JOB SUMMARY

The Transplant Coordinator Registered Nurse (RN) is a licensed professional who uses the BSWH nursing professional practice model to coordinate patient care delivery by the health care team. Using the nursing process, the Transplant Coordinator assesses the patient, identifies nursing diagnoses based on responses to health problems, develops and implements an individualized plan of care, and evaluates the patient's response. The Transplant Coordinator promotes safe passage for their patients by using knowledge of patient needs and the healthcare environment to assist patients to transition through the healthcare encounter without any preventable complications or delays. The Transplant Coordinator delegates interventions to health care personnel based on the Texas Nursing Practice Act, each patient's condition and the competencies of the employee.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE ROLE

Assists in evaluation of candidate suitability for transplant, including patient and family interview, coordinating the medical, surgical, laboratory, radiological, psychological, and nutritional evaluation process, reviewing evaluation results to verify accuracy, and working closely with physician to provide patient care and further evaluation as necessary.

Coordinates candidates testing while on transplant waitlist. Reviews testing to recognize potential problems, abnormal diagnostic findings, and significant changes during the waiting phase, and coordinate required care per physician order. Maintains communication with patient, referring physicians, other health care providers, and transplant team members while candidate is on the waiting list.

Coordinates recipients post-transplant care including arrangement of inpatient admission, laboratory testing, imaging examinations, clinic visits, and coordination of care via referring and primary care physician. Reviews testing to recognize potential problems, abnormal diagnostic findings, and significant changes, and coordinate required care per physician order. Maintains communication with patient and family, multidisciplinary team, primary care physicians, other health care providers.

Educates candidate and transplant recipients, family and caregivers about evaluation process, OPTN regulations, organ allocation, waiting phase, post-operative phase, immunosuppression and long term prescription therapy, post-operative complications, and physical and psychological effects of transplant.

Has knowledge of insurance and prescription coverage to facilitate post-transplant prescriptions upon discharge from hospital, maintain long-term post-transplant prescriptions, and assist with prescription management for recipients with lack of coverage or funding.

Has knowledge of, and complies with OPTN, UNOS, and other regulatory policies. Maintains transplant waitlist via various UNOS web programs.

Coordinates recipient transplants, including accessing UNOS donor website, contacting the potential recipient(s), assessing possible recipient(s) current medical condition, notifying various hospital departments, and communicating to the appropriate transplant staff.

Is responsible for after-hour calls for pre and post-transplant patients, living donors, and referring and primary care physicians. Returns calls include verbal assess of patient complaints, and providing guidance to patients, and referring and primary care physicians as directed by physician order.

Remains knowledgeable of new procedures and practices in transplantation. Provides instruction to patient care personnel in principles and techniques of transplantation.

KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

Knowledge and understanding of nursing and patient care standards and procedures.

Knowledge of laws, rules and regulations; standards and guidelines of certifying and accrediting bodies; hospital and department/unit standards, protocols, policies and procedures governing the provision of nursing care applicable to the area of assignment.

Knowledge of medical terminology; principles and practices of health promotion, risk reduction, illness and disease prevention and management; medications and drugs, common dosages, their physical and physiological effects, and possible adverse reactions.

Knowledge of medical and professional nursing ethics and patient privacy rights.

Must be able to communicate thoughts clearly, both verbally and in writing.

Interpersonal skills to interact with a wide-range of constituencies.

Must have critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Ability to observe changes in the medical condition of patients and effectively communicate these changes to other nursing staff members and physicians/providers.

Ability to provide age-specific, quality, patient-centered care to all patients through the nursing process and standards of nursing practice with sensitivity and respect for the diversity of human experience and to develop, evaluate, implement and, as necessary, modify a patient care plan to meet the needs of individual patients.

General computer skills, including but not limited to: Microsoft Office, information security, scheduling and payroll systems, electronic medical documentation, and email.

BENEFITS

Our competitive benefits package includes the following

• Immediate eligibility for health and welfare benefits
• 401(k) savings plan with dollar-for-dollar match up to 5%
• Tuition Reimbursement
• PTO accrual beginning Day 1