PRIMARY DUTY The primary purpose of the Director of Nursing (DON) is to plan, organize, develop, and direct the overall operation of the Nursing Department in accordance with local, state, and federal guidelines and regulations. The position is charged with responsibility to ensure that the highest quality of care is delivered consistently to the resident population.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS include the following. Other duties may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Defines and maintains the standards of nursing practice within the facility
- Evaluates the quality and cost-effectiveness of staffing and services in the nursing department
- Initiates the development of policies and procedures that govern the nursing services within the facility
- Monitors all aspects of patient care
- Understands and reviews the facility's Healthcare Clinical Policies and Procedures
- Ensures compliance with local, state, and federal guidelines and regulations
- Ensures that all health, fire, safety, and sanitation codes are carried out in accordance with the facility's disaster and OSHA plans
- Oversees, directs, and coordinates nursing staff to provide proper resident care consistent with standard nursing practices
- Oversees the recruitment, selection, and hiring of nursing personnel
- Conducts frequent rounds on a daily basis to ensure that all nursing service personnel are performing their essential functions in accordance with facility clinical policy and state/federal guidelines and regulations
- Ensures annual evaluations are performed on all nursing staff, counsels and/or disciplines personnel according to established personnel policies
- Develops and/or oversees in-service education programs for the nursing department in compliance with required in-service regulations
- Develops staff schedules in accordance with clinical needs of resident populations
- Oversees the provision of appropriate medications, treatments, and general nursing services according to the resident's care plan and physician directed orders
- Monitors and controls inventories of drugs and supplies
- Directs the development of coordination of the residents' plan of care
- Participates in the assessment of residents to be admitted by evaluating the level and amount of care required by prospective resident in relation to existing nursing capabilities
- Assures that each resident's attending physician and family or responsible party is promptly notified of any significant change in the residents' health condition
- Maintain accurate, detailed reports and records
- Assesses residents conditions and vitals to determine and/or modify resident treatment plans
- Periodically updates written policies and procedures that govern the Nursing Department
- Develops, implements and maintains on going Quality Assurance Program for the Nursing Department
- Assists the Quality Assurance Committee in the development and implementation of action plans to correct any identified deficiencies
- May be required to be "on-call" periodically or as specifically needed by facility
- Serves as a member of various committees as needed or appointed by the Administrator
- Participates as a member of the facility's management team in planning, policy formation and administrative decision-making, with particular emphasis on the facility's nursing services
- Assumes responsibilities of the Director of Nursing in his/her absence
- Reports any issues or problems that may arise to the Dietary Manager
- Complies with state, federal, and all other applicable health care and safety standards
- Assists families and other visitors as needed
- Attends in-services and other required meetings
- Performs other duties and tasks as assigned
EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE an equivalent combination of education, training and experience will be considered.
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent; minimum of 5 years of previous long-term care experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience
- Must be licensed in the applicable state as a Registered Nurse (RN)
- Prior experience managing staff and working in a long-term care and/or assisted living setting preferred
- Experience with the applicable state Survey Rules & Regulations, Medicare and Medicaid
SUPERVISORY REQUIREMENTS of this position are generally as follows:
- Oversees the activities of the nursing department to ensure facility and departmental goals and standards are met; directly manages all nursing employees
- Carries out supervisory responsibilities, including, but not limited to, interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems; and terminating employees
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES which may be representative but not all inclusive of those commonly associated with this position.
- Language Ability - Reads and interprets documents. Ability to write complex reports and correspondence
- Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; able to read and interpret written information
- Verbal Communication - Talks to others to convey information effectively
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar
- Math Ability: Knowledge of mathematics, statistics and their applications
- Reasoning Ability: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving complex variables
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in resource allocation, leadership technique, and coordination of people and resources
- Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job
- Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles for providing customer and personal services. This includes needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction
- Medicine - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to assess and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem
- Delegation - Sets expectations and monitors delegated activities
- Quality Management - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness
- Organizational Support - Follows policies and procedures; completes tasks correctly and on time
- Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events
- Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; advises for additional resources
- Attendance/Punctuality - Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; arrives at meetings and appointments on time
- Dependability - Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan
- Professionalism - Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; accepts responsibility for own actions
COMPUTER SKILLS/EQUIPMENT USED TO PERFORM THE JOB which may be representative but not all inclusive of those commonly associated with this position.
- Desktop/Notebook computers
- MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
- Various medical equipment
WORK ENVIRONMENT environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.
- The employee is occasionally required to wear protective clothing
- The employee may be exposed to blood, bodily fluids, odors, airborne particles, dust or fumes, and toxic or caustic chemicals
- The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate
PHYSICAL ABILITIES commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to talk or hear, stand, walk, sit, stoop, kneel or crouch, use hands to use hands to grasp, manipulate or feel objects and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to taste or smell
- The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds unassisted
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust and focus
