REGISTERED NURSE

Ponce Health & Rehabilitation Center -

OVERVIEW:

Under the direction of the Director of Nursing, supervises the nursing personnel and the day-to-day nursing activities of the facility during an assigned tour of duty. Such supervision must be in accordance with accepted professional standards and current federal, state and local regulations to ensure the highest degree of quality care is always maintained.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Monitor the daily delivery of nursing care and nursing staff performance as they deliver nursing care to the patients/residents in accordance with established policies and procedures

· Plan and conduct shift staff meetings on a regular basis to assist in identifying and correcting problem areas and to assist in the improvement of services

· Identify problems or potential problems in the delivery of nursing care to residents and implement corrective action immediately

· Make written and oral reports/recommendations to the Director of Nursing as necessary

· Assist in developing methods for coordinating nursing services with other resident services to ensure the continuity of the resident's total regimen of care

· Begin investigation of all accidents, including staff interviews, data gathering and report writing

· Interpret the nursing department's policies and procedures to personnel, resident, visitors and government agencies as required

· Ensure staff always maintain confidentiality of resident information

· Develop work assignments and/or assist in completing and performing such tasks

· Delegate to each Charge Nurse the administrative authority, responsibility and accountability necessary to perform his/her assigned duties

· Make daily rounds of assigned units at a minimum at the beginning and end of the shift, depending upon the activity of the units

· Follow-up on complaints and grievances filed by resident, families or staff. Take corrective action as needed and make reports to the Director of Nursing

· Report to Director of Nursing all reports of suspected abuse

· Ensure that emergency equipment/supply checks are done each shift

· Ensure that the resident's environment is maintained in a clean and safe manner

· May make determination of death when necessary

· Participate in the orientation program for new assigned nursing staff in order to facilitate their assimilation into the work place within a reasonable time span and to ensure that each staff member understands his/her role, responsibilities and standards of performance

· Complete written performance evaluations on the assigned staff following probation and thereafter annually, and when performance dictates the need, complete additional evaluations

· Initiate corrective and progressive disciplinary action, as needed

· Ensure that nursing personnel are performing their work assignments in accordance with acceptable nursing standards

· Ensure that all nursing service personnel comply with the policies and procedures, including dress code as set forth in the Nursing Procedure Manual

· Ensure that a enough nursing staff are scheduled and available for your/next tour of duty to ensure that quality care is maintained, and nursing care needs of the patient/resident are met

· Monitor time and attendance of nursing personnel and take corrective action as appropriate

· Make recommendations to the Director of Nursing regarding employee dismissals, transfers etc.

· Identify learning needs of the nursing staff

· Plan, schedule and conduct unit-based in-services as needs are identified

· Monitor assigned personnel to ensure that they are following established procedures in the use of equipment

· Recommend to the Director of Nursing the equipment and supply needs of the department

· Monitor nursing procedures to ensure that nursing service supplies are used in an efficient manner to avoid waste

· Ensure the prompt repair or replacement of medical/nursing equipment when necessary

· Oversee the nursing care to patients/residents to ensure safe, efficient and customer-oriented services are delivered at all times.

· Inform nursing staff of new admission arrivals and the expected time of arrival

· Ensure that rooms are ready for the new admission

· Visit resident on report daily in order to observe and evaluate each resident's physical and emotional status

· Review the nurse's notes to ensure that they are informative and descriptive of the nursing care being provided

· Provide direct nursing care as necessary

· Start and restart IV’s when ordered and when necessary

· Ensure the staff refer to the resident's care plan prior to administering care to the resident

· Assist the staff nurses in monitoring seriously ill resident

· Ensure that all nurses on your shift comply with the written procedures for the administration, storage and control of medications and supplies

· Monitor medication passes and treatments to ensure compliance with physician orders and facility policy

· Review medication administration records (MAR) for completeness of information, accuracy in the transcription of physician orders

· Inspect nursing treatment areas daily, such as clean utility room, to ensure that they are maintained in a clean and safe manner

· Meet with family members and resident as needed.

· Consult with the resident, family and physician in planning the resident's care, treatment and rehabilitation

· Assist in arranging transportation for transfers to the hospital

· Participate in the implementation of facility quality improvement program for the nursing service department

· Participate in facility surveys (inspections) made by authorized government agencies as requested by the Administrator or Director of Nursing

· Attend and actively participate in various committee meetings such as Infection Control, Safety, and Performance Improvement as requested

· Implement recommendations from committees as instructed by the Director of Nursing

· Perform Performance Improvement audits as assigned

· Participate in and adhere to employee health, safety, security and corporate compliance programs and activities

· Participate in the implementation and maintenance of the Infection Control program for monitoring and/or reporting communicable and/or infectious diseases among resident and personnel

· Assist in developing safety standards for the nursing service department as necessary

· Ensure that personnel follow the established procedures for the use and disposal of personal protective equipment

· Report malfunction of equipment and/or broken furniture immediately to Maintenance Department

· Receive annual physical including appropriate screening for tuberculosis

· The ability to conduct all activities within the resident abuse prevention manual

· Cooperate with investigations regarding employee health, safety, security, and corporate compliance programs

· Report all accident and incidents to Supervisor immediately upon occurrence

· Correct unsafe or hazardous condition encountered, if unable to correct, report condition to immediate Supervisor upon discovery

· Conduct all activities within established safety, security and infection control procedures and guidelines Conducts all activities within established corporate compliance policies and procedures

· Observe and respond to all standing security precautions, devices and alerts as they pertain to work and common area

· Respond to fire/disaster drills and emergencies

· Ensure residents safety in accordance with resident safety program.

· Follow safety features of the plan of care

· Ensure that all personnel performing tasks that involve potential exposure have attended the appropriate in-service training prior to performing such tasks

· Ensure that the assigned nursing personnel follow established infection control procedures when isolation precautions become necessary

· Ensure that personnel follow the established procedures for the use and disposal of personal protective equipment

· Ensure that all residents are wearing appropriate identification bracelets

· Participates in mandatory in-service and job training

· Assist the Director of Staff Development in providing off shift in-services as necessary

· Assist in the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) process

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE:

· Bachelor of Science in Nursing (preferred)

· Current registration and license to practice as a Registered Nurse in the state employed in

· Peripheral IV certification

· Two years of clinical nursing experience

· One-year experience in a management position preferred

· One-year experience in geriatrics and subacute population

· CPR/BLS certified

· The ability to read, write, speak and understand the English language required, knowledge of other language helpful

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Supervises the nursing personnel and the day-to-day nursing activities of the facility during an assigned tour of duty

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

· This job operates in a health care setting. This role requires regular walking to various locations around the care center.

· Incumbent may be exposed to virus, disease and infection from patients and specimens in working environment.

· Incumbent may be required to work extended periods of time at a video display terminal.

· Incumbent may experience traumatic situations, including psychiatric, and deceased patients.

· Works beyond normal working hours and on weekends and holidays when necessary

· Must be able to stay or return to facility during emergency conditions

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

· The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

· While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus

· This position is very active and requires standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling and climbing all day.

· The employee must frequently lift or move objects and patients weighing over 50 pounds.

TRAVEL:

· No travel is expected for this position