Charge Nurse, Cardiac Step-Down, Full-time Nights at Beacon Health System – South Bend, Indiana

Assures that quality patient care is provided by:

• Recognizing potential and actual consumer concerns in a timely manner, investigating to define problems, intervening when immediate attention is needed and reporting results to appropriate person.
• Coordinating bed utilization through appropriate patient placements and transfers.
• Talking and listening to patients, families and members of the health team.
• Contributing to the Performance Improvement Plan for the unit.
• Reviewing, interpreting and administering Hospital, Unit and Departmental procedures to staff, patients, physicians and others.
• Contributing to the peer review process.

Manages resources by:

• Reviewing number and skill level of persons on duty, making appropriate shift staffing adjustments and calling staff to come in or stay at home, maintaining unit productivity goals.
• Maintaining clinical skills and providing direct patient care as staffing patterns demand.
• Assigning patient care in accordance with patient needs and staff capability.
• Resolving short term staffing issues, predicting short and long term shift staffing needs and recommending strategies to improve staffing.
• Communicating problems or concerns with regard to quality, acquisition or use of supplies or services.
• Collaborating with Departmental Leadership on performance appraisals.
• Providing coaching and direct assistance to co-workers, orienting and training new personnel (including temporary staff) to duties and validating knowledge, skills and abilities of staff.

Performs Professional Practice by:

• Plan care which includes goals and prioritized nursing approaches/measures derived from the nursing diagnosis.
• Accept responsibility for individual nursing actions and continued competence.
• Takes ownership and pride in their job.
• Respect the dignity and rights of the patient regardless of socioeconomic status, personal attributes, or nature of health problem.
• Maintains each patient's right to privacy by protecting confidential information unless obligated by law to disclose the information.
• Retain professional accountability for nursing care when delegating nursing intervention.

Performs other functions to maintain personal competence and contribute to the overall effectiveness of the department by:

• Serving on appropriate committees, councils or task forces as requested.
• Completing other job-related duties and projects as assigned.

ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Associate complies with the following organizational requirements:

• Attends and participates in department meetings and is accountable for all information shared.
• Completes mandatory education, annual competencies and department specific education within established timeframes.
• Completes annual employee health requirements within established timeframes.
• Maintains license/certification, registration in good standing throughout fiscal year.
• Direct patient care providers are required to maintain current BCLS (CPR) and other certifications as required by position/department.
• Consistently utilizes appropriate universal precautions, protective equipment, and ergonomic techniques to protect patient and self.
• Adheres to regulatory agency requirements, survey process and compliance.
• Complies with established organization and department policies.
• Available to work overtime in addition to working additional or other shifts and schedules when required.

Commitment to Beacon's six-point Operating System, referred to as The Beacon Way:

• Leverage innovation everywhere.
• Cultivate human talent.
• Embrace performance improvement.
• Build greatness through accountability.
• Use information to improve and advance.
• Communicate clearly and continuously.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing is required or certification in a specialty area. Current license to practice as a Registered Nurse in Indiana and one to two years of progressively more responsible nursing experience is also required.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Requires a thorough knowledge of nursing care practices, procedures and techniques within the assigned nursing care unit.
• Requires leadership skills in order to provide constructive feedback to peers regarding nursing issue and participates in unit and hospital wide based decision making, be adaptable, flexible and support changes made.
• Requires understanding of the need to be responsive and reasonably adaptable for scheduling purposes, when necessary, due to the extenuating circumstances in support of co-workers and department functions.
• Demonstrates organizational abilities to plan and coordinate the activities within the assigned units and the analytical skills to effectively resolve immediate problems and discern patterns and trends that require action.
• Demonstrates the ability to effectively manage relationships with a variety of internal and external customers such as physicians, unit staff, community and other Hospital staff, acts as an effective role model.
• Demonstrates the interpersonal and communication skills (both verbal and written) necessary to interact effectively with staff, physicians, patients, and visitors.

Working Conditions:

• Works in a patient care environment requiring physical exertion and frequent changes in job demands.
• May be exposed to biohazards and blood borne pathogens.

Physical Demands:

• Requires the physical ability and stamina (i.e., to walk/stand for prolonged periods of time, push carts/wheelchairs up to 50 pounds, to position/lift patients at a maximum of 35 pounds unassisted, over 35 pounds requires assistance, provide CPR, etc.) to perform the essential functions of the position.