URGERY NURSE MANAGER

Anticipated Schedule: Monday- Friday. 7:00 - 3:30. Evening and weekend call/callback to support the department and team.

Competitive wage and benefits offered include: paid time off, health, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, short term and long term disability, retirement program, tuition assistance, funeral leave, jury duty, flex spending, EAP, health and wellness program.

POSITION SUMMARY: The nurse manager is responsible for the provision of high quality and cost effective patient care in fulfilling Cherokee Regional Medical Center’s mission. The nurse manager is accountable for establishing productive work relationships with the medical staff, support department and is responsive to community needs. The nurse manager provides leadership by maintaining standards for clinical practice, ensuring the fulfillment of hospital goals and providing management expertise. The nurse manager is responsible for developing the patient care staff.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Participates in the development of policies, standards, and programs that support clinical practice and patient care management.
• Directs the cost effective utilization of financial, human, material and informational resources.
• Facilitates the personal and professional development of the patient care staff.
• Participates in the development of performance improvement opportunities that are cooperative with other departments and disciplines.
• Prepares capital and operating budgets for department/units. Meets approved operating expense budget or accounts for any variances. Works with other departments to assure cost savings for the hospital. Manages staff hours (regular, orientation and overtime hours) efficiently.
• Conducts regular staff meetings to communicate hospital and departmental issues. Develops and maintains accurate job descriptions and performance standards. Demonstrates skills in selecting and training new employees, evaluating, coaching and disciplining.
• Develops and implements an effective quality improvement program for the department that meets the requirements of the hospital quality improvement plan and other regulatory bodies.
• Primary responsibility is to ensure that each patient receives the highest quality and safest care possible.
• Assumes responsibility and demonstrates 24-hour accountability for quality and quantity of nursing care in the OR. This includes daily staffing of the OR 6:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. five days/week, and on-call coverage by two personnel from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. plus weekend 24-hour coverage.
• Assigns daily duties of staff to ensure best staff utilization.
• Establishes and maintains communications within the department and between departments of CRMC, Med Staff, and Administration.
• Maintains adequate supplies of anesthesia, surgical, and central supply stocks and medications.
• Coordinates agenda and activities of Surgical Case Review Committee.
• Provides an orientation program for new employees. This is to include policies and procedures, location of supplies, use of equipment, specialties, physician preferences, aseptic technique, etc. There is a specialized form to be completed for orientation to OR/PAR/CS.
• Compiles and reports monthly stats on number of patients, procedures, anesthetics, and PAR patients.
• Prepares monthly work schedule for OR/CS staff.
• Conducts yearly evaluation of all staff.
• Tallies and reconciles bi-monthly payroll for OR/CS staff.
• Keeps up-to-date on new innovations and improvements available for OR equipment, and informs surgeons of the same.
• Coordinates with Risk Management the QI system of follow-up of care received in the OR and the follow-up phone calls made to patients post-op.

Leadership Functions:

Builds a Strong Team:

• Selects, develops, and retains staff to accomplish department objectives while creating an environment where staff are engaged and satisfied.
• Communicates philosophy and objectives so there is a sound understanding of mission, values, vision, and acceptable methods to achieve goals.
• Establishes departmental objectives and goals with appropriate staff input, assuring alignment with Strategic Plan. Executes action plans to assure deployment of objectives and goals.
• Delegates meaningful responsibility and authority in order to efficiently get work done as well as stimulate and enhance career growth of others.
• Understands and utilizes Employee Engagement data to make improvements in the department.
• Holds consistent and effective department staff meetings, assuring that staff have the necessary information regarding department and organizational operations.
• Maintains position control, staff mix, and the scheduling process to achieve appropriate staffing levels to maximize department efficiency and maintain quality of care and service.

Builds a Competent Team:

• Builds a team that demonstrates the necessary technical capabilities and skills while actively pursuing the critical knowledge and personal growth to succeed in the role.
• Assures the establishment and maintenance of competency based orientation, ongoing competency validation, and continuing education programs for the department.
• Develops, revises, communicates and monitors application of all departmental policies.
• Makes prudent decisions, creates policies and procedures and provides managerial directions and leadership with minimum supervision by providing decisive support to the staff within the department and requires appropriate direction in managing the department.
• Conducts performance reviews on time, monitors performance trends, and initiates corrective action plans as necessary.

Builds Teamwork and Collaboration:

• Serves as a role model for others while performing responsibilities in a safe, effective, efficient, legal, and professional manner. Serves a resource for peers and subordinates.
• Initiates, facilitates and fosters the environment of the change process to improve quality and efficiency.
• Initiates own education, growth and development through training and development activities such as internal or external courses, seminars, on-the-job training, etc.
• Participates in professional activities inside or outside the organization, such as task forces, committees, participation in conferences, other professional recognition, or community service activities.
• Attends leadership meetings regularly and actively participates in such meetings.
• Demonstrates effective meeting skills by conducting and participating in meetings that are agenda driven, action oriented, and driven towards decisions that best serve the organization.

Builds a Safe Team:

• Instills importance with the team that Patient, Visitor and Employee Safety is the responsibility of every employee exercised through use of personal protective equipment and following safety rules, regulations, standards, and laws.
• Assures the establishment and maintenance of standards of care and standards of practice for the department.
• Applies and enforces policies consistently, accurately, and fairly.

Delivers Outstanding Patient/Customer Experience:

• Achieves Department Service Goals
• Communicates in a way that is empathic and compassionate, dedicated to connecting with people, reducing patient and family anxiety, and to earn people’s trust, engagement, confidence, and partnership.
• Acts as a role model in flexibility when schedules need to be reworked or when coverage is needed to maintain quality levels of service and care.
• Utilizes patient/customer satisfaction data to make improvements in department(s) as appropriate.
• Makes decisions and operationalizes policies that support our primary focus of patient/customer needs.
• Creates an environment where staff are empowered to make decisions and operate in a manner that maintains our primary focus of patient/customer needs.
• Monitors customer/patient relations, resolves complaints, identifies and refers risk management concerns and initiates appropriate follow up to these issues.

Drives Quality Improvement:

• Achieves Quality Improvement Goals.

• Monitors and measures quality and safety outcomes to assure highest quality of care is being provided to our patients. Implements processes that support a culture of safety for staff and patients.
• Provides for the collection, analysis and maintenance of data as needed for quality, risk, DNV accreditation, DIA regulations, OSHA guidelines, as required by law or other regulation, or as identified by the organization.
• Promotes and maintains compliance with all state and federal laws, rules and regulations including, but not limited to DNV, DIA, CMS, OSHA, HCFA, etc.
• Participates in monthly, quarterly, and annual planning for department and organization.
• Collects appropriate data relative to department services and utilizes such data for planning and decision making.
• Ensures accurate data is recorded and reported to the organization.
• Proactively initiates improvements in their own department. Provides suggestions and recommendations for organization wide efforts when appropriate. Implements Lean management processes in the department.

Ensures Financial Responsibility:

• Achieves 2022 Financial Goals.
• Plans, develops, and manages capital, operating, and FTE budgets effectively. Analyzes and gathers data related to labor, supplies, and other line items.
• Proactively measures, assesses, and manages cost of services and department expenses.
• Operates assigned departments efficiently, utilizes financial data, and seeks outside comparative metrics as appropriate.
• Allocates organizational assets appropriately. Acts as a responsible steward of the resources with which we work including time, materials, supplies, equipment, and property. Provides suggestions for better utilization of facility assets.

Education:

• Required: ADN-RN
• Preferred: BSN degree

License/Registration/Certification:

• Required: Current RN licensure in the State of Iowa
• Required: Current BCLS, PALS, NRP and ACLS certification.

Experience:

• Preferred: 3 years clinical experience
• Preferred: Previous management experience

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Sound background in basic principles and procedures in-patient care and demonstrated ability to provide safe and effective care to patients.
• Demonstrates the ability to communicate effectively with people.
• Demonstrates a strong knowledge base in specific area(s) of clinical practice.
• Demonstrates expertise in leadership and management skills.