RN Cardiac Step-Down Unit

$5,000 Bonus Nights!

Why UT Southwestern?

Join UT Southwestern on our mission to educate, discover and heal. With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, we are committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees. Ranked as the #1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth for the fifth consecutive year, we invite you to continue your healthcare career with us at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. You’ll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and consistent opportunities for learning and advancement into leadership roles.

Job Summary

Make a difference in patients lives by joining the UT Southwestern team as an RN on our Cardiac Step-down floor. This position is located on 10 Blue, the Cardiac Progressive Care floor and will be responsible for taking care of patients after transplants.  As a step-down RN, you will help LVAD patients as well as patients post heart and lung transplant by upholding our commitment to enhance patient care and comfort. The opportunity allows you to work with our nationally ranked cardiology and heart surgery program and create lifelong change.  Our Cardiac Progressive Care unit ratio is 3:1. We invite you to join our nursing community and be a part of our commitment to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion.

Experience and Education

• One year of relevant RN experience, required.

• TX Registered Nurse License or Compact State license, required

• BLS and ACLS (AHA or ARC)

Some weekend requirements

Job Duties

• Perform and accurately document physical, psychosocial, and emotional assessments. All assessments take into consideration age specific criteria (children, adolescents, adults and elder adults).

• Actively anticipate patient’s and/or patient’s family needs and expectations and utilize these in conjunction with the assessment to develop an appropriate plan of care for the patient. Utilize critical thinking skills in planning and prioritizing nursing care. Maintain and utilize competencies per unit expectation.

• Identify and implement appropriate nursing interventions based on the completed assessment. Complete accurate and timely documentation of these interventions. Active coordinator of the interdisciplinary plan of care. Confer with all members of the health care team in a collaborative fashion. Share information & observation of the patient and/or patient’s family in a manner that advocates for optimal patient care.

• Appropriately prioritize nursing interventions based upon completed assessment. Promptly identify changes in condition as evidenced by nursing assessment, labs, x-rays, etc. Report changes, take follow-up action as appropriate. Actively involve patient, family and/or caregiver.

• Evaluate implemented interventions and modify care according to the evaluation. Document intervention and modifications to the plan of care in an accurate and timely manner.

• Adhere to appropriate hospital and/or Department of Nursing policies, procedures, clinical pathways and nationally accepted standards of nursing practice. Incorporates ANA standards, into the provision of safe, quality patient care, utilizing current literature, and research. Practices in accordance with our Professional Practice Model – “Relationship Based Care” & delivers care using our Care Delivery System “PACE” – Patient Focused, Accountable, Coordinated and Continuous and Evidence Based.

• Provide appropriate & timely answers and/or education to patients, patient’s families, significant others and/or caregivers. Complete accurate and timely documentation of all education provided including discharge plan of care. Assess competence, obtain feedback/evaluation of understanding from patient, family, significant other and/or /caregivers. Demonstrate effective communication based on individual patient needs and learning preferences.

• Welcome and orient patient, family, significant other and/or caregiver to the unit. Encourage patient/family participation in care. Review personalized patient plan of care with patient/family every shift. Update white boards accordingly and sets daily goals with patient input. Explain special diets, tests, procedures and medications in easily understood and appropriate language. Make hourly rounds on patients and communicates when they will return.

• Advocate for resources and support that enhance patient safety and unit/hospital-based initiatives. Participate in evaluating data to guide decisions regarding unit / department budget formulation and implementation.

• Perform Peer Evaluation to provide constructive feedback to peers regarding performance. Holds co-workers accountable for their behavior and compliance with policies and standards. Actively intervenes when patient safety is at risk.

• Accountable for patient care and quality/ safety initiatives (EX: patient safety, patient satisfaction, core measures, infection control). Supports efforts to develop and maintain team environment. Participates in multidisciplinary quality and practice improvement teams. Shares professional and technical information with colleagues & students. Offers self as a resource as needed to others (Ex: preceptor, charge, mentor, unit expert, lends a hand when needed). Participates in meetings & on committees & represents the dept. & hospital in community outreach.

To learn more about the benefits UT Southwestern offers visit https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/employees/hr-resources/

This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code §51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information. 

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community.  As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.