RN Charge Nurse

NEW WAGE SCALE!   Sign-On Bonus of $10,000 for RN!  Stable Management and Supportive Environment

• Competitive Pay
• Sign On Bonus
• Benefits for the Entire Family
• Scheduling App
• Recognition and Rewards Program
• Vacation, Holiday, and Sick Pay
• 401k Plan Available
• Employee Discounts

1. Job Summary 

The RN Charge Nurse provides direct nursing care to the residents and supervises the day-to-day nursing activities of the assigned unit. Ensures nursing personnel deliver nursing care within scope of practice. Coordinates care delivery, which will ensure that patient’s needs are met in accordance with professional standards of practice through physician orders, facility policies and procedures, and federal, state, and local guidelines.  

1. Essential Functions 

Every effort has been made to make your job description as complete as possible. However, it in no way states or implies that these are the only duties you will be required to perform. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or is a logical assignment to the position. 

Residents Rights 

• Knows and respects patients’ rights. Assures that individuals’ rights are honored, and that care is delivered according to those rights and the individual’s wishes. Ensures patients’ rights, safety, and choices are safeguarded. 

• Ensures that care is provided in privacy. 

• Ensures protected health information is kept confidential. Reports known or suspected incidents of unauthorized disclosure of such information. 

• Reports complaints made by residents/patients to supervisor. 

• Reports all allegations of patient abuse, neglect and/or misappropriation of patient property. 

Safety and Sanitation 

• Follows established safety policies and procedures. 

• Follows established infection control policies and ensure compliance amongst staff. 

• Observes safety needs of patients as indicated in care plan and ensures staff do the same. 

• Wears and/or uses safety equipment and supplies when indicated and properly trained to use. 

• Demonstrates job-specific knowledge of fire and disaster preparedness during drills or actual situations.  

Staff Development 

• Attends, provides, and participates in scheduled in-service training, educational classes, and meetings. 

• Attends and participates in staff training and orientation. Trains staff. Completes skill observations and competencies. 

• Completes assigned Relias training. Devotes adequate time and attention to personal development particularly in people management. 

General Nursing Care Responsibilities 

• Demonstrates knowledge and appropriate use of the Infection Control policies and procedures. 

• Accurately identifies skin changes and follows skin management protocols. 

• Communicates physician orders and reports diagnostic tests timely. 

• Understands, participates, and assists in implementing QAPI. 

• Identifies, places, and monitors patients in the appropriate programs. 

• Notifies other Departments of patient changes, i.e., room changes, LOA, new admits, discharge, etc. 

• Conducts family and patient education. 

• Locates and uses emergency equipment when necessary. 

• Demonstrates the ability to administer medications and treatments timely and according to policy. Performs medication administration and/or treatments as needed. 

• Demonstrates ability to receive, transcribe, and carry out physician orders. 

• Makes rounds with physicians when necessary. 

• Transcribes physician’s orders to patient charts, Kardex, medication/treatment cards and care plans, as required. 

• Charts progress notes in an informative, factual manner that reflects the care administered as well as the patient’s response to care. 

• Follows established procedure for charting and reporting all reports of incident/accidents (patients & employees). 

• Identifies and reports changes in condition to supervisor, physician, resident representatives, and family. 

• Conducts frequent rounds to evaluate effectiveness of care delivery. 

• Orders supplies and charges for items ordered through Central Supply. 

• Follows established policy and procedures in the event a restraint must be utilized. Follows established procedures for restraint reduction. 

• Assures that a supply of personal protective equipment is on hand and are available for staff to perform procedures that involve exposure to body/blood fluids. 

• Counts narcotics at the beginning and completion of each shift with the nurse leaving and coming on to the shift. 

• Follows Pharmacy policy and procedures for ordering and delivering medications. 

• Coordinates patient rehabilitation program with therapies to ensure 24-hour rehabilitation needs are met. 

• Communicates physician orders and reports diagnostic tests timely. 

• Participates in care planning with team and routine interventions. 

Special Nursing Care Responsibilities-Based on State Nursing Practice Act 

• NG/tube:  insertion, placement, irrigation 

• Colostomy care:  irrigation 

• Foley catheter care:  insertion, Irrigation 

• Straight catheterization 

• Tube feeding: hanging and labeling, operation of pump, calculating intake and output, assuring dietary, recommended feeding allowances are maintained, monitoring the weights of patients, assessing for abdominal distention, feeding tube placement, residual. 

• Positioning techniques 

• Transfer techniques 

• ROM exercises 

• Emergency procedures: properly administer s O2, suctions, performs CPR, and uses the ambu bag 

• Performs glucometer checks 

• IVs:  conducts IV site care, applies and monitors a Heparin Lock, mixes, hangs and administers IV solutions to patients, is able to compute rate of IV fluid administration, operates the infusion pump 

• Suctioning: tracheotomy, nasotracheal 

• Tracheotomy care 

• Gastrostomy Care: irrigation, placement check 

• Sterile technique 

• Collection of lab specimens 

• Isolation techniques 

Food Service Responsibilities 

• Assists with meal service. 

• Consults with dietary regarding the special dietary needs of the patients and follows through on dietary recommendations. 

• Monitors patients with significant weight loss and gain and reports this to the physician and dietary. 

• Identifies patients at risk for nutritional problems and implements preventative measures. 

• Checks items and food that is brought in by family members to assure it complies with patient’s orders, dietary needs, and safety. 

Documentation Responsibilities 

• Documents medications, treatments, PRN’s per facility policy. 

• Completes 24-hour report daily. 

• Monitors patient intake and output. 

• Participates in the monthly medication renewal process. 

• Accurately completes and is familiar with the forms used throughout the patient’s chart and the Electronic Health Record (E.H.R.). 

• Documents in progress notes any exceptions to patient condition, including daily charting on ill patients, 24, 48, or 72-hour follow up charting on patients with infections, incidents, new admissions, or those with a change in condition. 

• Completes documentation to reflect progress or lack of progress of patients participating in therapy or restorative nursing. 

• Interpret department’s policies and procedures to personnel, patients, visitors, and government agencies as required. 

• Ensures that all patient admissions, discharges, and transfers are entered timely in the E.H.R. 

• Obtain patient’s or responsible party’s signature on Consent to Treat Form upon admission as needed. 

• Accurately maintains daily census reports and submits to business office daily. 

• Performs administrative duties such as completing medical forms, reports, evaluations, studies, charting, etc. as necessary. 

• Records new/changed diet orders.  Forwards information to Food and Nutrition Services. 

• Reports any discrepancies noted concerning physician’s orders, diet changes, charting errors, etc. to the Nurse Supervisor/Manager. 

Care Plan Responsibilities 

• Assists in completion of the care plans (acute and long term) and is involved in care conferences. 

• Assists in completion of MDS sections as directed by Case Management and is knowledgeable in the MDS process. 

• Evaluates the effectiveness of the care interventions, identifies problems, and trends and develops alternative interventions. 

• Participates and conducts (as appropriate) investigations related to any alleged abuse. 

• Has knowledge and understanding of Patient Rights. 

• Ensures that the progress notes are reflective of the care plan and that the approaches on the care plan are being followed. 

• Assures that assigned nursing assistants are aware of the patient care plans and ensure that the nursing assistant refers to the care plan prior to administering care. 

• Completes admission, discharge, and transfer per facility procedures. 

• Assures documentation is accurately completed for admission, discharge, and transfer. 

Admission, Discharge, and Transfer 

Admission: 

• Orients patient to room, facility, policies 

• Obtains necessary physician orders 

• Completes nursing admission assessments 

• Orders necessary medication, supplies and diagnostic test 

• Informs nursing personnel of new admissions, expected time of arrival, room assignments, admitting diagnosis, etc. 

• Obtains written or verbal report from admitting facility on patient prior to or at the time of admission. 

Discharge:  

• Completes post discharge plan 

• Educates patient on post discharge needs 

• Completes discharge paperwork 

• Informs nursing personnel of planned discharges for their shift. 

• Arrange for discharge transportation. 

Transfer: 

• Successfully transfers a patient 

• Assures documentation is accurately completed for admission, discharge, and transfer. 

Other Responsibilities 

• Demonstrates knowledge of location of clinical policies and procedures. 

• Accepts accountability for services provided to patients. 

• Provides guidance for and supervises nursing care provided by registered nurses, licensed vocational/practical nurses and others for whom they are administratively or professionally responsible as allowed by licensure. 

• Acts as the charge nurse and assumes responsibility for the facility in accordance with the chain of command. 

• Supervises CNA’s; gives and receives daily reports from CNA’s; Monitors that CNA documentation is completed daily.  

• Makes assignments for CNA’s; Ensures CNA assignments are completed on time. 

• Communicates appropriate information to team members, physicians, families, and supervisor. 

• Demonstrates a caring attitude toward facility’s patients, family members, employees, and other company guests as the need arises; Ensures that subordinates are helpful, caring, and responsive to all guests. 

• Devotes adequate time and attention to personal development and training, particularly in the management of people resources. 

• Receives, investigates, and responds to employee and patient/family complaints and grievances. 

• Participates in communicating department policies and procedures. Trains staff in department policies and procedures. 

• Performs any miscellaneous work assignments as may be required. 

1. Education/Qualifications 

• Must be a graduate of an approved RN program and possess a current, unencumbered, active license to practice as an RN in the state in which the facility is located. 

• Current CPR certification required. 

• Ability to lead others in a positive manner. 

• Ability to educate others. 

• Persons who have been found guilty of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or mistreatment or misappropriation of property by a court of law; or who has a finding in the State nurse aide registry concerning abuse, neglect, exploitation, mistreatment of residents or misappropriation of resident property, or has had a disciplinary action in effect taken against his/her professional license are not eligible for employment in this position. 

1. Experience 

• One (1) year prior nursing management experience preferred. 

1. Physical Demands 

• Lifting 50 pounds max. with frequent lifting and/or carrying of objects weighing up to 20 pounds; Walking, standing, fingering, reaching, seeing, stooping, smelling, depth perception, color vision, pushing.