Charge Nurse – RN

POSITION SUMMARY

The RN, charge nurse (health center) is responsible for the supervision of the total nursing activities during each shift and supervising nursing personnel providing direct care to residents, within scope of practice.

GENERAL JOB REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES

1. Supports the mission; resident life, health, and wellness philosophy; and the code of professional ethics of BHI Senior Living, Inc.
2. Understands and abides by the BHI Senior Living, Inc., personnel policies and other policies and procedures which apply to his/her department.
3. Reports to department manager or executive director known or potential violations of the residents rights policy, resident abuse policy, professional ethics statement, corporate compliance policy, HIPAA privacy policy, confidentiality policy, anti-harassment policy, zero-tolerance workplace violence policy, profanity in the workplace policy, time-keeping policy, and other policies and procedures established by the corporation.
4. Attends work as scheduled, maintains acceptable personal appearance/hygiene, follows the designated dress code policy, and keeps work area in neat, clean, and orderly condition.
5. Understands and complies with job performance requirements.
6. Demonstrates good judgment in the performance of job duties.
7. Supports customer service efforts and initiatives while exhibiting quality customer service behaviors.
8. Demonstrates kindness, tact, and courtesy toward all residents, family members, colleagues, outside vendors, and other visitors to the BHI Senior Living’s corporate office and/or facilities.
9. Treats all matters concerning the corporation, facilities, staff, and residents with strict confidentiality.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Maintains responsibility for admission and assessment of new residents.
2. Receives and gives accurate, timely verbal and written reports on residents’ condition upon shift change. Confers with the director of nursing to provide continuity of care and relates information to other nursing shifts to assure follow-up of physician’s instructions.
3. Makes routine rounds of assigned residents and modifies standard nursing procedures for care in specific areas.
4. Ensures that medications are administered and treatments performed according to physicians’ written or verbal orders. Notes adverse reactions and takes appropriate measures.
5. Inventories medication supplies and orders medications per telephone from the pharmacy as needed, and is alert to possible pharmacy error by reading labels.
6. Performs nursing procedures, and discusses specific resident’s progress with physicians.
7. Observes and reports verbally symptoms/conditions of residents to the treating physician and family in a timely manner.
8. Reports verbally pertinent information to physicians and regarding new admissions, transfers or discharge, and condition changes of residents.
9. Receives, transcribes, and implements physicians’ written or verbal orders.
10. Documents in writing pertinent information on residents’ records according to facility written policy and Indiana State Department of Health regulations.
11. Overview of supervision duties:
    • Supervises all nursing personnel.
    • Assigns work to team members verbally or in writing to assure maximum coverage of unit and residents with available staff.
    • Coordinates resident care. Calls in staff by telephone when needed.
    • Instructs and/or counsels team members, verbally or in writing.
    • Assists in training of new nursing personnel.
    • Participate in evaluations of all nursing personnel when assigned.
    • Implements employee disciplinary measures on approved written forms as needed, notifies the director of nursing verbally or in writing of same, and provides follow-up.
    • Administers personnel policies and/or all applicable facility policies in a fair and consistent manner.
12. Maintains narcotic audit in writing and accounts for the use of narcotics.
13. Maintains certification to give Mantoux tests, CPR, and first aid.
14. Supervises distribution of meals and nutritional supplements assuring consistency with dietary needs.
15. Reports verbally any emergency or unresolved on-going problems with staff, resident, and/or family member to the director of nursing.
16. Understands and supports social services and activity programming.
17. Actively participates in in-service programs. a. Attends staff development seminars and conferences as requested. b. Attends out-of-facility meetings and in-service PRN as requested.
18. Provides special care and time to the dying resident and moral support to family members.
19. Provides input verbally or in writing to the director of nursing as to the effectiveness of departmental policies and procedures and provides assistance in the development and implementation of new written policies and procedures.
20. Administers PPD Mantoux tests to residents and employees, after being certified by the Indiana State Department of Health and maintains CPR certification.
21. Audits residents’ records for compliance with facility written policy and state board regulations. Reports verbally or in writing all deficiencies to the director of nursing.
22. Participates in resident care plan meetings as required.
23. Handles problems with difficult or disturbed residents, family or sponsor/surrogate.
24. In performance of assigned duties, interacts with residents in a cheerful/positive manner and shall be respectful of resident’s personal belongings
25. Teamwork and participation: Maintains an effective relationship with all departments and professional staff; and participates on facility committees as assigned.
26. Reporting and response:
    • Reports verbally or in writing unusual resident behavior to supervisory personnel or a representative of the nursing department.
    • Reports verbally or in writing concerns expressed by family members, visitors, or other persons visiting the facility to supervisory personnel or a representative of the nursing department.
    • Communicates, either verbally or in writing, any problems or concerns to his/her supervisor.
    • Reports all equipment malfunctions/breakdowns and other maintenance needs to supervisory personnel.
    • Responds to emergency situations effectively and efficiently and, in case of an emergency, provides direct assistance to residents in evacuating building.
27. Training requirements: a. Attends required in-service meetings and departmental staff meetings and completes any written, verbal, or visual requirements.
    • Continually updates knowledge of current trends/developments by reading state and federal regulations relevant to the activity department and assures compliance with these within the department.
    • Receives knowledge of and demonstrates the ability to perform all fire and safety, tornado, and disaster evacuation procedures and participates in all subsequent disaster preparedness training exercises.
    • Maintains knowledge and training in exposure control plan and universal precautions.
    • Attends continuing educational workshops and seminars at the discretion of the director of resident services and/or the executive director.
28. Performs other duties as requested by the program director, director of resident services, and/or the executive director.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS – JOB RELATED SKILLS

Graduate of an accredited school of nursing. Maintains an active license in good standing as defined by the Indiana Department of Registration and Education. Additionally, the employee must demonstrate the following: ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing; basic computer related skills; and other skills as required.