Charge Nurse - Renal Unit - Weekends

Major Responsibilities

• Operational Accountability: Supports the operational accountability for nursing unit during assigned shift.
• Remains aware of patient flow at all times and facilitates admissions, transfers and discharges of unit.
• Captures and enters daily patient charges.
• Monitors and adjusts staff assignments as required to assure patient safety and to optimize efficiency, incorporating ANA staffing guidelines.
• Makes daily rounds with RN’s to determine acuity/workload of unit.
• Recruits staff to work when needed.
• Low-census/float staff according to policy and record appropriately.
• Records call-ins and refer staff member to Unit Manager or Administrative Manager.
• Sets breaks and lunches to staff.
• Facilitates coverage for staff to attend meetings/educational programs during shift.
• Maintains department supply inventories and ensures no interruption in patient care.
• Affirms defective equipment is reported to appropriate department and ensures policy adherence.
• Monitors observation patients on unit and changes status as warranted.
• Ensures daily patient charges are captured and entered accordingly.
• Completes daily discharge call-backs to patients.
• Attends daily Bed-flow meetings.
• Assigns PCA duties and monitors for completion.

Leadership Accountability

• Demonstrates clinical leadership for unit during assigned shift.
• Provides report of all patients to oncoming Charge Nurse, remain aware of patient acuity, patient assignments, unit activity and unstable patients.
• Assists unit manager with 90 day and annual performance evaluations with developmental goals for staff on a timely basis.
• Coordinates with CNS to assign preceptors for new employees and students.
• Coordinates Disaster Plan specific to unit.
• Assigns admissions and transfers appropriately to staff.
• Ensures all associates are held accountable for performing their appropriate roles and responsibilities.
• Supports and participates in Shared Governance initiatives and goals.
• Participates in unit-based Performance Improvement initiatives of unit.
• Consistently attends staff meetings and in-service programs, encourage staff to attend.
• Attends at least 50% of Charge Nurse meetings.

Quality Patient Care and Satisfaction

• Facilitates associate critical thinking and clinical skills to optimize patient outcomes, customer satisfaction and resource management.
• Performs the principle duties and responsibilities of the RN position and serves as a role model for professional practice.
• Collaborates with the unit CNS, identifies educational needs of nursing staff and implement formal and bedside education geared toward enhancing nursing knowledge and the advancement of nursing practice.
• Provides direct patient care as a staff RN as needed.
• Serves as a clinical resource and mentors unit staff to develop critical thinking and psychomotor skills.
• Collaborates with the CNS and unit manager on processes to improve patient satisfaction.
• Marks and communicates patient expectations and complaints to appropriate personnel to insure the highest level of care and satisfaction.
• Ensures hourly rounds are performed on all patients by unit staff.
• Supports quality improvement monitoring by auditing crash cart, resolving Pyxis discrepancies, auditing Pyxis on the first Monday of each month, auditing Blood Glucose monitor controls, monitoring Core Measures compliance, following up with staff accordingly, monitoring sitter usage for relevance and appropriateness, checking contents of restraint bag are intact and accessible, participating in monitoring process of process improvement measures through assistance with data collection, and supporting of performance improvement measures.
• Works with Bed Board and Administrative Managers to assure proper placement of patients admitted to unit.
• Demonstrates effective time management by meeting deadlines and renegotiating timeframes as new priorities present themselves.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong clinical skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively and work cohesively with a diverse work group.
• Utilize critical thinking and timely decision making.
• Basic computer knowledge.
• Organized.
• Ability to teach.
• Ability to prioritize work.
• Independent.
• Self-motivated.
• Projects a positive attitude.
• Creative, energetic and inspirational attitude toward education.
• Ability to assess skills and abilities of others.
• CPR- BLS.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Ability to work within a rapid changing environment.
• Ability to work collaboratively with internal / external customers.
• Ability to demonstrate a commitment to patient-focused care.
• Ability to prioritize independently and respond to multiple simultaneous requests.
• Ability to work under stressful conditions and in difficult situations, dealing with and resolving conflict.
• Ability to perform lifting / transfer activities related to patients (up to 50 lbs. may be required).
• Ability to take over shift coverage of unit in absence of unit manager.
• Ability to transport objects from one location to another.
• Ability to recognize needs and behaviors of specific age groups of patients treated.
• May be exposed to hazardous materials and life-threatening diseases.