Assistant Nurse Manager in Fairfield, Iowa at Jefferson County Health Center

POSITION OVERVIEW:

• Assists Medical Surgical Nurse Manager in providing leadership for planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating all the activities on Medical Surgical Unit to achieve the organization’s mission, vision and values.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Graduate of accredited school of nursing, current Iowa license, ACLS, PALS and BCLS.
• Mandatory Reporter per hospital policy.
• Demonstrate strong leadership skills for a minimum of three years.
• Assumes responsibility for professional growth and continuing education.
• Must exhibit excellent customer service relations with patients, visitors and co-workers.
• Computer skills required.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

Reports to Medical Surgical Nurse Manager. Has shared 24-hour responsibility with Medical Surgical Nurse Manager and accountability for planning, organizing, and coordinating staffing for patient cares on the Medical Surgical Unit

DIRECT REPORTS:

Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Unit Clerks, Certified Nursing Assistants and Nursing Staff Secretary

POSITION-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS:

• Coordinates with Medical Surgical Manager and providers in formulating departmental goals and designing, implementing, directing, monitoring, and evaluating nursing care and delivery of services in designated departments.

• Assists in formulating department goals and participates in the review, revision, implementation, and assists in evaluation of nursing and department-specific policies and procedures.
• Coordinates the activities of the Med Surg department intra-departmentally and
  • • interdepartmentally with other service areas of the organization.
• Meets with Medical Surgical Nurse Manager to discuss unit issues and plan unit strategies.
• Acts as liaison between administration, providers, care team members, the patient and family members, and staff. Serves as patient advocate as necessary.
• Facilitates and assists with daily rounding on all patients.
• Listens to customer concerns, investigates the concerns, communicates these concerns to the appropriate staff; institutes appropriate counseling and disciplinary measures if needed.
• Provides follow-up to customers and reports all unresolved concerns to Medical Surgical Nurse Manager or CNO.
• Manages personnel in the most effective and cost-efficient manner.
  • Assists in recruitment, selection, transfer, training, scheduling and
  • performance management of Med Surg nursing department personnel.
  • Is visible and makes self available to staff.
  • Demonstrates clinical expertise and serves as a clinical resource to the Med Surg staff.
  • Participates in rounding on all Med Surg and other designated staff at designated times.
  • Completes follow-up to rounding and stop light reports for staff.
  • Actively participates in the development and educational needs of staff.
  • Assists in maintaining staff records, monitors staff care and documentation, completes evaluations in a timely manner which provide staff with insight into their strengths and opportunities and identifies goals for staff to work towards in the evaluation period.
  • Maintains current BCLS, PALS, and ACLS certification.
  • Assists in the development and education of new nurses through participation in student nurse clinicals and preceptorships with surrounding nursing institutions.
  • Assists in Communicating and Supporting organizational and departmental goals and initiatives to staff.
• Supports, enforces and positively models the principles of Championship Culture.
  • Role model for staff related to dress code, call light initiative, use of managing others up
  • principles, etc.
  • Maintains a cooperative relationship among health care teams by communicating information; responding to requests; building rapport; participating in team problem-solving methods.
  • Supportive of Medical Surgical Manager, administration and the decisions made by administration.
• Assists in achieving financial objectives in the preparation of, recommendations, and administration of Med Surg.
• Plans, directs, and monitors quality management activities in designated departments to identify, study and address nursing care challenges.
  • Apply evidence-based healthcare practices and nursing standards.
  • Accountable for achievement of quality, safety, and customer satisfaction goals.
  • Ensures adherence to policy and standards set forth by state, federal, and health center
  • regulatory agencies.
  • Oversees delegation, completion, and submission of all reports in a timely manner.
• Manage and enforce the information security policies and procedures to safeguard confidentiality and integrity of all organizational protected healthcare information.
• Fill in on unit as needed.
• Serves as a liaison between personnel, administration, providers and other departments to ensure optimal patient care.
• Contacts may include but are not limited to co-workers, other JCHC employees, providers, public, families and patients.
• Other duties as assigned

MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS:

Administrative

• Knowledge of the policies and procedures sufficient to direct department operations
• Assists with writing, reviewing, revising, and implementing policies and procedures
• Disseminates information, professional knowledge to department members, and hospital staff
• Travels to meetings to represent Jefferson County Health Center and acquire necessary information
• Participates in the development and achievement of established hospital and divisional goals
• Manages problems and discrepancies as they present themselves and documents appropriately
• Investigates patient, family, provider complaints, and follows appropriate risk management and grievance process guidelines to resolve the situation
• Is a catalyst for conforming to quality and accrediting standards
• Remains current on regulatory compliance, educates staff, and ensures compliance in department
• Ensures standards of behavior, operational strategies and practice efficiencies are achieved

Financial/Technical Responsibilities

• Participates in the development of annual budgets and operates within the approved budget
• Reviews departmental financial statements on a monthly basis
• Safeguards the assets of JCHC by applying effective internal control practices and audits
• Ensures JCHC’s continued non-profit status by maintaining awareness of changes in the law
• Assists with review and maintenance of charge master rates and codes
• Implements cost management and LEAN strategies to ensure maximum efficiencies and productivity
• Assists with selection, use, maintenance, repair of department equipment
• Is responsible for ordering department inventory
• Prepares internal department invoices for Accounts Payable
• Prepares and validates statistical data in a timely manner

Personnel and Resource Management

• Ensures that the responsibilities, authorities and accountabilities of all direct reports and appointed positions are defined and understood
• Coordinates and participates in in-service programs, committees, and staff meetings as appropriate
• Provides for orientation of new employees
• Utilizes a team base approach by seeking suggestions and input from staff and colleagues
• Assigns administrative and operational responsibilities to department members
• Is responsible for staffing/scheduling, assuring safe and competent staffing patterns
• Maintains required reports, records and documents appropriate information regarding patient care and employee performance
• Conducts performance appraisals
• Participates in team-based interviews of applicants
• Consults with human resources regarding employee concerns in a proactive manner

Professionalism

• Leads staff by example
• Actively participates in professional affiliations as assigned by the CEO
• Assumes personal responsibility for professional growth and continuing education
• Remains informed of current and relevant trends and practices affecting healthcare
• Exhibits excellent customer relations to patients, visitors, providers, and co-workers
• Presents a positive/professional hospital image
• Establishes and maintains effective and professional working relationships with employees,

policymaking bodies, third party payers, patients and the public

• Uses discretion to retain information that is confidential
• Applies effective communication skills and keeps lines of communication open with staff and other managers to ensure high employee morale and a professional, healthful atmosphere

Quality Management

• Fosters an environment that values continuous quality improvement
• Promotes initiatives in care delivery and practice that focus on patient safety
• Coordinates the monitoring of medical and clinical activities to ensure the fulfillment of the community’s needs for quality with leadership, the board, medical staff, and other personnel
• Facilitates development and monitoring of appropriate departmental quality improvement initiatives
• Ensures the provision of affordable and quality health care services by the acquisition, utilization, and organization of resources (human, financial, and physical)

Safety

• Communicates safety issues and their interventions to the safety committee
• Monitors department incident reports and conduct safety evaluations
• Documents department minutes and in-service records on safety
• Initiates corrective action in response to safety surveillance findings, to include equipment repair/adjustment and employee education
• Conducts and/or participates in departmental education based on quality improvement/safety equipment safety surveillance findings
• Communicates verbally and/or in writing to appropriate staff regarding safety issues, documenting such communication; i.e., department minutes, in-service records
• Ensures appropriate completion of incident reports relating to the safety of the employee, patient, or visitor
• Notifies Maintenance when new electrical equipment is integrated into department
• Reviews, completes, and reports any notification of equipment recalls by manufacturer to the QI Manager

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Works in a well-illuminated, climate-controlled environment
• May come in contact with hazardous chemical or treatment modalities
• Possibility exists of exposure to communicable diseases
• Involvement in inpatient care may result in unavoidable work-related illness or injury
• Work environment is comfortable, with minimal exposure to physical hazards
• Moderate to loud noise environment when machines/equipment in use
• Involvement in checking in/moving of supplies may result in unavoidable work-related injury
• Must be constantly alert for patient/family emergency situations