Director of Clinical Services

Summary: The Director of Clinical Services leads the clinical team in a manner that facilitates staff interactions with administration and medical staff The Director of Clinical Services is responsible for management and direction of all clinical services. The Director of Clinical Services works hand in hand with the Director of Operations to assure effective and efficient delivery of quality patient care consistent with the mission and vision of Family Hospital Systems.

Leadership Functions:

Staffing
•    Develop and adjust defined staffing plans in collaboration with the Chief Nursing Officer, the Nurse Staffing Committee, the Chief Imaging Officer, and the Chief Laboratory Officer. 
•    Schedules staff meetings on regular basis to effectively communicate department and facility goals and initiatives. Develops and grows all members of team considering individual preferences, learning styles and personal goals.
•    Plans and monitors staffing activities, including hiring, orienting, evaluating, disciplinary actions and continuing education initiatives.
•    Manage the staffing needs and development through training, competency, evaluation, and retention of staff.
•    Mentor staff to peak performance within Service Line specialty. Monitor daily work to improve service line efficiency (on time starts, turnover times etc.). Facilitate patient flow, address conflicts, counsel appropriately, communicate clearly and maintain confidentiality in staff interactions.
•    Provide direct patient care as assigned. Ability to cover the duties of multiple roles within the department as needed. Flex schedule as necessary to provide coverage/staff support. Assist with call as necessary.
•    Engages in inter-departmental collaboration to optimize operational productivity and the coordination of care, improve the quality and safety of services, meet regulatory requirements, and resolve issues and concerns.
•    Facilitate change by assessing, involving staff, communicating, implementing, and evaluating outcomes
•    Delegates according to the health, safety, and welfare of the patients we serve
•    Monitor and improve turnover efficiency.
•    Measure, monitor and promote workplace safety.
•    Works cooperatively with the Director of Operations and other department heads.
•    Collaborate with respective Directors/Director of Nursing and Director of Operations on technical aspects
Customer Service
•    Investigates, resolves, and documents with tact and diplomacy the resolution of complaints, grievances or incidents concerning patients, visitors, nursing staff, physicians, or other customers.
•    Applies the principles and values of customer service and continuous quality improvement while performing day to day activities of the position.
•    Assess and develop customer satisfaction strategies to address satisfaction issues.
•    Identifies barriers to effective communication based on psychosocial, literacy, financial, and cultural considerations.
•    Demonstrates respect, equity, and empathy in actions and interactions with culturally diverse and vulnerable.
•    Partners with the healthcare consumer to enhance the care provided on the unit.
•    Demonstrates caring attitudes and behaviors to develop therapeutic relationships.
Operations
•    Develops and implements departmental goals, plans, evidence-based practice, and standards consistent with administrative, legal, and ethical requirements and objectives of the organization. 
•    Responsible and accountable for the delivery of safe, effective, direct and indirect, patient-family centered care through the continuum of care to include:
o    Emergency Department Nursing
o    Inpatient Nursing
o    Imaging
•    Directs and evaluates departmental operations, including information, technology, and service level excellence, safety, and compliance to achieve performance and quality control objective and requirements.
•    Works hand in hand with the Director of Operations to facilitate change through project management, developing plans, negotiating, collaborating and shared decision-making, promoting a culture of innovation.
•    Identify key performance indicators
•    Facilitate staff in cooperating with documentation requirements.
•    Collaborates as needed across disciplines to coordinate patient care.
•    Plans, implements, and evaluates patient care plans based on patient assessment to optimize outcomes and maximize available resources.
•    Coordinates with the Purchasing Manager when reviewing supply needs of the facility, balancing patient needs with fiscal responsibility. 
•    Standardize and control inventory. 
•    Maintain all capital equipment and participate in capital acquisition for service line. 
Compliance
•    Assist in development and comply with departmental policies and procedures. Participate in development/rules & regulations.
•    Maintain Joint Commission survey and regulatory inspection readiness.
•    Maintain a high level of understanding of all state and federal regulatory guidelines specific to clinical operations.
•    Maintain a high level of understanding of all Joint Commission requirements specific to clinical services.
•    Maintain Laboratory in accordance with CLIA, COLA, TJC standards.

Education
•    Evaluates learning needs of staff, patient and/or family and provides education appropriate to age, culture, condition, and circumstances.
•    Develop educational programs for surgery and service line staff related to Service Line specialty. Work with nurse educator in planning & educating staffs and physicians on new equipment and supplies.
Quality 

•    Monitors, implements, and participates in continuous quality improvement processes regarding topics pertinent to the department.
•    Serves on the following Family Hospital Systems committees:
o    Environment of Care Committee
o    Patient Safety Committee
o    Nurse Staffing Committee
o    Quality Improvement Committee
•    Prepares regular reports based on objectives, benchmarks, and metrics. Analyzes internal and external data and information to identify opportunities for improving patient satisfaction, efficiency, quality/safety of care, and cost containment.
•    Uses evidence-based interventions and strategies to achieve optimal outcomes.
•    Verbalizes an understanding of the value of measurement and the importance of continuous quality improvement data.
•    Use quality measures to improve performance and accountability for patient outcomes, patient experiences and safe delivery of care.
•    Participate in unit-based Quality improvement, evidence-based practice and research activities.
•    Use current healthcare research findings and other evidence to expand clinical knowledge, enhance role performance, and increase knowledge of professional issues.
Leader Characteristics:

General 
•    Employs critical thinking skills, decisive judgement, and the ability to work with minimal supervision.
•    Integrates critical thinking and technology solutions.
•    Exhibit a caring attitude to co-workers and visitors, including working cooperatively with others for a positive work environment and team-building atmosphere.
•    Complies with facility attendance policies and procedures; meets attendance requirements of the job.
•    Participates in self-growth opportunities/requirements and participates in training opportunities, in-services and meetings per department and facility policy.
•    Requests help and/or guidance as necessary in order to safely perform assigned duties.
•    Plans and organizes work activity to complete scheduled assignments on time.
•    Completes an acceptable workload and accepts additional tasks willingly.
•    Understands and follows the chain of command when dealing with problems and concerns.
•    Complies with facility policies and procedures, including fire evacuation and disaster plans.
•    Deals with interpersonal conflict in a healthy and positive manner.
•    Completes occurrence and all other reports per facility policy.
•    Demonstrates knowledge and practice of standard precautions for prevention of the spread of disease.
Professional Development 
•    Consistently utilizing provided resources to learn and reference facility policy.
•    Seeks out learning opportunities and continuing education.
•    Seeks experiences that reflect current practice in order to maintain skills and competence in clinical practice or role performance.
•    Maintains professional records that provide evidence of competency and life-long learning.
•    Evaluates one's own integrity and nursing practice in relation to professional practice standards and guidelines, relevant statutes, rules and regulations.
•    Takes action to achieve goals identified during the evaluation process.
•    Demonstrates a commitment to the organization through ongoing participation at the hospital and unit-based meetings.
•    Completes hospital required training annually and any additional training as requested or required by nursing leadership.
Company Specific Functions:
•    Adheres to dress code, appearance is neat and clean and wears appropriate identification while on duty.
•    Completes annual health, safety, and education requirement
•    Maintains professional growth and development.
•    Maintains confidentiality of all patient and/or employee information to assure patient and/or employee rights are protected.
•    Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and the skills necessary to provide age-appropriate care to the patient population served.
•    Reports to work on time as scheduled; adheres to policies regarding notification of absence.
•    Attends all mandatory in-services and staff meetings.
•    Represents the organization in a positive and professional manner.
•    Complies with all organizational policies regarding ethical business practices.
•    Communicates the mission, ethics, and goals of the hospital, as well as the focus statement of the department.
•    Maintains current licensure/certification for position, if applicable.
•    Consistently demonstrates Guest Relation’s skills to patients, physicians, visitors, employees, and any other individuals with whom they may come in contact.
•    Consistently follows departmental and hospital Health, Safety, Security, Hazardous Materials policies and procedures.
•    HIPAA: Conduct job responsibilities in accordance with HIPAA privacy laws, follow hospital policy in provision of patient confidentiality. Able to identify patient confidentiality issues and reports to proper hospital personnel immediately.
•    Compliance: Conducts job responsibilities in accordance with standards set forth in FHS Code of Conduct, FHS policy and procedures, applicable federal and state laws, and applicable standards.
•    Employee must maintain a courteous and respectful attitude toward fellow employees, staff, contractors, vendors and the public at all times. Employee must avoid loud, profane, or unprofessional language at all times during the performance of duties. It is immediate grounds for termination if Employee engages in misconduct or is incompetent or negligent in the proper performance of duties or is disorderly, dishonest, intoxicated, or discourteous.

DISCLAIMER:

This description is designed to indicate the general nature and level of work for this position.  It is not intended to describe minor duties or other responsibilities that may be periodically assigned. 
 

Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Masters preferred. Additional state requirements as applicable. Graduate of an accredited nursing program.

Licenses/Certification: Required: RN License, BLS, ACLS, PALS 
Preferred: TNCC
Experience:   Required: 5 years of experience in emergency nursing. 3 years in a leadership role
Preferred: 5 years of experience in a hospital or facility administration role. Experience obtaining and maintaining licensure/certification with regulatory and accreditation bodies.