Registered Nurse - Long Term Care

Good Shepherd Home – Bethlehem is for individuals 18 years of age and older requiring residential nursing care. Primary diagnoses served include, but are not limited to, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, quadriplegia, Multiple Sclerosis, traumatic brain injury and spina bifida. Each resident and his or her family are active participants in the development of a care plan.

About the role

Promotes and restores residents' health by completing the nursing process. Collaborates with physicians and interdisciplinary team members. Provides physical and psychological support to residents and families. Delegates and evaluates care rendered by LPNs and CNAs to meet resident care needs.

Responsibilities

• Identifies resident care requirements
  • Utilizes the Nursing Process as framework to deliver care by establishing or contributing to a plan of care with the resident
  • Establishes and contributes to prioritization of goals with the resident and interdisciplinary team
  • Identifies nursing diagnoses
  • Identifies teaching objectives appropriate to care standards
  • Evaluates effectiveness of nursing interventions and resident progress toward goals as resident condition changes
  • Continuously identifies actual and potential problems after implementation of nursing interventions
  • Communicates plan of care and residents’ progress to interdisciplinary team
  • Delegates plan of care to other licensed and unlicensed associates within their scope of practice
  • Establishes rapport with potential and actual residents and other persons in a position to understand care requirements
  • Provides holistic care that addresses physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and spiritual needs
• Establishes a compassionate environment
  • Provides emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to residents, families, caregivers, and interdisciplinary team members
• Promotes resident independence
  • Establishes care goals with residents
  • Educates residents, family members, and friends to understand condition, medications, and self-care skills
  • Demonstrates competence in providing care to residents
• Assures quality of care
  • Adheres to therapeutic standards
  • Measures health outcomes against resident goals and standards
  • Continually recommends appropriate adjustments to resident plan of care
  • Complies with organizational and nursing division’s philosophies and standards of care set by State Board of Nursing, State Nurse Practice Act, and other governing agency regulations
  • Participates in performance improvement activities by directing and assessing care provided to residents by RNs, LPNs, CNAs, agency personnel, students, and other associates
• Resolves resident problems & needs
  • Utilizes interdisciplinary team strategies
  • Utilizes established communication methods to ensure resolution of resident problems and needs
  • Communicates resident status to interdisciplinary team members
• Documents residents care services
  • Documents delivery of service, changes in resident condition, and resident response to nursing interventions in the resident medical record and other departmental records according to policies and procedures
  • Ensures documentation of care rendered by other staff members
  • Reviews, transcribes, communicates, and implements physician orders
• Maintains confidentiality
  • Complies with HIPAA
  • Ensures that all resident and organizational information is kept confidential
• Maintains safe & clean working environment
  • Complies with Infection Control policies, procedures, and regulations
  • Complies with policies and procedures on storage and disposal of controlled substances, toxic and non-toxic chemicals, and other wastes
  • Coordinates with health care support personnel
• Ensures resident safety
  • Demonstrates skills and knowledge in compliance with the policies and procedures on medication and treatment administration
  • Ensures CNAs and other staff members’ compliance on resident appropriate transfers, feeding, and personal hygiene
  • Responds to resident medical and psychological concerns, potential or actual injury and/or distress
  • Complies with the policies and procedures on handling resident abuse
• Ensures operation of equipment
  • Demonstrates knowledge and skills on appropriate usage of equipment according to manufacturer’s instructions necessary in the delivery of care to residents, including troubleshooting malfunctions and requesting maintenance orders for repairs
  • Participates in evaluation and recommendation of new equipment
• Demonstrates financial accountability
  • Ensures availability and inventory of stock supplies
  • Utilizes equipment and/or supplies as needed to accomplish job results
  • Demonstrates time management skills through prioritization and delegation of tasks
  • Complies with nurses’ roles on reimbursement for resident care services
• Maintains professional & technical knowledge
  • Identifies professional education needs and opportunities
  • Attends educational workshops
  • Completes mandatory educational requirements
  • Reviews professional publications
  • Participates in professional organizations
  • Shares new knowledge and learned skills with team members
  • Attends unit meetings
  • Participates in committees, projects, and performance improvement activities
  • Supports principles and practices consistent with high quality nursing care and resident services
  • Follows accepted policies and procedures
  • Adheres to professional code of ethics
• Maintains cooperative relationships among health care teams
  • Demonstrates knowledge in the organizational structure through compliance with the chain of command to present issues and concerns regarding resident care
  • Participates in team problem-solving methods
  • Holds each team member accountable for resident and team outcomes
  • Demonstrates positive conflict resolution skills with all associates
  • Participates in team meetings and recommends suggestions for improvement
  • Treats all associates with dignity and respect
  • Accepts and gives shift report in a timely manner
  • Demonstrates self-awareness and emotional maturity
  • Demonstrates skill and ability to effectively work with persons from diverse cultural and spiritual backgrounds
• Contributes to organizational team effort
  • Accomplishes related results as needed
  • Attends meetings as requested by organizational leaders
  • Represents positively the profession and organization at work and outside the facility
  • Promotes and participates in organizational goals
  • Responds to change in a consistent and positive manner

Requirements

• Associate's Degree in Nursing or Nursing Diploma required
• Bachelor's Degree in Nursing preferred
• Previous long term care, med-surg, or rehabilitation experience preferred
• Registered Nurse license required
• Basic Life Support / CPR, as a healthcare provider, per the American Heart Association required