Director of Nursing

Plan, organize, develop and direct the overall operation of the Nursing Department in accordance with all current federal, state, local standards, guidelines, and regulations that govern the nursing home and as may be directed by the Administrator and the Medical Director, to ensure that the highest degree of quality care and assuring resident safety is maintained at all times.

Reports to the Administrator
Class: Non-Union

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

(All responsibilities may or may not be required of all incumbents.)

ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS:

    • Essential Function #1: Plan, develop, implement, evaluate, and direct the Nursing Department, as well as its programs and activities, in accordance with current rules, regulations, and guidelines that govern the long term care facility.
    • Essential Function #2:  Develop, maintain and periodically update written policies and procedures that govern the day to day function of the Nursing Department. 
    • Essential Function #3:  Develop, maintain and periodically update the nursing procedures manual and nursing objectives and philosophies.
    • Essential Function #4:  Perform administrative duties such as completing medical forms, reports, evaluations, studies, and charting as necessary.
    • Essential Function #5:  Develop, maintain and periodically update job descriptions for each level of nursing personnel.
    • Essential Function #6:  Maintain a reference library of written nursing material (i.e. PDRs, federal and state regulations, etc.) that will assist the nursing department in meeting the day to day needs of the residents.
    • Essential Function #7: Assist the Administrator and Discharge Planning Coordinator in developing, implementing and periodically updating the written procedures for the discharge planning program.
    • Essential Function #8: Assume Administrator’s duties in the absence of Administrator and/or Assistant Administrator.
    • Essential Function #9:  May assist nursing schools with curriculum problems to support our affiliation agreement for training.
    • Essential Function #10: Participate in surveys made by authorized governmental agencies.
    • Essential Function #11: Assure the development, implementation, and maintenance of an ongoing quality assurance program for the nursing department.
    • Essential Function #12: Make written and oral reports /recommendations to the Administrator, as necessary/required concerning the operation of the nursing department.
    • Essential Function #13: Recommend, develop and implement a nursing organizational chart and structure with concurrence of the Administrator.
    • Essential Function #14: Assist the Patient Care/Quality Assurance Committee in developing and implementing appropriate plans of action (correction) for identified deficiencies.
    • Essential Function #15: Develop methods for coordination of nursing services with other resident services to ensure the continuity of the residents’ total regimen of care.

COMMITTEE FUNCTIONS

  • Essential Function #1: Service on, participate in, and attend various committees of the facility such as Infection Control, Pharmaceutical, Patient Care, Quality Assurance and
  • Assessment as required and as appointed by the Administrator.
  • Essential Function #2: Provide written and /or oral reports of the nursing programs and activities as required, or as may be directed by the Administrator.
  • Essential Function #3: Attend and participate in developing the agenda for care plan committee meetings as necessary.
  • Essential Function #4: Evaluate and implement recommendations from established committees as they may pertain to nursing.

PERSONNEL FUNCTIONS

  • Essential Function #1: Determine the staffing needs of the nursing department necessary to meet the total nursing needs of the residents.
  • Essential Function #2:  Recommend the number of and level of nursing personnel to be employed.
  • Essential Function #3:  Assign a sufficient number of nursing assistants for each shift to ensure that routine nursing care is provided to meet the daily nursing needs of each resident.
  • Essential Function #4:  Assign a sufficient number of licensed practical and/or registered nurses for each shift to ensure that quality care is maintained.
  • Essential Function #5:  Delegate work assignments and schedule work hours, and/or assist scheduling staff in completing and performing such tasks.
  • Essential Function #6:  Delegate to nursing supervisory personnel the administrative authority, responsibility and accountability necessary to perform their assigned duties.
  • Essential Function #7:  Assure that professional licensed and certified personnel have valid and current licenses as required by law.
  • Essential Function #8:  Make daily rounds of nursing department to ensure that all nursing personnel are performing their work assignments in accordance with established policies, procedures and acceptable nursing standards.
  • Essential Function #9:  Monitor absenteeism to ensure that an adequate number of nursing personnel are on duty at all times and appropriate discipline is administered.
  • Essential Function #10:  Review complaints and grievances made or filed by nursing department personnel and remain knowledgeable of union contract.
  • Essential Function #11:  Make appropriate reports to the Administrator as required or as necessary, including departmental performance evaluations.
  • Essential Function #12:  Assure that all nurses aides have completed an approved training program and are in good standing with the State Nurses Aide Registry prior to employment.

NURSING CARE FUNCTIONS

  • Essential Function#1:  Participate in the interviewing, screening and selection of residents for admission to the facility, including the MI/MR pre/annual screenings.
  • Essential Function #2:  Review nurses’ notes to ensure that they meet regulatory requirements and are informative and descriptive of the nursing care being provided and that reflect the resident’s response to the care.
  • Essential Function #3:  Make rounds with physicians as necessary.
  • Essential Function #4:  Schedule daily rounds to observe residents and determine if nursing needs are being met.
  •  Essential Function #5:  Monitor the use of restraint and assure their use is in accordance with regulatory requirements and facility policy and procedures.
  • Essential Function #6:  Encourage attending physician to record and sign progress notes, physician’s orders, etc. on a timely basis and in accordance with current regulations. Report problem physicians to the Administrator.
  • Essential Function #7:  Monitor medication passes and treatment schedules to assure that medications are being administered as ordered and that treatments are provided as scheduled.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

  • Essential Function #1:  Develop and participate in the planning, conducting and scheduling of timely in-service training classes that provides instructions on job preparedness and ensures a well educated nursing department.
  • Essential Function #2:  Develop, implement and maintain an effective orientation program that orients the new employee to the facility, its policies and procedures, and to his/her job position and duties.
  • Essential Function #3:  Provide leadership training that includes the administrative and supervisory principles essential for Charge and Staff Nurse responsibilities.
  • Essential Function #4:  Assist support services in developing, implementing and conducting in-service training programs that relate to the nursing department.
  • Essential Function #5:  Attend and participate in continuing education programs designed to keep abreast of changes in the nursing profession, as well as to maintain your license on a current basis.
  • Essential Function #6:  Encourage the nursing supervisory staff to attend and participate in outside training programs. Schedule times as appropriate to meeting operational needs.

SAFETY & SANITATION

  • Essential Function #1:  Assist in developing safety standards for the nursing department.
  • Essential Function #2:  Monitor nursing personnel to assure that they are following established safety regulations in the use of equipment and supplies.   
  • Essential Function #3:  Ensure that all resident care rooms, treatment areas are maintained in a safe and sanitation manner.
  • Essential Function #4:  Ensure that nursing work areas, medicine preparation rooms are maintained in a clean and sanitary manner.
  • Essential Function #5:  Oversee the blood borne pathogen program and tuberculosis control guidelines and ensure compliance with their requirements.
  • Essential Function #6:  Ensure that all nursing personnel follow established departmental policies and procedures, including appropriate dress codes.
  • Essential Function #7:  Ensure that nursing personnel participate in and conduct all fire safety and disaster preparedness drills in a safe and professional manner.
  • Essential Function #8:  Assist the infection control committee with the development, implementation and revision of aseptic and isolation techniques and ensure that nursing personnel follow these procedures.
  • Essential Function #9:  Implement, maintain and follow the hazardous condition policy and procedure for facility and/or equipment.
  • Essential Function #10:  Develop, implement and maintain a program for monitoring communicable and/or infectious diseases among the residents and staff.

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY FUNCTIONS

  • Essential Function #1:  Recommend to the administrator the equipment and supply needs of the department.
  • Essential Function #2:  Assure that a stock level of medications, medical supplies and equipment is maintained on premises at all times to adequately meet the needs of the residents.
  • Essential Function #3:  Assist the maintenance director in developing and maintaining a well organized and effective preventive maintenance program for facility areas dedicated to the nursing department.
  • Essential Function #4:  Develop and implement procedures for the safe operation of all nursing equipment.
  • Essential Function #5:  Ensure that only trained and authorized personnel operate the department’s equipment.
  • Essential Function #6:  Ensure that all personnel operate nursing equipment in a safe manner.
  • Essential Function #7:  Develop, implement and enforce procedures that ensure nursing supplies are used in an efficient manner to avoid waste and make prudent use of available assets.

CARE PLAN AND ASSESMENT FUNCTIONS

  • Essential Function #1:  Assure development of preliminary and comprehensive assessments of the nursing needs of each resident.        
  • Essential Function #2:  Assure development of a written plan of care for each resident that identifies the problems/needs of the resident, indicates the care to be given, goals to be accomplished and which professional service is responsible for each element of care.
  • Essential Function #3:  When practical, encourage the resident to participate in the development and review of his/her plan of care.
  • Essential Function #4:  Ensure that all personnel involved in providing care to the resident is aware of the care plan and that care plans are used in administering daily care to the resident.
  • Essential Function #5:  Review nurse’s notes to determine if the care plan is being followed.
  • Essential Function #6:  Develop and maintain a good rapport with all services involved with the care plan to ensure that a team effort is achieved in developing a comprehensive plan of care.

BUDGET AND PLANNING FUNCTIONS

  • Essential Function #1:  Assist in the preparation of the nursing department’s budget and submit to the administrator for his/her review, recommendations and/or approval.
  • Essential Function #2:  Keep abreast of economic conditions/situations and recommend to the administrator adjustments in nursing services that ensure the continued ability to provide quality care.
  • Essential Function #3:  Recommend to the administrator the capital equipment needs of the nursing department.

RESIDENT RIGHTS

  • Essential Function #1:  Maintain the confidentiality of all resident care information.
  • Essential Function #4:  Monitor nursing care to assure that all residents are treated fairly, with kindness, dignity and respect.
  • Essential Function #5:  ensure that all nursing personnel are knowledgeable of the residents’ rights and responsibilities.
  • Essential Function #6:  Maintain a written record of the residents’ complaints and/or grievances that indicates the action taken to resolve the complaint and the current status of the complaint.
  • Essential Function #7:  Assure that appropriate notices given to residents before changing their room or roommate is changed.
  • Essential Function #8:  Review complaints and grievances made by the resident and make written/oral report to the administrator indicating what action should be taken to resolve the complaint or grievance.
  • Essential Function #9:  Ensure that all nursing care is provided in privacy and that nursing personnel knock before entering the resident’s room.

MATERIAL AND EQUIPMENT USED

  • Computer
  • Knowledge of patient related equipment necessary for resident care.

EDUCATION AND PREVIOUS RELATED EXPERIENCE

  • Must possess a nursing degree from an accredited college, university or other registered nurse training program.
  • Must have a minimum of three years experience as a supervisor in a major hospital, long term care facility or other related health care facility.
  • Must have five years or more of extensive experience with all IDPH, IDPA, OBRA and other pertinent rules, regulations and laws that govern long term care facilities.
  • Must have experience with long term care survey process and compliance.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

  • Must be knowledgeable of nursing and medical practices and procedures, as well as laws, regulations and guidelines that pertain to long term care.

Skills required to:

  • Must be able to read, write, speak and understand the English language.
  • Possess the ability to make independent decisions when circumstances warrant such action.
  • Deal tactfully with personnel, residents, family members, visitors, government agencies/personnel and the general public.
  • Must be mature and emotionally stable.
  • Must have the ability to plan, organize, develop, implement and interpret the programs goals, objectives, policies and procedures that are necessary for providing care.
  • Must be willing to seek out new methods and principles and be willing to incorporate them into existing nursing practices.
  • Must posses the leadership and supervisory ability and the willingness to work harmoniously with professional and non-professional personnel.

Ability to:

  • Must be able to move intermittently throughout the workday.
  • Must be in good general health and demonstrate emotional stability and high energy levels.
  • Must be able to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the position.
  • Must be able to relate to and work with the ill, disabled, elderly, emotionally upset and at times hostile people within the facility.
  • Must be able to see and hear or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function adequately to assure that the requirements of the position can be met.
  • Must be able to lift, push, pull and move a minimum of 50 pounds.

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