Nurse (Clinical/Ambulatory)  Joint Base San Antonio

Time to invest in some new footwear because if you’re San Antonio-bound, you’d better show up in boots! The Alamo City is one of the military’s most envied postings and is often referred to as “Military City USA”. Lo w cost of living, affordable homes, and the lack of state tax on retirement income are a few financial perks to living and retiring in this Texas city. A robust job market that seems partial to government and defense/security contracting ensures employment opportunities for spouses or transitioning service members. San Antonio is the country’s seventh fastest growing city yet has somehow managed to retain a “small town feel.” Quality schools and friendly locals (most with military ties) are additional  perks to living in San Antonio.

Some things you should know before you get here: trucks are the norm (the bigger, the better), love for The Spurs (NBA) runs deep, the H-E-B obsession is real (it’s a grocery store), rodeos are life, and don’t call it “San Antone”—that’s just wrong. The community boasts a vibrant Hispanic population, and enhances everything from the food, to the music, to community events. You don’t necessarily need to speak Spanish to get around, but you’d better know how to say barbacoa, tamales, and cascarones.

Name brand shopping (IKEA is the latest arrival of note), restaurants, and all variety of entertainment all add to San Antonio’s quality of life. SeaWorld, the San Antonio Zoo, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and downtown museums are all fun outings for kids and families. Tube or kayak down a river, play or fish in the lakes, or relax by San Antonio’s famous downtown River Walk. Museums, art galleries, and historical landmarks—remember The Alamo?—round out San Antonio’s cultural offerings. Tex-mex cuisine arguably originated here, and some up and coming culinary trendsetters are making a name for themselves in the Pearl District downtown, alongside several notable breweries.

San Antonio has over 300 days of sunshine with some hot summers, mild winters and pleasant spring and fall seasons. San Antonio is in Bexar County (it’s pronounced “BEAR”) in south central Texas, and is just south of the gorgeous Hill Country. It’s only about two hours from Austin, the beach, or the desert.

Working for the Department of Defense comes with an abundance of benefits and perks to include competitive compensation packages, paid-time off, medical benefits, student loan repayments, and retirement package with Thrift Savings Plan to include matching employer contributions.

MAJOR DUTIES:

1. Performs independent, comprehensive telephone and clinical triaging, and facilitates care coordination through a multidisciplinary approach. Establishes priorities for patient care and evaluates patients’ progress toward high-level wellness. Provides patient education as an integral part of the services offered. Acts as relief nurse, triages and screens walk-in patients to assess the severity of the patient's condition and the need for provider intervention. Communicates with providers regarding determinations and situations, documents events appropriately. Screens patient charts to assess the medical history and determine health care needs. Makes psychosocial assessment of patients to identify significant cultural practices, the ability to understand and cooperate, and expectations of care and coping mechanisms. Executes or ensures the completion of orders from health care providers. Recognizes and reports abnormal test results, changes in symptoms and the need for follow-up. Records data on patient charts. Assists health care providers with examinations and procedures. Incumbent will be responsible for educating patients for high risk, painful or stressful procedures with education and support. Monitors or ensures the monitoring of patients pre, during and post-procedure per established protocols and SOPs. Assesses post-procedure patients prior to their release from the clinic. Ensures complete, thorough documentation for all procedures. Prepares and administers oral, subcutaneous, intra-muscular and intravenous medications. Independently instructs and demonstrates to patients how to provide self-care. Instructs patient in self medication of prescribed pharmaceutical agents. Reinforces health care provider instructions and encourages patient in the maintenance of health and self care. Responds to emergency situations. 

2. Assists clinic with patient and staff education. Accepts consults for the education of patients in the outpatient setting. Assists with clinic orientation, and one-on-one patient, educational activities related to acute or chronic illnesses, self-care, wellness/preventive health measures, and normal development and physiology. Assesses patient’s emotional, cognitive, social and motivational status relative to education and determines their educational needs and priorities. Evaluates the effectiveness of educational activities. Ensures nursing staff competencies are initially evaluated and maintained and documented in accordance with hospital and clinic policies and nursing standards of practice. Develops appropriate nursing plans. Ensures that nursing staff maintains current licenses and certification requirements. Follows quality improvement and internal control activities for the ambulatory care setting to include risk appraisals, conducting chart reviews, identifying trends and reporting corrective actions. Ensures staff compliance with maintenance of competency folders in accordance with hospital and Joint Commission standards. Participates in hospital and clinic meetings, and performance improvement activities as assigned.

3. Coordinates patient referrals to support services provided through the internal and external community, or the TRICARE network. Assists patient to comply with medical treatment plan as necessary through telephone contact or through clinic visits.

PERFORMS OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED.

Basic Requirements:

US Citizenship required

Employee must have a current, active, unrestricted, valid Registered Nurse license in at least one US state or province/territory of the United States.

Employee must have a current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) is highly desirable.

Position is Designated Testing Position (DTP) for drugs.

Position requires the incumbent to have passed a Child Background Check (works with Adolescent patient).

Position may require incumbent to work alternate shifts.

* This position is subject to drug testing if the incumbent:

Has direct patient contact or performs diagnostic or therapeutic functions

Extracts or works with patients' body fluids or tissues; prepares patient specimens for examination, performs specialized or non-routine tests on body fluids or tissue samples, or confirms patients' test results

Maintains, stores, safeguards, inputs, fills or distributes drugs and medicines

This position has a mandatory seasonal influenza vaccination requirement and is therefore subject to annual seasonal influenza vaccinations. Applicants tentatively selected for appointment to this position will be required to sign a statement (Condition of Employment) consenting to seasonal influenza vaccinations.