RN Nurse Surveyor

Job Description:
If you want a place to work where you can establish a career filled with purpose, this is the job for you!

Nurse III (Long-term Care Regulation)

Nurse III – Starting Market Rate Salary $89, 690.71


As part of a collaborative team of public servants, a nurse III protects residents’ health and safety by conducting on-site inspections and investigations in Texas long-term care settings (nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and day activities health services) to assess their compliance with state and federal laws and rules. This position offers a competitive starting salary, excellent state benefits, including health insurance and retirement, and the opportunity to travel to different facilities within a region regularly. In this front-line field position, a nurse is mobile and flexible and performs minimal work at an office. However, the role does require writing reports detailing any deficiencies/violations against a facility, remedies to correct those deficiencies and a narrative to support regulatory determinations. Must meet certain professional qualifications – see below for details.

To watch a brief video showing the vital work long-term care surveyors do every day, please click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSfRR_lU23s

The state of Texas offers many benefits to employees. HHSC is a qualifying organization for the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which forgives the remaining balance on college student Direct Loans after making 120 qualifying monthly payments. We also offer excellent health benefits, a lifetime monthly retirement annuityas well as 401(k) and 457 Programs? under the Employees Retirement System of Texas.  

Essential Job Functions:
Under the direction of a program manager, a nurse III conducts on-site licensure inspections, complaint and incident investigations, and annual comprehensive surveys in facilities to determine compliance with federal and state health and safety regulations in the following areas: admissions, transfers, and discharges; resident rights; staffing and census; quality of care assessment; quality of life assessment; resident care plans; social, psychological and rehabilitative services; provision of medical services; and therapeutic activity programming.

Communicates clearly and accurately with others (internally and externally) to provide, exchange, or verify information, answer inquiries, or resolve issues or complaints in Texas long-term care facilities.

Conducts exit conferences with facility staff regarding findings and can assist in developing a plan to correct deficiencies. Completes inspection or survey reports detailing deficiencies, recommended remedies, and narratives to support regulatory findings.

Revisits long-term care facilities to verify correction of previously cited regulatory violations. Performs quality assurance reviews of documents prepared by others, for example, publications, assessments, and reports.

Might supervise the work of team members during inspections, provide technical assistance to facilities, and lend expertise to a survey team in the areas identified above.

Occasionally might need to testify at hearings or in court proceedings to provide information regarding policy/procedures, history, findings, or activities.  

Knowledge Skills Abilities:
Knowledge of issues, concerns, and needs of populations at risk in various health care and/or institutional environments (elderly, mentally ill, developmentally disabled, functionally dependent, medically frail, etc.).

Knowledge of nursing principles and acceptable professional standards of patient care.

Skill in interpersonal relations.

Skill in performing quality assurance monitoring, program review, certification, survey, or investigations.

Skill in providing guidance, policy clarifications, and information to others.

Skill in preparing detailed written reports.

Skill in oral, written, and electronic communications, including computer word processing software.

Ability to multi-task and track multiple activities with competing priorities.

Ability to collect and analyze data

Ability to integrate complex concepts, difficult procedures, or complicated processes.

Ability to analyze and solve work problems.

Ability to interpret regulatory policies, procedures, and regulations.

Ability to work independently.

Ability to use the computer for writing reports.

Ability to exercise professional judgment and reach sound decisions.

Ability to be task organized and punctual.   

Registration, Licensure Requirements or Certifications.
Must be licensed as a registered nurse by the State of Texas or a state that recognizes reciprocity through the Nurse Licensure Compact.
 

Applicant must complete all training (federal/state) for Nursing Facilities, including completing Surveyor Minimum Qualification Training (SMQT) within one year of hire date.  

Initial Screening Criteria:
Experience in a Long-term Care Regulatory program is preferred.

Experience in assessment and documentation of health status.

Prefer two years of experience providing services in a health care setting as a registered nurse.
 

Additional Information:
Flexibility in work hours is required for this position. The job requires 80% travel, with most travel during the day. However, some overnight and weekend travel is required, and occasional on-call duties for emergencies or high-priority situations in facilities. Must have reliable transportation.
Note: This position can work a compressed workweek with options Monday-Thursday and Tuesday-Friday, 10-hour days.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), HHS agencies will provide reasonable accommodation during the hiring and selection process for qualified individuals with a disability. If you need assistance completing the online application, contact the HHS Employee Service Center at 1-888-894-4747. If you are contacted for an interview and need an accommodation to participate in the interview process, please notify the person scheduling the interview.