Assistant Director of Nursing

Department: Nursing

Reports to: Director of Nursing

Supervises: Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Certified Nurses Assistants

About the Role

Responsible for the planning, organizing, motivating, and coordinating of nursing personnel to ensure all residents receive high-quality nursing care. The Director of Nursing (DON) directs all nursing services, including development and daily operations, nursing care, staff training, interdepartmental communication, and coordination with medical staff. Additional responsibilities include developing the departmental budget and establishing nursing philosophies, objectives, policies, and procedures to enhance departmental functioning within the organization. Key functional areas include administrative, teaching, clinical, legal, and human relations.

Responsibilities

• Assist with developing goals and objectives for the department in conjunction with the Administrator and physicians.
• Develop and maintain policies and procedures for the department aligned with the facility’s overall philosophies and objectives.
• Ensure policy and procedure manuals for the nursing department are current, reviewing and revising them at least annually with administrative approval.
• Coordinate nursing services with other departments by attending management meetings and meeting individually with department managers as needed.
• Serve as the liaison with the Pharmacy, updating the pharmacist on changes in resident conditions, pay status, transfers, or discharges.
• Meet with the Medical Director weekly following facility visits if the DON is unavailable.
• Participate in the selection of prospective residents based on nursing service needs and available competencies.
• Supervise personnel, including evaluating employee performance annually and monitoring productivity for management reports.
• Oversee the medical records department and assist with resident transfers in emergency situations.
• Monitor biohazard equipment and supplies to maintain a safe environment.
• Chair the Infection Control Committee and coordinate staffing to ensure coverage.
• Ensure all equipment is safe and in good working condition.
• Investigate allegations of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of resident property.
• Ensure nursing practice adheres to standard guidelines and facility protocols, notifying the physician on call of any changes in resident conditions.
• Supervise and evaluate the performance of all nursing personnel under the DON’s direction.
• Monitor charting by licensed nursing staff and certified nursing assistants.
• Oversee reporting of missing residents and monitor all employee accidents and incidents, reporting them to the DON.
• Manage room transfers and new admissions as directed by Admission or Social Services.
• Participate in the facility on-call rotation, providing after-hours telephone response and direction in accordance with policies and procedures.
• Perform other assigned duties as directed by the DON and/or Administration.