Oncology Registered Nurse USMD at South Dallas

Do you have compassion and a passion to help others? Transforming healthcare and millions of lives, as a result, starts with the values you embrace and the passion you bring to achieve your life’s best work. (sm)

Optum/USMD Oncology Infusion RN’s focus on providing care and treatment to patients with cancer. This position reports to clinical supervisor and provides direct patient care, educates, collaborates, and counsels patients and caregivers in a clinic setting. The nurse assesses physical, psychosocial, and learning needs of patients and families. They care for critically or chronically ill cancer patients by administering treatment and providing information and support. Oncology nurses work with physicians as a part of interdisciplinary teams to care for cancer patients in Optum/USMD outpatient clinics.

Primary Responsibilities:

Clinical

• Provides direct care to patients by conducting patient histories and assessments, including symptoms, performance status score, and clinical changes from the previous visit, and formulates a care plan for patients and families.
• Administers blood products, medications, antineoplastic agents, analgesics, and hematopoietic growth factors to patients with cancer, adhering to age-specific guidelines and standards.
• Follows standard policies and procedures for medical orders according to the antineoplastic agents, analgesics, hematopoietic growth factors, immunosuppressive agents, and antiemetics being administered while following regulations and policies for safe handling and patient protection.
• Demonstrates competency in the performance of simple and complex diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, such as venipuncture, administration of IV fluids, care of vascular access devices, and declotting of lines.
• Assures pre-authorization and appropriate consent forms are obtained prior to administration of therapies. Demonstrates knowledge of ambulatory infusion pump use and maintenance, cleaning pumps after use, and proper documentation of pump usage
• Reviews patients’ medications, distress assessment or depression screening questionnaire, and vital signs, including pain assessment, on each visit to the clinic and plans nursing interventions.
• Assesses patient adherence with medications, treatments, and appointments.
• Provides instructions and directions to patients and families on diagnostic tests and antineoplastic treatment side effects.
• Provides patient and caregiver education and serves as an educator for nursing and other staff.
• Documents the interventions and outcomes of the care plan in the medical record.
• Optimizes the use of team resources by establishing patient priorities and advising medical assistants, nurse practitioners, physicians, and other staff of patients’ needs.
• Serves as a patient advocate on issues related to the clinical changes and physical status of patients since the previous clinic visit.
• Provides education and support to patients and family members with a focus on physical, mental and emotional status, as well as nutrition, pain, and family involvement
• Performs all other related duties as assigned

Team Leadership

• Assists patients to achieve the maximum level of functioning by coordinating resources on the interprofessional team (e.g., dietitian, social worker, navigator, outreach coordinator).
• Collaborates with the psychosocial team to coordinate patient and caregiver services, such as skilled home nursing care, respiratory therapy, nutritional counseling, home infusion, ostomy and central line and wound dressing supplies, medication and pharmacy, medical equipment, and psychosocial counseling.
• Assists patients with completion of disability and other forms required for their functioning and well-being.
• Identifies patients for oncology clinical trials in collaboration with the research department.
• Submits cases and attends tumor boards to participate in the interprofessional conversation related to patients.

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you a clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in

Required Qualifications:

• Graduate from an accredited program for professional nursing education, BSN preferred
• Current, unrestricted Texas RN License or current, unrestricted compact state RN License
• Current or History of obtaining ONS Chemotherapy/Biotherapy/Immunotherapy provider Card: (if expired, willing to obtain within 30 days from start date)
• BLS certification
• 3+ years of Oncology RN experience
• Experience administering chemotherapy or other infusion treatments
• Access to reliable transportation that will enable you to travel to client and/or patient sites within a designated area.
• Full COVID-19 vaccination is an essential job function of this role. Candidates located in states that mandate COVID-19 booster doses must also comply with those state requirements. UnitedHealth Group will adhere to all federal, state and local regulations as well as all client requirements and will obtain necessary proof of vaccination, and boosters when applicable, prior to employment to ensure compliance. Candidates must be able to perform all essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation

Preferred Qualifications:

• Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) (or willing to obtain within one year from start date)
• ONS Chemotherapy/Biotherapy/Immunotherapy provider Card: successful completion of didactic education and competency validation regarding safe handling, administration, patient education and support, and disposal of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy (or willing to obtain within 30 days from start date)
• Ability to adapt quickly in a fast-paced clinic environment
• Current knowledge of latest trends, skills, procedures, and protocols in hematology–oncology and internal medicine practice
• Knowledge and skills necessary to provide care to patients of varying age groups, human development stages, and cultural groups
• Understanding of the latest evidence-based oncology, immunology, pharmacology, community health, and cultural sensitivity information
• Knowledge of chronic illness and comorbidity management
• Experience working in an outpatient Hematology Oncology clinic and use of Karnofsky Performance Status Scale
• Flexibility and multitasking skills
• Ability to communicate with members of the interprofessional team with written and verbal proficiency
• Ability to coordinate oncology patient care with other interprofessional staff
• Leadership ability in priority setting and delegating patient care
• Skills in interpersonal relationships, program development, critical thinking, and problem solving
• Solid ability to use data, computer systems, and electronic health records in support of patient care delivery

To protect the health and safety of our workforce, patients and communities we serve, UnitedHealth Group and its affiliate companies require all employees to disclose COVID-19 vaccination status prior to beginning employment. In addition, some roles and locations require full COVID-19 vaccination, including boosters, as an essential job function. UnitedHealth Group adheres to all federal, state and local COVID-19 vaccination regulations as well as all client COVID-19 vaccination requirements and will obtain the necessary information from candidates prior to employment to ensure compliance. Candidates must be able to perform all essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation. Failure to meet the vaccination requirement may result in rescission of an employment offer or termination of employment.

USMD part of OptumCare is a multi-specialty group of hospital, clinics and physicians. USMD serves the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area with more than 250 physicians and associate practitioners, and provides healthcare services to patients in more than 20 different specialties at its 2 hospitals, 4 cancer treatment centers and nearly 50 physician clinics, many of which are multi-specialty.

Careers with USMD. If you’re idea of a great day at work involves putting great new ideas to work, we should talk. Throughout the greater Dallas area, we’ve built an evolving, integrated health care model that brings primary care and specialist providers together to work in new and better ways. A thriving part of OptumCare and the UnitedHealth Group family of companies, our multi - specialty group of hospitals, clinics and providers features more than 250 physicians and associate practitioners. We provide health care services to patients in more than 20 different specialties at our two hospitals, four cancer treatment centers and nearly 50 physician clinics. Join us and start doing your life’s best work.(sm)

WellMed was founded in 1990 with a vision of being a physician-led company that could change the face of healthcare delivery for seniors. Through the WellMed Care Model, we specialize in helping our patients stay healthy by providing the care they need from doctors who care about them. We partner with multiple Medicare Advantage health plans in Texas and Florida and look forward to continuing growth.

**PLEASE NOTE** The Sign On Bonus is only available to external candidates. Candidates who are currently working for a UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare or a related entity in a full time, part time, or per diem basis (“Internal Candidates”) are not eligible to receive a Sign On Bonus.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: OptumCare is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employers and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

OptumCare is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.