Age Specific Responsibility

Must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served in assigned department.  Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient’s status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient’s requirements relative to age-specific needs and to provide the care needed as described in the department’s policies and procedures.

Summary                                                                                                                                                               

The Nurse Manager for Valley Health Mary Free Bed is responsible for the overall operation of the nursing team within the rehabilitation hospital and has 24-hour accountability for all patient care activities and staff who work under his / her direction.  The Nurse Manager collaborates with the Program Director, Medical Director, other leaders, and staff from multiple disciplines to design, implement, evaluate, and adapt systems of care and a unit culture to achieve targeted performance outcomes. 

Working with the unit educator and other members of the leadership team, the Nurse Manager is responsible to organize, direct, and ensure effective operations of the rehabilitation hospital, taking into account the effect of decisions on the 24-hour operation of the units. 

The Nurse Manager oversees the interviewing and selection of nursing staff, the corrective action process, and completes formal evaluations of employees.   The Nurse Manager uses independent judgement in problem solving, takes necessary steps to resolve issues, organizes workflow, assigns employees, and participates in budget planning and compliance. 

The Nurse Manager is responsible to demonstrate excellent customer service, while upholding the Mary Free Bed Standards of Behavior, and supporting the mission, vision and values of both Mary Free Bed and Valley Health.

Essential Job Responsibilities                                                                   

• Clinical Required:  Provide patient care, treatment, and services within the scope of their license, certification or registration and as required by Federal and State laws and regulations.

Quality Pillar of Excellence

• Quality Nursing Care – The Nurse Manager’s primary focus is creating a team and processes that contributes to the delivery of quality nursing care.  The Nurse Manager collaborates with other members of the leadership team to:
  • Promote clinical excellence through applied clinical knowledge, leadership, and evidence-based research utilization.
  • Orchestrate change to improve clinical and organizational outcomes.
  • Integrate continual performance improvement into the structure and processes of the daily practice of team members to achieve desired clinical and fiscal outcomes.
  • Align all unit activities with departmental, and institution performance improvement goals, encouraging collaboration and problem solving across the various disciplines.
  • Collaborate with other disciplines to design, implement, evaluate, and adapt systems of care and a unit culture to achieve targeted clinical quality and fiscal outcomes.
  • Apply a systematic process for program planning and resource allocation for populations of patients.
  • Ensure that the physical environment, patient confidentiality, and patient rights are maintained promoting safe quality patient care outcomes.
  • Ensure that patient care documentation is complete and accurate in accordance with hospital and unit policies and procedures.
  • Promptly report actual or potential medication errors, adverse drug events, sentinel events, and patient safety events.
  • Prepare and is ready for regulatory reviews: State; Fire Marshal, DMV, etc.
  • Work with all staff to assure that nursing care is delivered consistently according to established policies, procedures, and protocols including activities such as creating equitable staffing assignments, mentoring new staff, ensuring nursing presence at and preparedness for team conferences, communication to and follow up with physicians, safety monitors, and timely follow up on occurrence reports as well as customer service recovery as needed.
  • Develop and review nursing policies and procedures; nursing standards of patient care, treatment, and services; and standards of nursing practice. 
• Key Performance Indicators – The Nurse Manager is responsible to understand performance measures within the Rehabilitation Unit, and to collaborate with other leaders and staff to identify opportunities for improvement and develop action plans. 
• Quality Improvement – The Nurse Manager takes an active leadership role in Mary Free Bed at Valley Health’s quality improvement program. 
• Patient Safety – The Nurse Manager is responsible to create an environment of care that promotes the safety of each patient and team members.   Using feedback from staff and other members of the leadership team, the Nurse Manager will assure that appropriate steps are taken to protect the safety of each patient. 
• Interdepartmental and Interdisciplinary Collaboration – The Nurse Manager is responsible to maintain effective interpersonal communication and working relationships with all leaders, staff, physicians, and other key stakeholders.  The Nurse Manager will participate actively in interdisciplinary program meetings with the goal of evaluating and improving the care provided at Mary Free Bed at Valley Health.
• Accreditation and Regulatory Responsibilities –The Nurse Manager works with the Program Director and other leaders to implement policies, procedures, and processes that align with regulatory, accreditation, and state hospital standards.  

Service Pillar of Excellence

• Customer Service – The Nurse Manager is required to demonstrate excellent customer service standards and behaviors, while interacting with patients, family members, physicians, and colleagues.  The Mary Free Bed Standards of Behavior outlines expectations for performance in this area.  The Nurse Manager must deal discreetly and sensitively with confidential information, and as needed, will perform customer service recovery with patients and families’ members.  The Nurse Manager will also take active steps to assist staff members to recognize unique cultural and religious needs of patients and families and integrate these varying needs into a patient-specific plan of care that aims to exceed the expectations of each patient and family.   Finally, the Nurse Manager will hold team members accountable for performance in all aspects of customer service.
• Physician and colleague relationships – Interdisciplinary team integration and collaboration across disciplines to provide patient-centered care is a priority at Mary Free Bed.  Maintaining effective working relationships with admitting and consulting physicians is an important responsibility of the Nurse Manager.  As such, the Nurse Manager is responsible to develop and maintain professional working relationships with colleagues from other disciplines that are involved in the care of each patient and family.   When challenging situations are identified by staff members, the Nurse Manager will assist with problem solving and service recovery, as appropriate.

People Pillar of Excellence

The Nurse Manager oversees various personnel actions including but not limited to, hiring, performance appraisals, disciplinary actions, employee recognition, terminations, and other related activities.

• Employee Competency – The Nurse Manager is responsible to work with other leaders to develop a process to define and assess clinical and customer service competencies for new and existing staff members, and to address concerns promptly when they are identified.
• Professional Work Environment – A culture of professionalism, respect, and accountability is critical to fulfilling the mission of Mary Free Bed at Valley Health.  The Nurse Manager is responsible for develop a culture of personal accountability, solution-seeking behavior, mutual respect, open communication, acceptance of change, enthusiasm, and pride.  As opportunities for celebration and opportunities for improvement are identified, the Nurse Manager will implement plans to achieve improvement.
• Employee Safety – Each employee within the Nursing Department is responsible to follow all policies and procedures related to employee safety.  When risks to employee safety are identified (self or others), the Nurse Manager will take appropriate steps to reduce those risks, communicate with the staff, and to maintain a physical work environment that reflects the high-quality nursing services delivered at Valley Health Mary Free Bed.
• Staff Selection, Development and Mentoring – The Nurse Manager is responsible to lead the process for employee selection and orientation process.  Interview questions and feedback will be presented professionally and tactfully, and information discussed during the interviews will remain confidential, if needed. 

• Student Preceptor and Mentoring – The Nurse Manager will create an environment and processes that promote a valuable clinical rotation for students.

Financial Performance Pillar of Excellence

• Fiscal Responsibility – The Nurse Manager will implement departmental policies and procedures that align with Mary Free Bed and Valley Health policies related to payroll practices, patient chargeable items and other opportunities to provide high-value nursing care at a reasonable price to our customers. Additional responsibilities related to fiscal performance are as follows:
  • Contributes to organization success targets for net operating margin.
  • Supports the organizations patient flow efforts through compliance to unit and Valley Health policies.
  • Plans, schedules, and organizes the staff ensuring proper distribution and delegation of assignments and efficient utilization of personnel, space and facilities.
  • Remains accountable for the requisition, care and maintenance of unit inventory, equipment, and supplies.
  • Develops action plans to ensure budget and resource efficiency utilizing internal and external benchmarking, quality outcomes, and satisfaction with patient care delivery.

• Leadership Must-Haves will be followed for patient and staff interactions

Customer Service Responsibilities                                                                                               

Demonstrate excellent customer service and standards of behaviors as well as encourages, coaches, and monitors the same in team members. This individual should consistently promote teamwork and direct communication with co-workers and deal discretely and sensitively with confidential information. 

Responsibilities in Quality Improvement                                                                         

Contribute by identifying problems and seeking solutions. Promote patient/family satisfaction where possible; participates in departmental efforts to monitor and report customer service.

Essential Job Qualifications                                                                                                          

• Licensure Requirements: Registered nurse in the state of Virginia.