Description

This job provides skilled nursing care to patients in their homes using acquired skills to identify health-related problems, adopt appropriate intervention measures, and promote standard health practices. This position reports to the Director of Patient Care Services. 

The following duties are normal for this position. Other duties may be required and assigned. 

• Provides skilled nursing care in the home to patients in accordance with the service plan, physicians orders, and agency policies. 

• Performs all aspects of patient care specific to the standard of care for patient’s age and in an environment that optimizes patient safety and reduces the likelihood of medical/health care errors. 

• Promotes and maintains patient health through teaching and appropriate rehabilitative measures. 

• Assists patients in learning appropriate self-care techniques. 

• Prepares clinical progress notes and follows the client service plan as developed by the registered nurse and according to agency policy. 

• Submits all notes and visit verifications in a timely and efficient manner. 

• Keeps abreast of nursing trends and knowledge. 

• Communicates current health status and needs of patients to the appropriate staff. 

• Demonstrates a desire to set and meet objectives and to find increasingly efficient ways to perform tasks. 

• Demonstrates knowledge of medications and their correct administration based on age of the patient and the patient’s clinical condition.

• Completes work with accuracy and within time frames. 

• Notifies the Director of Patient Care Services of any anticipated problems with the posted schedule. Provides as much advance notice of changes/problems as is possible. 

• Adheres to agency infection control and safety policies, including education, reporting and practice implementation specific to job position. 

• Keeps Director of Patient Care Services informed of events, problems, and concerns at all times. 

• Participates in the on-call schedule to attend to care needs of patients outside of regular hours. 

• Maintains current/valid Kentucky nursing license. 

• Maintains confidentiality of all records and reports maintained for all patients.

Qualifications

Education and/or Experience: Valid Kentucky nursing license (LPN or RN), current CPR certification or willingness to obtain, current TB skin test or willingness to obtain, competency in general nursing skills, techniques, and practice. Private duty experience helpful, but not required. 

Language Ability: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, legal documents, and medical orders. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from patients. 

Mathematical Skills: Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as proportions, percentages, area, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry. 

Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. 

Environmental Demands: Ability to adapt and perform job duties in demanding environments (i.e. temperature changes, cigarette exposure, pet exposure, and various other household chemicals). 

Physical Demands: Ability to regularly stand, walk, use hands to handle/feel, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, talk, hear, smell, manipulate up to 50 pounds, lift up to 30 pounds, and ability to walk independently up and down a normal flight of stairs. Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus.