RN Charge Nurse

Core Responsibilities And Essential Functions

• Makes Patient Assignments.
• Considers new grads, float, and type of patient.
• Daily Discharge/Length of Stay Review.
• Rounds with Physicians/Surgeons.
• Surgery Bed Assignment.
• Consults with Supervisor Nursing Administration (House Supervisor) on Bed Flow and Availability.
• Emergency Services: Assignments for sections, manages waiting room, multiple areas open at different times.

Exemplary Practice and Outcomes

• Rounds on every patient daily to evaluate quality and appropriateness of patient care including corrective action when needed utilizing peer coaching and accountability.
• Performs or provides oversight for the Nursing Process (assessment; diagnosis; identification of outcomes; planning; implementation and evaluation) in the performance of clinical care using evidence base practice; analytical/critical thinking insuring that care is individualized; coordinating care through effective partnerships; caring is central to achieve optimal patient care outcomes.
• Provides or provides oversight for relationship based care delivery patient-centered care by partnering with the patient and significant others (as appropriate) using comprehensive hand-off communication processes; interdisciplinary evaluation and communication (i.e., unit rounds, case reviews, peer review, etc.); just in time and planned patient teaching; keeping the patient informed using appropriate communication tools and making the patients goals the focus of the plan of care.
• Promotes using current clinical practice standards with a focus on safety and quality.
• Within the Emergency Department Setting: Charge Nurse rounds on patients in a modified method in conjunction with nurses to focus on patient safety concerns and patient care.

Teamwork and Collaboration

• Communicates with nurse manager and/or assistant nurse manager any needs or concerns pertaining to care delivery or employee performance.
• Coordinates the delivery and documentation of safe quality patient care which includes promotion of interdisciplinary communication and regular interdisciplinary planning/rounds; completion of timely documentation and promotion of a respectful, inclusive clinical environment (Interdisciplinary rounds do not apply in the Emergency Services setting).
• Demonstrates teamwork and collaboration by practicing in a manner that is fiscally responsible and promotes the recruitment and retention of all healthcare team members.
• Participates and supports performance improvement inclusive of all stakeholders, research and research utilization to promote safe, quality patient care including initiating and/or leading such activities as well as, promoting an inter/intra-disciplinary processes and actively supports/participates in shared governance at all levels in the system.

Professional Development

• Ensures patient/family/staff confidentiality and corporate compliance for self (and accountability for team members) requirements including completing all required mandatory education and proficiencies.
• Serves as a preceptor (or mentor) for other professional nurses (and staff or students for all disciplines) to ensure that there is a current and future qualified workforce; modeling the professional practice of nursing and creating a healthy work environment.
• Promotes Evidence based practice, nursing research and performance improvement in nursing. Participates in activities such as value analysis as part of the decision making process in evaluating patient care products.
• Upholds all health care system/organizational policies and procedures and clinical competencies put forth by this job description and professional association including legal, regulatory and accreditation requirements and standards ensuring by way of example, such goals as TJC Patient Safety Goals and WellStar Health Systems safety absolutes.
• Participates in data collection, poses relevant clinical questions to advance evidence based practice. Consults appropriate experts and uses appropriate resources, data, and evidence to address practice questions.

Required Minimum Education

Associates Nursing or Diploma (Nurse) Nursing or Bachelors Nursing-Preferred

Required Minimum License(s) And Certification(s)

• BLS - Basic Life Support or ARC-BLS - Amer Red Cross Basic Life Support or BLS-I - Basic Life Support - Instructor
• RN - Reg Nurse (Single State) or RN-COMPACT - RN - Multi-state Compact

Additional License(s) And Certification(s)

Required Minimum Experience: Minimum 1 year nursing experience

Required or Minimum 2 years Preferred and Experience as relief charge with clinical expertise Preferred