START OF CARE RN III

Core Competencies

• Adheres to infection prevention guidelines
  
  
• Adheres to policies, procedures, and standards of practice to deliver safe and optimal care
  
  
• Assesses patient history, physiological, and psychosocial status
  
  
• Communicates with the patient, family, medical staff and others during the continuum of care
  
  
• Complies with Joint Commission’s national patient safety goals
  
  
• Complies with organizational quality dashboard/benchmarking goals
  
  
• Interprets common variables affecting patient care and follows reporting process
  
  
• Maintains regulatory compliance consistent with quality standards and ethical obligations of the profession
  
  
• Participates in activities in alignment with the Magnet Model
  
  
• Participates in organizational activities
  
  
• Participates in Peer Review
  
  
• Participates in professional development activities
  
  
• Performs as a preceptor in an active and engaged manner
  
  
• Provides age-specific individualized care that supports protection from harm and complies with patient safety centered interventions/bundles
  
  
• Provides patient and family education throughout the care of patient
  
  
• Uses critical thinking to formulate and carry out a care plan according to patient needs
  
  
• Utilizes resources in an economical manner
  
  
• Utilizes safe administration of medications
  
  
• Utilizes Safe Patient Handling
  
  

Department Specific Competencies

• Completes an initial assessment of patient and family/representative to determine home health care needs.
  
  
• Conducts a complete physical assessment and history of current and previous illness(es).
  
  
• Conducts an environmental assessment following The Joint Commission Standards to ensure the home is safe and appropriate for the delivery of care.
  
  
• Completes the OASIS Assessment Tool and validates accuracy before submission to the Performance Improvement Coordinator.
  
  
• Initiates the plan of care after discussion with the Primary Care Physician and Specialists managing the patient’s care.
  
  
• Performs a comprehensive medication reconciliation with patient and family/representative and physicians involved in care
  
  
• Uses health assessment data to determine nursing diagnosis and related goals and interventions.
  
  
• Develops a care plan, which establishes goals based on nursing diagnosis and incorporates therapeutic, preventive, and rehabilitative nursing actions.
  
  
• Includes the patient and the family/representative in the planning process.
  
  
• Administers medications and treatments as prescribed by the physician.
  
  
• Determines need for translation services or communication aides and arranges for the appropriate resources to meet these needs.
  
  
• Completes the appropriate consents and regulatory notices after explaining home health specific patient rights and responsibilities in a manner appropriate to the patient, family/representative.
  
  
• Explains the patient’s financial responsibility for the services proposed.
  
  
• Provides written health care instructions to the patient, family/representative as appropriate per assessment and plan of care.
  
  
• Identifies initial discharge planning needs as part of the care plan development.
  
  
• Communicates with the physician(s) regarding the patient’s needs and reports any changes in the patient’s condition; obtains/receives physician’s orders as required.
  
  
• Communicates with community health related persons to coordinate the care plan.
  
  
• Participates in on-call duties as defined by the on-call policy.
  
  
• Ensures that arrangements for equipment and supplies and other necessary items and services are completed and communicates to the assigned Case Manager or Team Manager.
  
  
• Prepares initial home health aide care plan and provides instruction to the assigned CHHA.
  
  
• Provides Start of Care report to Manager immediately following assessment to facilitate scheduling of Case Manager and other disciplines.
  
  
• Completes and corrects all documentation within 24 hours.
  
  

Education

Experience

License / Certification Requirements