What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Nursing - Housing Services position at Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc.?
POSITION SUMMARY
The Director of Nursing is responsible for ensuring the delivery of the highest quality of health care to the individuals we support. Under the supervision of the Vice President of OMH Housing, the Director oversees all medical practices related to an individual’s health and wellbeing in accordance with regulatory requirements, program guidelines, and agency policy. The Director ensures that all nursing support in assigned residences/programs is carried out to meet the individual needs of the men and women we support, including providing such nursing services directly when needed. The Director provides support and coverage to residences/programs as needed and is on call 24/7 for clinical consultation.
DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
•
Ensures that the individuals supported receive quality medical services based on individual needs and in accordance with OMH and other New York State and Federal regulations.
•
Ensures that appropriate nursing support is available to respective residences/programs and that nursing hours are allocated based on program/individual needs.
•
Ensures that medical emergencies are addressed in accordance with regulations and agency policies and procedures, and ensures timely notification and communication to appropriate team members, family members, administration, and other providers.
•
Advocates on the individuals’ behalf as necessary.
•
Reports possible violations of individuals’ rights promptly, completes and submits incident reports in accordance with New York State OMH regulations and agency policy.
•
Ensures that appropriate protective and preventive measures for both staff and individuals are utilized by nursing staff to control communicable and infectious diseases and conditions in the environment which might cause physical harm including identification, assessment and reporting of same.
•
Identifies complex problems and reviews related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
•
Considers the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
•
Manages change in integrated health care delivery systems, such as work restructuring, technological innovations, and shifts in the focus of care.
•
Possesses and uses general business operations knowledge to guide the team and the program and ensures successful servicing of people we support.
•
Ensures all team members in the programs are fulfilling the roles and responsibilities of their positions.
•
Provides clinical supervision and guidance to direct support staff, managers, and other assigned team members on an ongoing basis to ensure high quality care.
•
Advises on policies, procedures, and best practices to ensure medical and psychiatric care is effective, timely, and compliant with care plans.
•
Addresses performance issues through performance improvement or corrective action measures.
•
Communicates information to program staff on an ongoing basis including agency updates, new or revised policies, and DOH and OMH directives.
•
Ensures that relevant nursing information is relayed to program supervisors in a timely manner.
•
Provides educational support to individuals on their specific medical conditions/health care needs and other topics, as needed.
•
Develops and implements training and resources to assist program staff in educating individuals regarding their specific medical and/or psychiatric conditions.
•
Reviews individuals’ records, incident reports, medication errors, in-service training records, and all other documentation required to validate nursing services; counsels and/or re-trains staff as needed to ensure accuracy.
•
Ensures training for all employees in OSHA regulations and diagnostic protocols.
•
Be available to consult/counsel and refer employees for medical treatment when they have had a possible exposure in consultation with Human Resources and the Medical Director.
•
Attends and participates in workshops and seminars and encourages staff participation in continuing education, lifelong learning, and professional organization membership.
•
Participates in internal/external surveys/audits as needed; reviews plan of action regarding these surveys and follows through on all recommendations in a corrective manner.
•
Assists with completing POCA reports as requested, and submits within stated time frame.
•
Develops and implements policies and procedures, training curricula, and more as requested.
•
Assists in planning new programs and screens program participants for new and existing programs as needed.
•
Participates in committees as needed for investigations or medical concerns.
•
Participates in formulating, updating, reviewing and directing the implementation of written clinical policies and procedures, as needed.
•
Schedules regular visits to individuals in need of acute and long-term rehabilitative services.
•
Communicates agency, program, staff, and individuals’ needs/concerns to the Vice President of OMH Housing.
•
Partners with other teams and the administration to implement policy that promotes nursing best practices in the residences/programs.
•
Creates and maintains a high-performance environment characterized by positive leadership, strong teamwork, and a focus on outcomes.
•
Reports and identifies problems and suggests solutions to improve working/environment conditions.
•
Remains on-call defined as 24/7 days per week for medical emergencies, and provides supervision, guidance or coverage as needed.
•
Maintains ongoing communication with residential programs, families, providers of the individuals, and others involved with the program as well as the individual.
•
Participates in investigations into incidents occurring within the assigned programs as requested and maintains confidentiality in regard to such investigations.
•
Ensures that all guidelines, regulations, and standards are followed.
•
Provides accurate and concise information regarding individual functioning and/or difficulties to team members and providers.
•
Ensures that all required documentation (paper and electronic) is completed /processed appropriately, in a timely manner, and meets quality and compliance thresholds.
•
Performs other duties as assigned.
Responsibilities of All FREE Employees
•
Always communicates in a respectful manner with all people including the people we support, supervisors, other valued team members, and members of the community.
•
Complies fully with FREE’s confidentiality policies by holding in strictest confidence all information pertaining to members, residents, the people we support and their families, clients, providers, contractors, and employees.
•
Meets all safety training requirements; adheres to all safety policies and reports any and all unsafe conditions; takes measures to prevent accidents and/or eliminate conditions that pose a safety or health risk.
•
Coordinates, supports, attends and participates in all required events/ meetings/ reviews/ committees, including ones outside of standard working hours.
•
Meets all job requirements and stays in compliance.
•
Adheres to FREE’s standard of ethical behavior as outlined in the Employee Handbook and Code of Conduct as well as applicable laws and regulations.
Responsibilities of FREE Employees in Leadership/Management Positions:
•
Ensures compliance with FREE policies, procedures, and operating standards.
•
Implements a continuous quality improvement process for department services and administrative functions.
•
Assists in the development, implementation and administration of Human Resources policies and programs including compliance with Equal Employment Opportunities and Affirmative Action Programs.
Please note the above duties, responsibilities, and essential functions are a non-exhaustive list, and may be changed by FREE at any time, with or without notice to the employee.
QUALIFICATIONS
•
Education:
o
Associate’s degree in nursing required, bachelor’s degree in nursing preferred
•
Experience:
o
Minimum of five (5) years of experience as a registered nurse
o
Previous OMH/OPWDD nursing experience preferred
o
Minimum of one (1) year of supervisory experience preferred
•
Specialized Training, Licenses, Certifications:
o
Valid and active NYS Registered Nurse (RN) Licensure
•
Knowledge, Skills, Competencies, and Abilities:
o
Strong familiarity with federal, state & local regulations governing health care
o
Must be knowledgeable of nursing and medical practices and procedures
o
Computer literacy required, familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite
o
Decision-making and problem-solving skills a must
o
Must be efficient, well organized, and have excellent written and verbal communication skills
o
Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment with flexibility, keeping others informed and anticipating needs is essential
•
Other Requirements:
o
Valid driver's license and satisfy criteria to be an agency driver required
o
Ability to be on-call and work a flexible schedule based on program needs, including weekends, holidays, and evenings.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
This role is performed in-person with some travel between FREE locations required.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
•
Employee is required to sit, walk and stand for prolonged period of time (at least 8 hours).
•
Employee is required to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing.
•
Employee is required to operate standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, fax and filing cabinets.
•
Employee might be required to lift/move light items.
Notwithstanding the above listed physical requirements of this position, FREE will provide reasonable accommodations to allow employees to perform the essential functions of the position, provided such reasonable accommodations do not cause undue hardship on FREE.
The Director of Nursing is responsible for ensuring the delivery of the highest quality of health care to the individuals we support. Under the supervision of the Vice President of OMH Housing, the Director oversees all medical practices related to an individual’s health and wellbeing in accordance with regulatory requirements, program guidelines, and agency policy. The Director ensures that all nursing support in assigned residences/programs is carried out to meet the individual needs of the men and women we support, including providing such nursing services directly when needed. The Director provides support and coverage to residences/programs as needed and is on call 24/7 for clinical consultation.
DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
•
Ensures that the individuals supported receive quality medical services based on individual needs and in accordance with OMH and other New York State and Federal regulations.
•
Ensures that appropriate nursing support is available to respective residences/programs and that nursing hours are allocated based on program/individual needs.
•
Ensures that medical emergencies are addressed in accordance with regulations and agency policies and procedures, and ensures timely notification and communication to appropriate team members, family members, administration, and other providers.
•
Advocates on the individuals’ behalf as necessary.
•
Reports possible violations of individuals’ rights promptly, completes and submits incident reports in accordance with New York State OMH regulations and agency policy.
•
Ensures that appropriate protective and preventive measures for both staff and individuals are utilized by nursing staff to control communicable and infectious diseases and conditions in the environment which might cause physical harm including identification, assessment and reporting of same.
•
Identifies complex problems and reviews related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
•
Considers the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
•
Manages change in integrated health care delivery systems, such as work restructuring, technological innovations, and shifts in the focus of care.
•
Possesses and uses general business operations knowledge to guide the team and the program and ensures successful servicing of people we support.
•
Ensures all team members in the programs are fulfilling the roles and responsibilities of their positions.
•
Provides clinical supervision and guidance to direct support staff, managers, and other assigned team members on an ongoing basis to ensure high quality care.
•
Advises on policies, procedures, and best practices to ensure medical and psychiatric care is effective, timely, and compliant with care plans.
•
Addresses performance issues through performance improvement or corrective action measures.
•
Communicates information to program staff on an ongoing basis including agency updates, new or revised policies, and DOH and OMH directives.
•
Ensures that relevant nursing information is relayed to program supervisors in a timely manner.
•
Provides educational support to individuals on their specific medical conditions/health care needs and other topics, as needed.
•
Develops and implements training and resources to assist program staff in educating individuals regarding their specific medical and/or psychiatric conditions.
•
Reviews individuals’ records, incident reports, medication errors, in-service training records, and all other documentation required to validate nursing services; counsels and/or re-trains staff as needed to ensure accuracy.
•
Ensures training for all employees in OSHA regulations and diagnostic protocols.
•
Be available to consult/counsel and refer employees for medical treatment when they have had a possible exposure in consultation with Human Resources and the Medical Director.
•
Attends and participates in workshops and seminars and encourages staff participation in continuing education, lifelong learning, and professional organization membership.
•
Participates in internal/external surveys/audits as needed; reviews plan of action regarding these surveys and follows through on all recommendations in a corrective manner.
•
Assists with completing POCA reports as requested, and submits within stated time frame.
•
Develops and implements policies and procedures, training curricula, and more as requested.
•
Assists in planning new programs and screens program participants for new and existing programs as needed.
•
Participates in committees as needed for investigations or medical concerns.
•
Participates in formulating, updating, reviewing and directing the implementation of written clinical policies and procedures, as needed.
•
Schedules regular visits to individuals in need of acute and long-term rehabilitative services.
•
Communicates agency, program, staff, and individuals’ needs/concerns to the Vice President of OMH Housing.
•
Partners with other teams and the administration to implement policy that promotes nursing best practices in the residences/programs.
•
Creates and maintains a high-performance environment characterized by positive leadership, strong teamwork, and a focus on outcomes.
•
Reports and identifies problems and suggests solutions to improve working/environment conditions.
•
Remains on-call defined as 24/7 days per week for medical emergencies, and provides supervision, guidance or coverage as needed.
•
Maintains ongoing communication with residential programs, families, providers of the individuals, and others involved with the program as well as the individual.
•
Participates in investigations into incidents occurring within the assigned programs as requested and maintains confidentiality in regard to such investigations.
•
Ensures that all guidelines, regulations, and standards are followed.
•
Provides accurate and concise information regarding individual functioning and/or difficulties to team members and providers.
•
Ensures that all required documentation (paper and electronic) is completed /processed appropriately, in a timely manner, and meets quality and compliance thresholds.
•
Performs other duties as assigned.
Responsibilities of All FREE Employees
•
Always communicates in a respectful manner with all people including the people we support, supervisors, other valued team members, and members of the community.
•
Complies fully with FREE’s confidentiality policies by holding in strictest confidence all information pertaining to members, residents, the people we support and their families, clients, providers, contractors, and employees.
•
Meets all safety training requirements; adheres to all safety policies and reports any and all unsafe conditions; takes measures to prevent accidents and/or eliminate conditions that pose a safety or health risk.
•
Coordinates, supports, attends and participates in all required events/ meetings/ reviews/ committees, including ones outside of standard working hours.
•
Meets all job requirements and stays in compliance.
•
Adheres to FREE’s standard of ethical behavior as outlined in the Employee Handbook and Code of Conduct as well as applicable laws and regulations.
Responsibilities of FREE Employees in Leadership/Management Positions:
•
Ensures compliance with FREE policies, procedures, and operating standards.
•
Implements a continuous quality improvement process for department services and administrative functions.
•
Assists in the development, implementation and administration of Human Resources policies and programs including compliance with Equal Employment Opportunities and Affirmative Action Programs.
Please note the above duties, responsibilities, and essential functions are a non-exhaustive list, and may be changed by FREE at any time, with or without notice to the employee.
QUALIFICATIONS
•
Education:
o
Associate’s degree in nursing required, bachelor’s degree in nursing preferred
•
Experience:
o
Minimum of five (5) years of experience as a registered nurse
o
Previous OMH/OPWDD nursing experience preferred
o
Minimum of one (1) year of supervisory experience preferred
•
Specialized Training, Licenses, Certifications:
o
Valid and active NYS Registered Nurse (RN) Licensure
•
Knowledge, Skills, Competencies, and Abilities:
o
Strong familiarity with federal, state & local regulations governing health care
o
Must be knowledgeable of nursing and medical practices and procedures
o
Computer literacy required, familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite
o
Decision-making and problem-solving skills a must
o
Must be efficient, well organized, and have excellent written and verbal communication skills
o
Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment with flexibility, keeping others informed and anticipating needs is essential
•
Other Requirements:
o
Valid driver's license and satisfy criteria to be an agency driver required
o
Ability to be on-call and work a flexible schedule based on program needs, including weekends, holidays, and evenings.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
This role is performed in-person with some travel between FREE locations required.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
•
Employee is required to sit, walk and stand for prolonged period of time (at least 8 hours).
•
Employee is required to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing.
•
Employee is required to operate standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, fax and filing cabinets.
•
Employee might be required to lift/move light items.
Notwithstanding the above listed physical requirements of this position, FREE will provide reasonable accommodations to allow employees to perform the essential functions of the position, provided such reasonable accommodations do not cause undue hardship on FREE.
