTIFICATION/LICENSURE:

• Current Texas Board of Nursing (or Compact State) RN license; Or a Temporary Texas RN License (Permanent TX license within 90 days upon hire). 
• American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) certification, within 7 days of hire.

• Fosters staff engagement by listening actively, requesting and acknowledging feedback, making equitable decisions, providing appropriate rationale, 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 departmental scores for turnover/retention on unit-based scorecard. 
• Role models fair and consistent leadership skills for effective team dynamics and teambuilding strategies through problem-solving, coaching, and developing staff.
• Coaches staff to use efficient and effective communication to establish and maintain a team environment and to include the patient and family in the team regarding their care plan. 
• Provides input into staff performance reviews. 
• Functions as a mentor and resource to unit staff and provides oversight for students/new employees/preceptorships. 
• Identifies levels of organizational conflict and applies tools to effectively resolve concerns, complaints, or disputes with patients, families, physicians, and other interprofessional healthcare team members. 
• Leads patient and family-centered care standards. 
• Mentor others regarding specialty populations; audit plan of care. 
• Practices in a manner that is congruent with cultural diversity and inclusion principles. 
• Maintains ongoing interactions with patients, families, and staff on improving patient care through leader rounding. 
• Ensures effective collaboration with other departments regarding patient process issues. 
• Drives department service standards and activities to improve department scores for patient satisfaction on unit-based scorecards. 
• Models the standards of care related to the nursing process by actively participating in meeting and improving nurse-sensitive quality indicators and patient safety goals. 
• Participates in creating a continuous improvement environment. 
• Coordinates nursing care throughout the shift schedule, considering patient acuity, staff skill level, and safety to ensure our duty to our patients can be met. 
• Models the standards related to regulatory requirements and professional practice. 
• Facilitates seamless patient flow to/from/through the department, leading the delivery of quality family-centered care throughout the continuum of care. 
• Ensures the patient care plan is accurate and timely, coaching staff if documentation deficiencies are identified. 
• Works closely with the OAs and bed management regarding timely patient placement. 
• Proactively recognizes and determines a plan of action and responds to situations, such as rapid response/CERTs and emergency codes. 
• Participates in initiatives to improve quality and safety scores on the unit and hospital scorecards through peer-to-peer accountability, reporting near misses, and identifying solutions by collaborating with the interprofessional team. 
• Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety. Assists with audits. 
• Implements department strategies to achieve financial targets on unit-based scorecards. 
• Metrics include documentation of care and length of stay while optimizing efficiency and resources, such as overtime. 
• Attends daily care coordination rounds to facilitate patient progression. 
• Ensures that follow-up has been implemented on any concerns or issues the team identifies. 
• Manages productivity by the staffing grid. Provides input into unit resource utilization, including unit capital and operational budget needs. 
• Oversees shift-by-shift resource utilization. 
• Manages to identify and implement innovative solutions for practice changes to improve patient care or unit operations, such as reducing hospital readmissions or other department-specific measures by leading and participating in unit projects and shared governance activities. 
• Investigate and incorporate evidence-based practices that are presented to shared governance and leadership. 
• Supports change initiatives and adapts to unexpected changes. 
• Expands individual nursing knowledge and coaches staff to grow knowledge, abilities, and skills. 
• Serves as a clinical resource. 
• Develops and disseminates, as appropriate, informational/educational resources and programs designed to improve quality and professional practice. 
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.