Description

Position Overview:

The primary responsibilities of the Charge Nurse RN are to plan, organize, and provide nursing care to residents according to federal, state and facility regulations and standards and ensure quality care is maintained. The Charge Nurse RN will also supervise Certified Nurse Aides, Certified Medication Aides in their day-to-day nursing activities.

Essential Job Functions:

Provides professional nursing care to residents:

• Administer prescribed medications and treatments as ordered by physician.
• Take temperature, blood pressure, dress wounds, give enemas, and administer other treatments as needed.
• Administer I.V.s when necessary (RNs and I.V. certified LPNs) and monitors according to accepted practice.
• Ensure narcotic counts are accurate each shift.
• Documents care given in resident’s clinical record

Observes residents’ conditions and charts and reports changes or concerns to the appropriate parties:

• Ascertain any health issues or problems that the residents may be developing and documents according to the plan and facility polices.
• Notify the physician, DPOA and /or family as necessary when there is a change in the resident’s condition, medication, or treatment.
• Record resident information and accidents or incidents, such as skin conditions, suspected abuse or neglect, and grievance according to federal, state and facility policies.
• Report discrepancies in orders, care, medications, or treatments to the physician and DON.

Responds to residents’ call for help and determines how to assist them:

• Record information regarding incident and report to Administrator, DON, and Director of Independent Living.
• Follow accepted policies for residents’ care and adheres to Residents Rights, including consideration/respect with recognition of his/her dignity and individuality.

Works with DON, physicians, Care Plan Team, nursing staff and residents’ families to assess residents’ needs, plan and modify care and implement interventions:

• Receive and record physician’s orders according to accepted practices and facility polices.
• Make rounds with the physicians as necessary.
• Report problems in providing resident care to the DON and recommends needed changes in facility policies and procedures.
• Participate in committee meetings and Care Plans as needed.
• Assist in admitting residents.
• Communicate necessary information to nursing staff.

• Cooperates with other departments to maintain optimal level of care

• Give and receive report for the residents’ care each shift and communicate necessary information to nursing aides.

Helps residents with activities of daily living (ADLS) and ensures that residents are following diets as directed by physicians:

• Provide assistance in waking, bathing, feeding or toileting the residents as necessary.
• Assure residents are ready for appointments as scheduled.
• Monitor and provide assistance as needed in the dining area.

Directs and supervises nursing assistants’ day to day functions:

• Check staffing board at the beginning of each shift and make staffing readjustments as necessary.
• Ensure residents’ care is provided by the appropriate nurse or designee in accordance with federal, state and facility policies.
• Communicate clear expectations to nursing assistants on a daily basis.
• Provide leadership by example.
• Give and receive report for the residents’ care each shift and communicate necessary information to nursing aides.
• Counsel staff in timely manner using Responsibility Based Counseling
• Report staffing problems to the DON.

Ensures that adequate stock levels of medications and treatment supplies are available to meet the needs of the residents:

• Recommend to the DON needed equipment and supplies on a daily basis.

Maintains work areas in a clean and orderly fashion:

• Maintain all medication and treatment in a clean and orderly fashion.
• Keep work area and utility rooms clean throughout the shift.
• Observe all infection control polices according to federal, state, and facility policies.

Other Duties Performed:

• May perform duties of CMA or CNA at times (see applicable job description).

• May complete monthly summaries, discharge summaries, and other charting as directed

• May obtain physician orders as directed by Charge Nurse

• Will accept “on-call-duty” as assigned by the DON or the facility Administrator

Qualifications & Experience:
• Nursing Diploma: or
• RN degree from an accredited school of nursing or college/university: or
• Graduate of a approve LPN/VN program