Charge Nurse (RN)

Primary Accountability: 

The Charge Nurse is responsible for the coordination of care, including direct patient care, patient/family education and transitions of care across the continuum of care to meet the needs of the patient and family.  This position delegates patient care according to skill level, experience, patient acuity, fiscal accountability and adequacy of resources – possessing excellent communication skills and is skillful in mentoring and teaching. 

Major Duties:

• The Charge Nurse completes staffing assignments based on the acuity of patients for all staff, including the ER and Outpatient Services.
  • It is preferred that the charge nurse delegates patient assignments to core staff, but may need to assume patient care duties in certain situations.
• Ensures that staff is performing proper and complete bedside reporting during shift change.
• Assesses staff competency and ability to care for assigned patients.
• Assigns obstetrical patients to a qualified nurse.
• Ensures proper techniques are performed on all patients such as, but not limited to, catheterization, tube feedings, suction, dressing changes, NG tube placement and maintenance, and IV starts.
• Provides directions, instructions, and supervision to all nursing staff in the department to ensure quality patient care and satisfactory outcomes.
• Follows and enforces written policies and procedures regarding all aspects of patient care and staff behavior as established by nursing and hospital administration. 
• Assists with orientating new employees.
• Ensures ER patients are triaged and, if provider requests, a medical screening exam completed within 15 minutes of the patient’s arrival.
• Organizes and maintains the outpatient schedule.
• Visits patients and families to determine the needs of patients, and ensures they are being met.
• Ensures all SQSS checks are completed, and any discrepancies addressed within the allotted timeframe.
• Ensures all nursing equipment is in proper working order. Reports to the appropriate department any defects or malfunctions.
• Takes telephone, written or verbal orders from physicians, and inputs order in the EMR. Reports critical lab values, other diagnostic results and pertinent patient information to providers when necessary. 
• Ensures primary nurse reviews and implements orders.
• Performs 12-hour chart checks to review staff’s documentation for completion and accuracy.
• Assists with supplying medications in the Pyxis.
• Fills out employee slips in regard to low census and turns in to the Nursing Manager.
• Ensures the unit is adequately staffed for the upcoming shift. Makes changes to the schedule for coverage needs and communicates these changes to the Nursing Manager.
• If inappropriate behavior is noted, corrects it immediately with that staff member in a professional and private manner. Reports staff behavior to the Nursing Manager.
• To ensure 24-hour coverage of charge nurses, a charge nurse shift can only be covered by another nurse who can perform charge nurse duties.

Qualifications:

• Must be licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the state of Kansas.
• Two (2) years of RN experience preferred.
• Must be BLS certified.
• Must have or complete ACLS, PALS, TNCC and NRP certification within one (1) year of employment.

Physical Demands:

• Eye/Hand, Eye/Foot and Hand/Foot Coordination.
• Normal eyesight, with or without corrective lenses.
• Normal hearing, with or without hearing aids.
• Motor coordination and manual dexterity.
• The ability to bend, stoop, crawl, and kneel.
• The ability to exert 50 to 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 25 to 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or 10 to 20 pounds of force constantly.  

Work Environment:

• Well-lit/well-ventilated work area; close visual work.
• Prolonged amount of sitting, standing and walking throughout the day.
• Subject to frequent interruptions.
• May be exposed to infectious and contagious diseases.
• Meet and talk with a wide variety of employees, visitors and patients.
• Exposed to offensive odors or hazards of explosive gases.
• Exposure to unpleasant elements such as accidents, illnesses and injuries.
• Able to work under emergency situations.
• Requires judgement/action in life/death situations.

Additional Duties:

Additional duties and responsibilities may be added to this job description at any time.  The job description does not state or imply that these are the only activities to be performed by the employee holding this position.  Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related responsibilities as requested by their Supervisor or assigned charge personnel.