What are the responsibilities and job description for the Nurse Scientist position at Houston Methodist?
At Houston Methodist, the Nurse Scientist position is responsible for leading the development, coordination, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of nursing research activities. This position works closely with the Director and Manager for Nursing Science to strategically plan, and outline priority initiatives based on hospital quality measures. The Nurse Scientist position ensures the highest quality of scholarly and scientific activity by Houston Methodist nursing staff. This position serves as a role model and consultant related to the nursing research process and coordinates the IRB approval and grant funding process for nursing research. The Nurse Scientist position promotes and facilitates evidence-based interventions at the bedside, a key component for the role
PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Serves as a consultant to nursing leadership, executives, and nurses to develop, implement and sustain evidence-based high impact initiatives. Role models efficient and effective communication to establish and maintain a team environment.
- Promotes, supports, and facilitates individuals engaging in research activities to advance research in practice: evidence-based practice, the conduct of research, research utilization, and research dissemination. Collaborates and develops innovative programs to educate, mentor, and enhance the knowledge of nursing staff.
- Serves as an active member of the Research Council. Coordinates, guides, leads, and provides support for council activities and serves as the liaison to the nursing shared governance structure.
- Conducts self in a manner that is congruent with cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion principles. Fosters staff engagement by demonstrating active listening, requesting, and acknowledging feedback, providing rationale when appropriate, and supporting organizational goals. Contributes towards improvement of department scores for employee engagement, i.e., peer-to-peer accountability.
SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Facilitates and directs the development of interdepartmental and interprofessional research activities, including generating individual and/or group programs of research.
- Encourages and promotes nursing publications in peer reviewed journals.
QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Identifies nursing quality metrics outliers and creates evidence-based nursing interventions for improvement. Supports hospital efforts to improve quality care, linking research to improved patient outcomes.
- Plans, directs, and ensures execution and sustainability of all initiatives to ensure that the goals of the program are met. In collaboration with the Director, develops program outcome measures and monitors for sustainability.
- Conducts investigator-initiated research that supports and adds to nursing's scientific foundation.
FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Seeks research funding through grant application. Assists departments and individual healthcare professionals to apply and obtain such funding for research projects and activities.
- Implements department strategies to achieve financial target and mentors others to do the same, optimizing efficiency and other areas according to department specifications.
- Utilizes resources with cost effectiveness and value creation in mind. Self-motivated to independently manage time effectively and prioritize daily tasks, assisting coworkers as needed.
GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Develops initiatives and held accountable for increasing the number of HM nursing research, EBP and quality improvement dissemination activities at the national and international level.
- Generates and communicates new ideas to lead teams to creative strategies that improve quality or service and impact entity departments and address organization or department priorities. Analyzes and presents research and quality improvement data.
- Fosters an institutional environment conducive to the conduct of inquiry, research, and evidence-based practice, as evidenced by the number of nurse-generated projects. Seeks opportunities to identify self-development needs and takes appropriate action. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the My Development Plan on an on-going basis.
This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; 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
- Bachelor's and Master's degree, one of which must be in nursing
- Doctoral degree in medical field
WORK EXPERIENCE
- Five years clinical nursing experience
- Post-doctoral publications highly preferred (Please include full CV)
