Overview
Coordinates patient care activities to ensure quality and safety at the RMC/ NMC campuses. Serves as clinical resource for nursing staff on all units. Supports patient care activities. Ensures safe staffing for all units. Facilitates patient flow by working with Patient Accommodations, Emergency Department, surgery, physicians, and nursing unit leaders to provide appropriate patient placement. Assists with interpreting department policy and procedures for all staff. Participates in performance improvement activities. Functions as patient advocate, demonstrates and promotes an awareness of and compliance with patient rights. Serves as the initial Emergency Management leader during unforeseen events such severe campus violence, weather, fires, etc.
Responsibilities
Serves as a role model and mentor for staff. Continually evaluates the attitudes, morale and interpersonal relationships of staff members; promotes methods to improve in these areas; consistently motivates staff in a positive manner.
Works with staffing office to review staffing patterns, census and acuity of nursing units to ascertain staffing is consistent with the patient needs and unit’s staffing plans. Plans and adjusts staffing to provide continuous coverage of departments.
Maintains employee contact by meeting with staff members and makes frequent rounds on all units.
Executes progressive discipline up to and including termination
Support front line operations related to meeting/exceeding departmental performance improvement goals.
Collaborates with coworkers in the schedule development and coverage of appropriate level of Supervisor support at RMC / NMC campuses (24/7).
Conducts clinical safety functions such as post-fall debriefing, attendance of clinical emergencies (SWAT, Resuscitation, Code “Strong”, etc.), sitter approval and review, etc.
Promotes good public relations with patients, visitors, physicians and the community.
Investigates and resolves patient complaints when unit leadership is unavailable.
Investigates patient care incidents and intervenes appropriately.
Promotes a culture of safety by maintaining a keen awareness of potential safety risks and process issues, by speaking-up and reporting these concerns via appropriate channels.
Maintains on-going communication with the Medical Staff regarding patient care, throughput (patient discharges, transfer and bed assignment), policies/procedures, protocols, bed availability and other departmental issues.
Provides physical, campus-wide assistance to crisis/problem situations in an appropriate manner.
Provides input to appropriate person(s) regarding equipment/supply needs for all age groups and patient populations served and for procedures, equipment, supplies and medication when needs arise after hours.
Maintains required records and reports.
Actively participates on DCH committees as indicated.
Assures and performs compliance requirements as outlined in the Employee Handbook with various quality standards and regulatory agency requirements within the unit (TJC, Competencies, Standards of Nursing Practice, Structural Indicators, etc.) participates in mock survey rounds, unit scorecards, nursing council structure.
Consults with Administrator on-call for administrative issues/problems.
Serves as the first line of receipt of and resolution of all, after business hours, campus-wide issues. Uses professional judgement to determine the need for escalation to the appropriate leadership channels up to the Administrator on-call if unable to resolve. Supports the goal of on-site immediate resolution first.
Maintains proficiency in the use of clinical equipment and computer systems and serves as a resource for staff by providing just-in-time training.
Assumes responsibility for own professional development; identifies learning needs and goals, and designs a plan to meet them
Identifies role in the following areas of the environment of care: Safety, security, medical equipment, hazardous material, emergency preparedness, life safety, and utility system
Maintains all Super User needs and education requirements for skills such as tube reinsertion and medical dispensing mechanisms
Assumes other responsibilities and duties that relate to nursing administration as required
DCH Standards:
- Maintains performance, patient and employee satisfaction and financial standards as outlined in the performance evaluation.
- Performs compliance requirements as outlined in the Employee Handbook
- Must adhere to the DCH Behavioral Standards including creating positive relationships with patients/families, coworkers, colleagues and with self.
- Performs essential job functions in a manner that ensures the safety of patients, visitors, and employees.
- Identifies and reduces unsafe practices that may result in harm to patients, visitors, and employees.
- Recognizes and takes appropriate action to reduce risks and hazards to promote safety for patients, visitors, and employees.
- Requires use of electronic mail, time and attendance software, learning management software and intranet.
- Must adhere to all DCH Health System policies and procedures.
- Must adhere to all educational requirements and keep up to date.
- All other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Must have current Alabama or Multistate RN licensure. Current American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) training are required. Must have a minimum four years of experience as a registered nurse with two of those years specializing in Critical Care or Emergency Department. Bachelor’s degree in Nursing or Healthcare Related Field required or must be completed within 2 years of hire. Must possess good communication skills and demonstrated ability to apply critical thinking and concepts of appropriate prioritizing. Leadership and management experience preferred. Must be able to read, write legibly, speak, and comprehend the English language.
Working Conditions
WORK CONTEXT
- Demonstrate leadership skills
- Requires decision making that will affect others
- Responsible to achieve outcomes
- Must be able to communicate clearly and accurately
- Ability to delegate to team members and students
- Address conflict and stressful situations
- Communicate with different personalities and engage in face to face discussion
- Dealing with unpleasant or physically/aggressive personalities
- Must be able to use electronic mail, telephone and texting
- Must be able to work in groups
- Must be able to perform structured and unstructured work
- Must be meet time pressure and time lines
- Includes possible exposure to human body fluids, disease, infection, lab chemicals and hazardous materials and/or cleaning solutions
- Requires wearing of common protective and safety equipment such as gloves, safety glasses, mask, gowns, etc.
PHYSICAL FACTORS
- Medium work. Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 30 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.
- Must be able to tolerate prolonged periods of standing and walking
- Must be able to reach reasonable distances in any direction
- Must be able to stand, walk, kneel, bend, sit and stoop
- Must be able to run in an emergency
- Must have the ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull and carry objects
- Must be able to move fingers in a coordinated manner and must be able to feel and perceive temperature, texture, shape and size with fingertips
- Must be able to perform the duties with or without reasonable accommodation.
- Must possess stamina to work prolonged shifts
- Hearing and vision must be normal or corrected to within normal range
- Physical presence onsite is essential.
