What are the responsibilities and job description for the Access Coordinator position at Mercy Medical Center - Cedar Rapids?
This position supports Mercy’s philosophy of patient centered care by providing Mental Health and Chemical Dependency assessments, referrals, consultation, and triage for patients in the Emergency Department, on Inpatient Units at Mercy Medical Center, in Outpatient areas on Mercy Medical Center Main Campus, and through a 24 hour crisis hotline. The Access Coordinator serves as a liaison within the hospital and provides expert insight into patients with mental health and chemical dependency issues. Is a proactive voice for the chemically dependent and mentally ill within the community and serves as an educator regarding chemical dependency, mental illness, and dual diagnosis.
Job Duties/Essential Functions
Leadership Competencies
Leading
- Formulates a future course that reflects departmental needs and is aligned with Mercy's vision. Translates the course into team goals and objectives, sets priorities, and directs the efforts of staff towards accomplishing them.
- Recognizes and acts on opportunities for growth and improvement to advance Mercy's goals.
- Inspires staff enthusiasm for and generates commitment to departmental and organizational goals.
Standards and Accountability
- Holds team and self responsible for maintaining the highest possible performance standards and meeting agreed upon commitments.
- Sets and maintains high standards for service to patients, physicians, colleagues, and other Mercy departments. Incorporates needs and concerns of diverse constituencies into decision making.
Planning and Decision Making
- Analyzes problems systematically and logically and is resourceful when developing and implementing solutions.
- Applies key financial concepts and analysis to decision making. Understands drivers of financial performance and takes these into account when developing strategies and making decisions.
- Develops and implements work plans with actionable components and measurable outcomes. Proactively monitors key performance indicators and makes real-time adjustments to ensure that progress stays on track.
- Regularly reassesses priorities and competing demands and adjusts allocation of own and staff time and resources to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
Communication
- Articulates logical and well-founded arguments that support conclusions. Matches communication style to the message and audience. Actively solicits opinions from others. Routinely provides others with the information they need to do their jobs.
- Routinely shares suggestions, advice, and insights on progress toward goals. Provides performance feedback that is constructive and actionable, and that highlights successes as well as areas for growth based on objective metrics.
Developing People
- Selects and attracts outstanding staff from diverse backgrounds. Identifies and fills gaps in team skills and knowledge.
- Defines development objectives for self and staff that support performance goals and progress toward future skill development. Assists staff in developing their own careers by encouraging them to articulate their career goals, offering challenging growth opportunities, and providing necessary coaching and training.
Managing Relationships
- Builds and maintains long-term relationships with others based on mutual respect and trust. Fosters cooperation and collaborative decision-making among staff with diverse backgrounds and interests. When conflict arises, works effectively towards solutions and compromises that take the needs of all parties into account.
- Provides regular updates on goal progress and works with own manager to minimize risks and resolve problems.
Job Duties
- Supervises staff in the implementation of the Access assessment process and oversees the Access department under supervision of Nurse Manager; also orients, supervises, schedules, and takes an active role in staff development and performance evaluations of Access nurses and Behavioral Health staff.
- Monitors effectiveness of Access roles and responsibilities on shifts to ensure substantial compliance with JCAHO Standards reflecting high quality patient care; monitors adherence to hospital policies & procedures
- Develops and implements care plan for boarded patients in emergency Department and educates Access staff on evidence-based processes and procedures.
- Leads organization in Code Green/BERT team education and facilitation of response, as well as, tracking of incidents and auditing.
- Responsible for preparation and presentation of Restraint and Seclusion education to Behavioral staff, including documentation of audits.
- Evaluates patients with mental health crises, such as suicidal or homicidal ideation and provides case-specific consultation with staff on units through hospital and ED.
- Researches and assists in developing evidence-based strategies for use with managing patients with difficult behaviors in both inpatient behavior unit and house-wide.
- Reviews unit daily reports & confers with assigned Physicians/nurses to elicit information regarding condition of patients; identifies safety concerns; resolves issues as they arise
- Coordinates daily assignments for Access nursing staff for coverage & assists in completion of RN schedules.
- Triages bed placement within Mercy and community, as well as, coordinates the appropriate placement of transfers to out-of-town facilities.
- Collaborates with Clinical Nurse Managers to collect QA data, develops plans of correction; monitors patient outcomes & progress toward identified goals
- Plans/facilitates all Access and Shift Supervisor meetings with goal to improve the quality of nursing services provided, and stay abreast of current and evidence-based nursing protocol, regulations & procedures
- Completes Risk Cause Analysis investigations with Risk manager and other hospital staff related to improving nursing care.
- Develops education for orientation of new nurse and techs and evaluates/documents the progress of the orientation process under the supervision of the Nurse Manager during the period of orientation.
Follows Mercy's safety guidelines, carries out job- specific safety duties and responsibilities, and promptly reports any unsafe conditions, situations, incidents and injuries.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Sound background in complex nursing principals and procedures, as well as in specialty area.
- Currently certified in B.C.L.S. and CPI. Demonstrates competency in unit specific skills as identified in performance evaluation criteria.
- Will take call per department schedule and fill in as Staff Nurse as needed.
- Functions are primary access nurse 70%, and education 30%.
Professional Experience
- Minimum three years’ experience within clinical specialty.
- Meets all staff RN, Clinical I, II, III requirements.
Education
- BSN preferred.
- Membership in nursing organization of specialty preferred.
Licensure, Certification, Registration
- Currently licensed to practice as a registered nurse in the state of Iowa.
- Certification in specialty area preferred.
Location: Mercy Medical Center - Cedar Rapids · Behavioral Health Unit
Schedule: Full Time, Day, Day Shift
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