Wound Care RN

Essential Duties

• Aid the Director of Nursing Services in directing the day-to-day functions of the nursing activities.
• Participate in developing, maintaining, and updating written policies and procedures that govern the nursing service department.
• Ensure that reference material at the nurses’ stations is current.
• Recommend written material to assist the nursing service department in meeting its needs.
• Ensure that the Nursing Service Procedures Manual is current and reflects the day-to-day nursing procedures.
• Ensure that all nursing service personnel comply with the procedures set forth in the Nursing Service Procedures Manual.
• Make written and oral reports/recommendations to the Director as necessary/required.
• Periodically review the department’s policies, procedure manuals, job descriptions, etc.
• Participate in facility surveys (inspections) made by authorized government agencies.
• Review the resident’s written discharge plan and update it as required.
• Assist in planning the nursing services portion of the resident’s discharge plan.
• Meet with the nursing staff and support personnel to plan department services, programs, and activities.
• Admit, transfer, and discharge residents as required.
• Complete accident/incident reports as necessary.
• Interpret departmental policies and procedures to personnel, residents, visitors, and government agencies as required.
• Perform administrative duties such as completing medical forms, reports, evaluations, studies, charting, etc., as necessary.
• Attend various committee meetings of the facility as required.
• Provide information to the Quality Assurance and Assessment Committee.
• Implement recommendations from established committees as instructed by the Director.
• Ensure a sufficient number of licensed practical and/or registered nurses and certified nursing assistants are available.
• Develop work assignments and assist in completing tasks.
• Monitor absenteeism to ensure adequate staffing.
• Report problem areas to the Director.
• Ensure that established policies and procedures, including dress codes, are followed by all departmental personnel.
• Review complaints and grievances made or filed by department personnel.
• Ensure that departmental computer workstations are properly logged off or the screen-saver activates.

Committee Functions

• Attend various committee meetings of the facility (e.g., Infection Control, Policy Advisory, Pharmaceutical, Quality Assessment, etc.) as required.
• Prepare written and/or oral reports of the nursing service programs and activities to submit to such committee(s) as directed.
• Provide information to the Quality Assurance and Assessment Committee.
• Implement recommendations from established committees as instructed by the Director.

Nursing Care Functions

• Inform nursing service personnel of new admissions, their expected time of arrival, room assignment, etc.
• Ensure that rooms are ready for new admissions.
• Greet newly admitted residents upon admission.
• Escort them to their rooms as necessary.
• Consult with the resident, his/her family, and the resident’s physician in planning the resident’s care, treatment, rehabilitation, etc., as necessary.
• Notify the Director when physician visits are not made in a timely manner.
• Inform the Director when physician visits are not made in a timely manner.
• Visit residents on a daily basis in order to observe and evaluate each resident’s physical and emotional status.
• Ensure that direct nursing care be provided by a licensed nurse, a certified nursing assistant, and/or a nurse aide trainee qualified to perform the procedure.
• Review nurses’ notes to ensure they are informative and descriptive of the nursing care being provided.
• Provide direct nursing care as necessary.
• Start IVs, obtain sputum, urine and other specimens for lab tests as ordered.
• Take TPRs, blood pressures, etc., as necessary.
• Admit, transfer and discharge residents as necessary.
• Report problem areas to the Director.
• Assist in developing and implementing corrective action.
• Keep the Director informed of the status of residents and other related matters through written/oral reports.
• Assist the Charge Nurse in monitoring seriously ill residents.
• Authorize the use of restraints when necessary and in accordance with our facilities policies and procedures.
• Ensure that all RNs and LPNs on your shift comply with written procedures for the administration, storage, and control of medications and supplies.
• Maintain medication passes and treatment schedules to ensure medications are being administered as ordered and treatments are provided as scheduled.
• Inspect the nursing service treatment areas daily to ensure they are maintained in a clean and safe manner.
• Ensure that residents who are unable to call for help are checked frequently.
• Meet with residents, and/or family members, as necessary.
• Report problems to the Director.
• Assist in arranging transportation for discharged residents as necessary.
• Inform family members of the death of the resident.
• Call funeral homes when requested by the family.

Staff Development

• Develop and conduct in-service training classes that provide instructions on “how to do the job.”
• Affiliate with the In-service Director/Educator in developing annual facility in-service training programs (e.g., OSHA, TB, HIPAA, Abuse Prevention, Safety, Infection Control, etc.).
• Affiliate with the Director in planning clinical supervision for nurse aide trainees.
• Attend and participate in continuing education programs designed to keep you abreast of changes in your profession, as well as to maintain your license on a current status.

Safety and Sanitation

• Affiliate with the Safety Officer in developing safety standards for the nursing service department as necessary.
• Affiliate with the Director and/or Infection Control Coordinator in identifying, evaluating, and classifying routine and job-related functions to ensure that tasks in which there is potential exposure to blood/body fluids are properly identified and recorded.
• Affiliate with the Director and/or Infection Control Coordinator in ensuring that all personnel performing tasks that involve potential exposure to blood/body fluids participate in appropriate in-service training programs prior to performing such tasks.
• Affiliate with the Director and/or Infection Control Coordinator in ensuring that an adequate supply of personal protective equipment is on hand and readily available to personnel who perform procedures that involve exposure to blood or body fluids.
• Affiliate with the Director and/or Infection Control Coordinator in ensuring that personnel follow established procedures for the use and disposal of personal protective equipment.
• Affiliate with the Director and/or Infection Control Coordinator in monitoring your shift’s personnel to ensure that they are following established safety regulations in the use of equipment and supplies.
• Affiliate with the Director and/or Infection Control Coordinator in ensuring that nursing service work areas (i.e., nurse stations, treatment areas, etc.) are maintained in a clean and safe manner.