Staff Nurse

Join The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD as a Staff Nurse, RN and unleash your innovative spirit! As part of our interdisciplinary team, you'll provide nursing care to individuals with mental and developmental disabilities in various settings. Embrace creativity, utilize the nursing process, and contribute to transforming care within the standards of practice. The nursing process to plan, implement, document and evaluate nursing care provided under the requirements of the Texas Nurse Practice Act within the Standards of Nursing Practice Join us in pioneering a new era of nursing at The Harris Center.

Your Role in Action:

• Contributes to suicide care and prevention by embracing our values and applying a trauma-informed approach rooted in safety, trust, choice, collaboration, and empowerment.
• Utilizes a five-step systematic process (nursing process) to deliver consumer services. This process includes assessment, analysis, planning, implementation and evaluation.
• Demonstrates decision making that is clinically sound, systematic, timely, well researched and reflects awareness of impact and governed by state and Agency practices.
• Performs technical nursing skills within the scope of practice for a RN and in accordance with Agency policies and procedures for individual and/or multiple consumer assignments. Performs diagnostic tests, administers medications, sets up equipment and applies therapeutic treatments.
• Documents relevant information regarding nursing care in consumer records, charts and reports. Documents observations of consumer signs, symptoms, test results, behaviors and response to medications and treatments. Complies with established Agency policies/procedures, accrediting/regulatory bodies and performance contract documentation requirements.
• Informs, explains and educates consumers and family members regarding medications, relevant treatment information, and disease processes. Provides pertinent health information at an appropriate level and includes meaningful literature to support understanding.
• Provides nursing care with the focus on consumer, environmental, and technical safety.
• Assigns specific tasks, activities and functions and maintains appropriate supervision of other RNs, LVN’s and unlicensed personnel in Agency settings for consumers with a variety of health care needs in accordance with program design and structure.
• Demonstrates behaviors that promote development of positive outcomes in relation to the practice of professional nursing.
• Utilizes a problem-solving approach as the basis for decision making in practice, including reporting relevant information to other members of the health care team or supervising Registered Nurse/Physician.
• Provides to other members of the health care team, health education and information on disease processes and medications in order to meet/address consumer health care needs.
• Performs related work as assigned. Adapts to changing work requirements.
• Complies with Agency policies and procedures.

What qualifications you will need:

Education:

• Associate's degree Nurse (ADN) from two-year College
• Nursing Degree required. RN license required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Nursing (BSN) from four-year College or university

 Experience:

• Minimum 1 year at entry level to 2 years nursing experience (not including clinical hours required for education). For RNs with at least 2 years of experience, a minimum of at least 1 year of mental health/behavioral health/intellectual/disability nursing experience is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge of Texas Board of Nurse Examiners Nurse Practice Act and Standards of Nursing Practice.
• Knowledge of applicable pharmacy rules and regulations.
• Basic knowledge of Pharmacology.
• Knowledge of therapeutic communication.
• Understanding of Standard Precautions and infection control procedures for dealing with sharp instruments, needles, blood and body fluids exposure.
• Understanding of good body mechanics to avoid injury.
• Effective communication skills (verbal and written). Effective data collection skills.
• Positive interpersonal skills.
• Good organizational skills with the ability to prioritize.
• Demonstrates initiative and self-direction.
• Able to coordinate well with others and work effectively as a team member.
• Able to use all related medical equipment, machines and monitors.
• Able to execute standard word processing on computer. Demonstrates strong time management skills.
• Able to complete task and assignments independently.
• Able to establish therapeutic relationships with chronically mentally ill patients and/or developmentally disabled consumers.
• Demonstrates clinically sound decision making.

About us:

The Harris Center is the state-designated Local Mental Health Authority and Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) Authority serving Harris County, Texas.  As the largest behavioral and developmental disability care center in Texas, The Harris Center provides care to over 90,000 people and has an annual budget of over $300 million.

As part of its mission to transform the lives of people with behavioral health and IDD needs in the third largest county in the United States, The Harris Center provides a full continuum of services at 80 different sites across Harris County. In addition, services are provided in more than 40 different languages as well as sign language in order to better serve what is one of the largest communities in the nation.

By utilizing the unique expertise of its more than 2,500 employees, The Harris Center is committed to meeting the behavioral health and IDD needs of Harris County residents and giving them hope to live to their fullest potential.

What else you should know:

• Position #2594-50058
  
• Your workplace: Based at 1502 Ben Taub Loop, Houston, TX 77030
• Your flexibility, our commitment: This role requires adaptability with flexible scheduling as well as provides ethical nursing care in a confidential, caring, non-judgmental, non-discriminatory manner.
• The environment: Be prepared to navigate challenging situations - you may occasionally encounter unfavorable conditions.
• Your interactions: Engage with a diverse range of individuals, some of whom may be emotional, physically hostile, agitated or uncooperative. This is an opportunity to employ your strong interpersonal skills and patience to make a real impact in their lives.

What we have to offer:

The Harris Center not only offers a competitive salary but also a suite of excellent benefits designed to enrich your life both professionally and personally. Imagine a future with a robust retirement plan complemented by our generous company matching – a testament to our investment in your long-term financial well-being. Experience the unique advantage of our prior service credit, accelerating your journey towards a more substantial Paid Time Off accrual, empowering you to enjoy well-deserved breaks.

Enjoy Cell Phone Discounts, exclusive entertainment deals through Tickets at Work, and a free Headspace subscription for mental wellness. Additionally, our Employee Assistance Program supports your overall well-being.

Take advantage of significant financial relief through student loan forgiveness as a valued member of The Harris Center team. As a qualifying entity, our employees are eligible for various student loan forgiveness programs, designed to alleviate the financial burdens associated with higher education.