Nurse Manager

Responsibilities

• Leads daily nursing unit operations to ensure safe staffing, effective patient flow, and smooth shift to shift operations.
• Maintains visible leadership presence on patient care units, providing real time support to staff and RN supervisors.
• Rounds routinely on units to identify barriers, workflow concerns, environmental issues, and patient care needs.
• Captures and responds to call lights, admissions, discharges, transfers, and patient throughput needs.
• Safeguards reliable execution of nursing care processes including hourly rounding, bedside shift report, and patient communication standards.
• Oversees unit readiness related to supplies, equipment, cleanliness, and organization.
• Supports bedside care during periods of high volume, staffing gaps, or urgent operational need to maintain safe and effective unit operations.

Staff Education, Coaching, and Accountability

• Provides direct coaching, mentoring, and performance feedback to nursing staff, nursing assistants, and charge nurses.
• Reinforces standards of practice through observation, education, and just in time training.
• Assists with onboarding of new employees, preceptor support, and orientation follow through.
• Validates staff competency and identifies opportunities for growth and development.
• Addresses performance concerns promptly through coaching, counseling, and follow-up.
• Promotes employee engagement, recognition, and retention efforts within the department.

Clinical Quality and Patient Safety

• Oversees consistent execution of fall prevention, skin integrity, bowel and bladder programs, medication safety, infection prevention, and patient safety practices.
• Conducts audits, observations, and follow up related to documentation, care delivery, and regulatory standards.
• Leads immediate response and follow up for incidents, patient concerns, and service recovery opportunities.
• Supports investigation and corrective actions related to falls, HAPIs, medication variances, and other patient safety events.
• Ensures ongoing readiness for surveys through routine monitoring of unit-based standards.

Workforce Management

• Assists with scheduling oversight, attendance management, overtime control, and productive staffing practices.
• Participates in interviewing, hiring, and retention planning for frontline staff.
• Maintains workload distribution and ensures appropriate patient assignments.
• Supports reduction in agency utilization through retention, engagement, and staffing discipline.
• Oversees timecard review, payroll validation, and approval processes to ensure accuracy of hours worked, proper use of pay codes, and compliance with organizational standards.
• Holds staff accountable for accurate timekeeping practices, including missed punches, late entries, and inappropriate use of premium pay.
• Partners with the CNO and staffing coordinator to monitor overtime, agency utilization, and labor performance using payroll and scheduling data.
• Ensures timely submission and approval of payroll and scheduling corrections in accordance with established deadlines.

Collaboration and Communication

• Partners with therapy, case management, physicians, pharmacy, and support departments to remove barriers impacting patient care.
• Communicates unit priorities, patient concerns, staffing issues, and operational needs to leadership.
• Facilitates clear communication across shifts to support continuity of care.
• Serves as a resource for staff, patients, and families regarding unit operations and nursing concerns.

Experience and Key Success Factors

• Registered Nurse licensure required.
• Bachelor’s degree in nursing preferred.
• Inpatient Rehabilitation experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of staffing operations, nursing workflows, clinical quality, and frontline leadership.
• Demonstrated success in coaching teams, improving accountability, and leading change.
• Strong communication and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to work flexible hours based on operational needs.