Reports Directly to: Director Of Nursing

Purpose of Your Job Position

The primary purpose of your job position is to supervise the day-to-day nursing activities in your assigned station and assume full responsibility of the facility during your tour of duty, if applicable. Such supervision must be in accordance with current federal, state, and local standards, guidelines, and facility policies and procedures, and as may be required by the Director of Nursing Services, to ensure that the highest degree of quality care is maintained at all times.

Delegation of Authority

As Nurse Station Manager you are delegated the administrative authority, responsibility and accountability necessary for carrying out your assigned duties.

Job Functions

Every effort has been made to identify the essential functions of this position. However, it in no way states or implies that these are the only duties you will be required to perform. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or is an essential function of the position.

Duties and Responsibilities

Administrative Functions

• Assist the Director of Nursing Services in directing the day-to-day functions of the nursing activities for your assigned station in accordance with current rules, regulations, and guidelines that govern the long-term care facility. 
• Ensure that employees, resident, visitors, and the general public follow established policies and procedures.
• Ensure that the nursing Policy and Procedures Manual is current at all times and reflects the day-to-day nursing procedures performed in this facility.
• Make written and oral reports/recommendations to the Director as necessary/required, concerning the operation of your station.
• Assist in developing methods for coordinating nursing services with other resident services to ensure the continuity of the residents’ total regimen of care.
• Participate in the development, maintenance and implementation of the facility’s Quality Assurance plan for the nursing department.
• Participate in facility surveys (inspections) made by authorized government agencies.
• Participate in developing, implementing, and periodically updating the resident’s discharge plan. 
• Perform administrative duties such as completing medical forms, reports, evaluations, studies, charting, etc., as necessary.
• Ensure that your Nursing service personnel comply with the procedures set forth in the Nursing Policies and Procedures Manual and in compliance with their respective job descriptions.
• Admit, transfer, and discharge residents as required.
• Complete accident/incident reports as necessary.

Committee Functions

• Attend the daily “stand up” meeting.
• Coordinate and facilitate care plan meetings with the Interdisciplinary Team.
• Contact and assist in scheduling participation by outside members of the care plan team, including the resident’s representative and/or other interested family members.
• Attend various committee meetings of the facility (i.e., Infection Control, Policy Advisory, Pharmaceutical, Quality Assessment, etc.) as required.
• Assist in preparing written and/or oral reports of the nursing service programs and activities to submit to such committees as directed.
• Provide information to the Quality Assurance and Assessment Committee as requested.
• Implement recommendations from established committees as instructed by the Director.
• Participate in regularly scheduled reviews of the discharge plans and make such plans available to the Interdisciplinary Team as required or as may be necessary.

Personnel Function

• Ensure that a sufficient number of licensed nurses are available for your station to ensure that quality care is maintained. Hire as needed.
• Ensure that a sufficient number of certified nursing assistants are available for your station to ensure that routine nursing care is provided to meet the daily nursing care needs of each resident. Hire as needed.
• Develop work assignments and or assist Charge Nurses in completing and performing such tasks.
• Delegate to each Charge Nurse the administrative authority, responsibility, and accountability necessary to perform his/her assigned duties.
• Make daily rounds of your station to ensure that all nursing service personnel are performing their work assignments in accordance with acceptable nursing standards. Report findings to the Director.
• Ensure that all nursing service personnel are following their respective job descriptions. Discipline as needed. Consult with and advise Charge Nurses as appropriate. 
• Monitor absenteeism to ensure that an adequate number of nursing care personnel are on duty at all times. Discipline as needed. Consult with and advise Charge Nurses as appropriate.
• Review complaints and grievances made or filed by station personnel. Make appropriate reports as required or as may be necessary.
• Develop and maintain a good working rapport with inter-department personnel, as well as other departments within the facility to ensure that nursing services and activities can be adequately maintained to meet the needs of the residents.
• Create and maintain an atmosphere of warmth, personal interest and positive emphasis, as well as a calm environment throughout your station.
• Meet with your station on a regularly scheduled basis to assist in identifying and correcting problem areas and/or to assist in the improvement of services.
• Assist as needed in employee performance evaluations and make recommendations concerning employee dismissals, transfers, etc.
• Ensure that disciplinary action is administered fairly and without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, age, sex, religion, handicap, or marital status.
• Report occupational exposures to blood, body fluid, infectious materials, and hazardous chemicals in accordance with the facility’s policies and procedures governing accidents and incidents.

Nursing Care Functions

• Inform nursing service personnel of new admissions, their expected time of arrival, room assignments, etc. Ensure that rooms are ready for new admissions. Greet newly admitted residents upon admission. Escort them to their rooms as necessary.
• Ensure that attending physicians record and sign progress notes, physicians’ orders, etc., on a timely basis and in accordance with current regulations.
• Ensure that physician visits are made in a timely manner.
• Consult with the resident, his/her family, and the resident’s physician in planning the resident’s care, treatment, rehabilitation, etc., as necessary.
• Ensure that the resident’s attending physician and next-of-kin are notified when there is a change in the resident’s condition.
• Visit residents on a daily basis in order to observe and evaluate each resident’s physical and emotional status and determine that nursing needs are being met.
• Ensure that direct nursing care is being provided by a licensed nurse, a certified nursing assistant and or a nurse aide trainee qualified to perform the procedure.
• Review nurses’ notes to ensure that they are informative and descriptive of the nursing care being provided, that they reflect the resident’s response to the care, and that such care is provided in accordance with the resident’s wishes.
• Provide direct nursing care as necessary.
• Ensure that residents who are unable to call for help are checked frequently.
• Monitor medication passes and treatment schedules to ensure that medications are being administered as ordered and that treatments are provided as scheduled.
• Keep the Director informed of the status of residents and other related matters through written/oral reports.
• Assist the Charge Nurse in monitoring seriously ill residents.
• Admit, transfer and discharge residents as necessary.
• Review medication records for completeness of information, accuracy in the transcription of physician orders, and adherence to stop order policies.
• Inspect the station daily to ensure that it is maintained in a clean and safe manner.
• Meet with resident, and/or family members, as necessary. Report problems to the Director of Nurses.

Staff Development

• Participate in developing, planning, conducting, and scheduling in-service training classes that provide instructions on “how to do the job”, and ensure a well-educated nursing service department.
• Develop, implement, and maintain an effective orientation program that orients the new employee to your shift, its policies and procedures, and to his/her job position and duties.
• Provide leadership training that includes the administrative and supervisory principles essential for the Charge Nurses.
• Encourage your Charge Nurses to attend and participate in outside training programs. Schedule times as appropriate.
• Assist the Director of Staff Development in developing and revising the nursing assistant training curriculum used by the facility.
• Attend and participate in continuing education programs designed to keep you abreast of changes in your profession, as well as to maintain your license on a current status.

Safety and Sanitation

• Assist the Safety Officer in developing safety standards for the facility.
• Ensure that your personnel participate in and conduct all fire safety and disaster preparedness drills in a safe and professional manner.
• Participate in the development, implementation and maintenance of the procedures for reporting hazardous conditions or equipment.
• Monitor your nursing service personnel to ensure that they are following established safety regulations in the use of equipment and supplies.
• Ensure that all personnel wear and/or use safety equipment and supplies (e.g., back brace, mechanical lifts, etc.) when moving or lifting a resident. 
• Report missing/illegible labels and MSDSs to the safety officer or other designated person.
• Ensure that appropriate MSDSs are on file for hazardous chemicals used in the nursing department.
• Participate in the development, implementation, and maintenance of the infection control program for monitoring communicable and/or infectious diseases among the residents and personnel.
• Assist the Infection Control Coordinator in identifying, evaluating, and classifying routine and job-related functions to ensure that tasks in which there is potential exposure to blood/body fluids are properly identified and recorded.
• Ensure that all personnel performing tasks that involve potential exposure to blood/body fluids participate in appropriate in-service training programs prior to performing such tasks. 
• Ensure that an adequate supply of personal protective equipment is on hand and readily available to personnel who perform procedures that involve exposure to blood or body fluids.
• Ensure that personnel follow established procedures for the use and disposal of personal protective equipment. 
• Assist the Infection Control Committee in the development, implementation, and revising of written aseptic and isolation techniques.
• Ensure that nursing service personnel follow established infection control procedures when isolation precautions become necessary.
• Monitor nursing service work areas (i.e., nurses’ station, medicine preparation rooms, etc.) are maintained in a clean and sanitary manner. Ensure that all resident care rooms, common areas, etc., are maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner.

Equipment and Supply Functions

• Recommend to the Director of Nursing the equipment and supply needs of your Station.
• Ensure that an adequate stock level of medications, medical supplies, equipment, etc., is maintained for your Station at all times to meet the needs of the resident.
• Assist the Maintenance Director in developing a preventive maintenance program for maintaining equipment and supplies in your Station in a safe and operable manner.
• Participate in the development and implementation of the procedures for the safe operation of all nursing service equipment.
• Ensure that only trained and authorized personnel operate the nursing service department’s equipment.
• Ensure that all personnel operate nursing service equipment in a safe manner.
• Monitor nursing procedures to ensure that nursing service supplies are used in an efficient manner to avoid waste.

Care Plan and Assessment Functions

• Assist the MDS Coordinator in planning, scheduling, and revising the MDS, including the implementation of RAPs and Triggers.
• Development written plan of care (preliminary and comprehensive) for each resident that identifies the problems/needs of the resident, indicates the care to be given, goals to be accomplished, and which professional service is responsible for each element of care.
• Review resident care plans for appropriate resident goals, problems, approaches, and revisions based on nursing needs.
• Ensure that all personnel involved in providing care to the resident are aware of the resident’s plan. Ensure that nursing personnel refer to the resident’s care plan prior to administering daily care to the resident.
• Review nurses’ notes to determine if the care plan is being followed.
• Review resident’s medical and nursing treatments to ensure that they are provided in accordance with the resident’s care plan and wishes.

Resident’s Rights

• Maintain the confidentiality of all resident care information.
• Monitor nursing care to ensure that all residents are treated fairly, and with kindness, dignity, and respect. Ensure that all nursing care is provided in privacy and that nursing service personnel knock before entering the resident’s room.
• Ensure that all nursing service personnel are knowledgeable of the residents’ responsibilities and rights including the right to refuse treatment.
• Review complaints and grievances made by the resident and make a written/oral report to the Grievance Coordinator indicating what action(s) were taken to resolve the complaint or grievance. Follow facility’s established procedures.
• Report and investigate all allegations of resident abuse and/or misappropriation of resident property.

Working Conditions

• Works throughout the nursing service area (i.e. drug rooms, nurses’ stations, resident rooms, etc.).
• Moves intermittently during working hours.
• Is subject to frequent interruptions.
• Is involved with residents, personnel, visitors, government agencies/personnel, etc., under all conditions and circumstances.
• Is subject to hostile and emotionally upset residents, family members, personnel, and visitors.
• Communicates with the medical staff, nursing personnel, and other department supervisors.
• Works beyond normal working hours and on weekends and holidays when necessary.
• Is subject to call-back during emergency conditions (e.g., severe weather, evacuation, post-disaster, etc.).
• Is involved in community/civic health matters/projects as appropriate.
• Attends and participates in continuing educational programs.
• Is subject to injury from falls, burns from equipment, odors, etc., throughout the work day, as well as to reactions from dust, disinfectants, tobacco smoke, and other air contaminants.
• Is subject to exposure to infectious waste, diseases, conditions, etc., including TB and the AIDS and Hepatitis B viruses.
• May be subject to the handling of and exposure to hazardous chemicals.

Qualifications for the Position

Education

• Must possess a Nursing Degree, LVN or RN from an accredited college or university.

Experience

• Must have, as a minimum, 6 months experience in a long-term care facility, or other related health care facility.

Specific Requirements

• Must possess a current, unencumbered, active nursing license to practice in the state.
• Must be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.
• Must posses the ability to make independent decisions when circumstances warrant such action.
• Must possess the ability to deal tactfully with personnel, residents, family members, visitors, government agencies/personnel, and the general public.
• Must be knowledgeable of nursing and medical practices and procedures, as well as laws, regulations, and guidelines that pertain to long-term care.
• Must possess leadership and supervisory ability and the willingness to work harmoniously with and supervise other personnel.
• Must possess the ability to plan, organize, develop, implement, and interpret the programs, goals, objectives, policies and procedures, etc., that are necessary for providing quality care.
• Must have patience, tact, a cheerful disposition and enthusiasm, as well as the willingness to handle difficult residents.
• Must be willing to seek out new methods and principles and be willing to incorporate them into existing nursing practices.
• Must be able to relate information concerning a resident’s condition.
• Must not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals in the workplace.

Physical and Sensory Requirements (With or Without the Aid of Mechanical Devices)

• Must be able to move intermittently throughout the workday.
• Must be able to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the position.
• Must be able to see and hear or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function adequately to ensure that the requirements of this position can be fully met.
• Must function independently, and have flexibility, personal integrity, and the ability to work effectively with residents, personnel, and support agencies.
• Must meet the general health requirements set forth by the policies of this facility which include a medical and physical examination. Must be able to relate to and work with the ill, disabled, elderly, emotionally upset, and at time, hostile people within the facility.
• Must be able to push, pull, move, and/or lift a minimum of 50 pound to a minimum height of 3 feet and be able to push, pull, move, and /or carry such weight a minimum distance of 10 feet.
• Must be able to assist in the evacuation of residents during emergency situations.