Responsible for the provision and direction of safe and effective patient-centered care utilizing the nursing process in their respective nursing department. Manages staff members in the unit, ensures staff competency, and provides leadership for nursing activities. Establishes and maintains collegial relationships with department staff and managers at Hayward Area Memorial Hospital. Consults with staff, physicians, and/or the director of nursing as needed to resolve patient care and departmental issues. Interprets facility policy to ensure patient needs are met in an effective and efficient manner. Prepares and maintains departmental budget, including staffing FTEs. Meets or exceeds the competency requirements for staff of the department (i.e., ACLS, NRP, PALS).
Responsibilities/Duties:- Utilizes the nursing process to deliver safe and effective patient-centered care without constant supervision, including:
- Assessment: Performs head-to-toe physical assessment/reassessments for patient populations including newborn, pediatric, adult, and geriatric. Assesses patients for psychological, social, or spiritual needs, including pain, cognition, and discharge planning.
- Planning: Utilizes interdisciplinary team resources to develop and revise an individualized plan of care as indicated by the patient's needs and medical treatments. Incorporates cultural/ ethnic/religious/ spiritual preferences, growth and developmental stage characteristics, and evidence-based nursing principles into the plan whenever possible.
- Intervention: Implements nursing interventions per plan of care in a safe, effective, and timely manner, including medication and pain management, patient education, and technical nursing skills. Actively participates in multidisciplinary discharge planning.
- Evaluation: Evaluates the effectiveness of the plan of care, including response to treatments, understanding of patient/family education, and goal achievement. Revises the plan of care and communicates the same as needed.
- Documentation: Documents patient assessments, plan of care, nursing actions, patient responses, and communication of information to patients, co-workers, providers, or family members in an effective and timely manner in the electronic medical record.
- Provides care within the context of excellent service to patients, families, and co-workers; takes responsibility for anticipating, understanding, and satisfying needs while striving to exceed expectations. Excellent service includes treating everyone in the workplace with respect and dignity.
- Demonstrates appropriate delegation of care to assistive personnel; supervises and evaluates care delivery with a focus on safety and positive patient experiences.
- Assures patient care and work environments demonstrate safety standards and decrease the likelihood of error or harm to patients; takes corrective action as needed to modify potentially unsafe areas promptly. Adheres to infection prevention best practices.
- Demonstrates effective communication with patients, families, and co-workers, including:
- active listening
- honesty
- ability to clearly convey information
- openness to thoughts and ideas expressed by others
- Demonstrates professionalism and self-development, including:
- reliability in attendance, appropriate dress, and proper identification
- honesty/integrity/confidentiality
- a high regard for ethical principles
- clinical resource for staff and other departments
- motivation for continuous learning and improvement. Accepts organizational change; adapts to new structures, procedures, and technology promptly. Assists new employees with the process of orientation or students in their acquisition of clinical skills.
- Demonstrates teamwork in the building of positive work relationships with staff, physicians, and co-workers while working collaboratively to achieve patient care and/or organizational goals.
- Demonstrates a high degree of work quality, including:
- accuracy
- thoroughness
- consistency
- professional presentation
- Uses good judgment, logical thought processes, and critical thinking skills to achieve positive patient and work environment goals.
- Demonstrates work effectiveness and efficiency, including:
- ability to prioritize competing work demands
- achievement of the targeted work volume promptly
- positively managing work delays
- Demonstrates competence in organizational quality improvement efforts to improve patient care outcomes and streamline work processes, including:
- data collection/analysis
- improvement trials
- scorecard monitoring/trending
- quality improvement project presentation
- Demonstrates leadership in achieving departmental goals, including alignment to organizational priorities, planning, implementation, and monitoring of outcomes. Provides reports as needed to demonstrate progress. Pursues and recommends best practices whenever possible, using trending and benchmarks when available.
- Completes human resource activities, including:
- developing and maintaining job descriptions/competency evaluation tools/departmental policies, and procedures
- interviewing/hiring
- planning/implementing new employee department orientation
- assuring staff competency prior to staff working independently
- assuring staff have the tools and equipment needed to perform their work
- coaching and mentoring
- documenting and providing timely performance feedback
- completing performance evaluations promptly
- recognizing staff for their performance
- following the progressive discipline process per hospital policy, including termination as needed
- Demonstrates fiscal responsibility, including:
- preparing budgets aligned with organizational goals, considering departmental short/long-term needs, equipment, staff, and space
- interpretation of financial reports
- allocating resources appropriately to meet patient care needs
- operating department within budgetary guidelines
- Demonstrates principles of risk management, including:
- ensuring a culture of service excellence
- completing service recovery and complaint follow-up
- assuring adequate staffing levels to meet unit requirements, state law, or professional organization guidelines
- developing and maintaining records pertinent to the operation of the department
- Demonstrates leadership, managerial, supervision, and administrative acumen.
- leads by example; role models desired clinical and employee behaviors
- values employee contributions
- utilizes principles of conflict resolution to facilitate the achievement of patient care and departmental goals
- conveys a sincere desire to facilitate the growth, success, and professional development of employees
- Performs other duties as assigned, which may include:
- new program development
- community involvement
- coalition participation
- representation of the organization in a positive and professional manner
- Adheres to PRIDE Service Standards
Education/Experience:- Associate/Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, BSN preferred
- Current Wisconsin Registered Nurse license required
- Current BLS certifications are required before providing patient care
- Three (3) or more years of previous experience in general nursing and/or the respective department
- Two (2) years of supervisory or management experience preferred
