Summary of Position The Alternate Director of Nursing is responsible for the daily clinical operations of a PPECC center and assists the Administrator in the overall operations and maintenance of the Center. The Director of Nursing enforces all PPECC rules and regulations set by the State and HealthCare for Kids Policies and Procedures.
Responsibilities - Supervising all aspects of a minor's plan of care to ensure the minor's plan of care is implemented as ordered.
- Supervising all activities of the center's professional nursing staff and direct care staff to ensure compliance with current standards of accepted nursing practice.
- Ensuring compliance with all federal and state laws, rules, and regulations in this chapter.
- Supervising the daily clinical operations of the center.
- Ensuring the documentation of the center's actual, daily, and total census in accordance with §15.803 of this subchapter (relating to Census) and §15.410 of this subchapter (relating to Nursing Services Staffing Ratio).
- Ensuring the documentation of the center's staffing ratios in accordance with §15.410 of this subchapter.
- Supervising the implementation of staffing policies to ensure that only qualified staff are hired by the center, including verification of licensure and certification before employment and annually thereafter.
- Ensuring the maintenance of records to support competency of the center's nursing and direct care staff.
- Ensuring the implementation of the center's policies and procedures that establish and support quality care to a minor.
- Providing orientation and in-service training to employees and providers of basic services to promote effective basic services and safety to a minor.
- Performing timely annual performance evaluations for the center's nursing and direct care staff.
- Ensuring participation in regularly scheduled continuing training for the center's nursing and direct care staff; and
- Ensuring that the care at the center promotes effective services and the safety of a minor.
- Enforces and demonstrates compliance with all State and Federal Regulations, Medicaid Regulations, and The Company's policies and procedures.
- Organizes and directs the clinical operations.
- Directs the provision and quality of nursing services provided to children/individuals.
- Supervises all nursing staff and unlicensed assistive personnel.
- Maintains contact with child/individual's primary health care provider at the least every 90 days and more often, as needed, and shall document the contact in the child/individual's medical record.
- Shall maintain the child/individual's Plan of Care and complete Re-certification paperwork in a timely manner.
- Ensures the child/individual's Plan of Care is executed as written by the physician.
- Ensures timely and accurate documentation in the child/individual's medical record.
- Ensures coordination of care and services among multi-disciplinary team members and physicians.
- Shall develop, coordinate, and implement written goals and objectives, standards of practice, standards and guidelines and an organizational plan for the nursing service and shall address at the minimum:
- The assessment of the child/individual's health service needs.
- Ongoing observation and monitoring of the child/individual's condition.
- Notification of the Administrator if there is a notable change in the child/individual's health status.
- The assessment and implementation of the child/individual's need for referral to the child/individual's primary health care provider and/or specialist.
- The maintenance of records as per the Company.
- Enforces and demonstrates compliance with all State and Federal regulations, Medicaid Regulations, and The Company.
- Assists Administrator with:
- Orientation, staff development, in-services, and continuing education.
- Staff performance review.
- Progressive discipline and counseling of the staff.
- Compliance and participation in the continuing quality improvement and utilization review.
- Appropriate daily staffing with an adequate number of qualified personnel and/or independent contractors to meet state specific guidelines.
- Must maintain required and assigned continuing education.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Qualifications - Current license to practice as a Registered Nurse in the state employed.
- The Director of Nursing/Alternate Director Nursing of a center must have two years of experience in supervision and management in a pediatric health care setting and meet all of the following criteria:
- be an RN with a master's or baccalaureate degree in nursing and be licensed under the Nursing Practice Act, Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 301, with no disciplinary actions.
- a minimum of 2 years of supervision or management experience in a pediatric setting, caring for a medically or technology dependent minor.
- Must be certified by the American Heart Association (AHA) CPR/BLS with AED and First Aid
- Must be at least 25 years of age according to Texas Rules and Regulations
- Must not have been involved as an Administrator in a DADS investigation resulting in a violation citation.
- Computer and word processing skills required.
- Must be able to read, write and speak the English language, knowledge of other languages helpful.
Physical Requirements: - Ability to stand, lift or assist in lifting an individual in an emergency.
- Must be able to bend, stoop, kneel, squat, and demonstrate flexibility to meet the care needs of the individual.
- Must be able to see with visual and listen with hearing acuity.
- Must have strength and manual dexterity, including grasping and manipulating small objects, to operate medical equipment appropriately.
- Must be able to respond in an emergency.
