Job Summary

This position is responsible for management of nursing service departments and for the direction and supervision of all nursing service functions and activities.  Is responsible for the quality of patient care and ensures that sufficient and properly prepared personnel carry out the functions of Nursing Services.  Demonstrates the primary goal of efficiently providing surgical services that exceed customer expectations and improve clinical and financial operations.

Responsibilities and Expectations

The following description of the job responsibilities and performance expectations are intended to reflect the major responsibilities of the job, but is not intended to describe the minor duties or other responsibilities as may be assigned from time to time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to perform the essential functions

• Develops center plan for the provision of nursing care that is designed to support improvement in nursing practice and is based on both the needs of the patient to be served and the center mission.
• Reviews work schedules, assignments, patient classification, and supervisor’s reports to assess daily the appropriate number and level of personnel needed to provide quality care. Recommends and carries out changes in personnel and assignments accordingly.
• Acts as administrative resource to clinical directors in areas including but not limited to:
  • Development and updating of policies, procedures and job descriptions.
  • Budget preparation for clinical departments
  • Personnel functions, evaluations, and grievances.
  • Improvement of Clinical Services Performance.
• Will develop and/or assist with the development of center wide patient care programs, policies amid procedures that describe how the needs of patients or patient populations are assessed, evaluated and met.
• Develops staffing plan for all nursing units and Nursing service lines of authority and support staff.
• Attends and participates in Medical Staff and Medical Executive Committees, and center Board meetings in planning promoting and conducting organizational performance — improvement activities
• Actively participates with the governing body, management team, medical staff, and clinical areas in developing, implementing and evaluating the center’s strategic plan, budgets, resource allocation and operation /plan and policies.
• Meet regularly with Administrator to discuss objectives, staffing needs, management problems.
• Implements the finding and informed and up-to-date in all aspects of nursing care and management through literature, workshops, seminars, courses and conferences with other nurse executive leadership.
• Evaluates and ensures the nursing process is carried out in a continuous manner on all patients.
• Ensures the continuous and timely availability of nursing services to patients.
• Ensures that nursing standards of patient care and standards of nursing practice are consistent with current nursing research findings and nationally recognized professional standards.
• Implements the findings of current research from nursing and other literature into the policies and procedures governing the provision of nursing care.
• Ensures that nursing service staff carries out applicable processes in the patient care and organization-wide functions described in this manual.
• Assigns responsibility to individuals or groups of nursing staff members to act on improving the nursing service’s performance.
• Actively participates in the center’s leadership functions.
• Collaborates with other center leaders in designing and providing patient care
• Develops a plan for continued compliance with government and accrediting agencies
• Oversees preparations survey for compliance and accreditation.
• Follows up on survey findings to provide plans of improvement for identified deficiencies.
• Is knowledgeable of social, economical and legal issues affecting the health care systems and seeks all opportunities for keeping staff up to date in health care practices.
• Develops, directs the implementation, and ensures compliance with Standards of Nursing Practice that promote optimum health care delivery.
• The nurse executive functions at the senior leadership level to provide effective leadership and to coordinate leaders to deliver nursing care, treatment, and services.
• The nurse executive has the authority to speak on behalf of nursing to the same extent that other center leaders speak for their respective disciplines, departments, or service lines.
• The nurse executive, at the executive level, assumes an active leadership role with the center’s governing body, senior leadership, medical staff, management, and other clinical leaders in the center’s decision-making structure and process.
• The nurse executive participates in defined and established meetings of the center’s corporate leaders (when such leaders exist) and with other senior clinical and managerial leaders
• Appointed as the person responsible for the Center in the absence of the Administrator.
• Models core values to co-workers continuously.

Leadership

• Consistently demonstrates professional behavior and exhibits strong leadership skills.
• Demonstrates effective communication, delegation, empowerment, and negotiation skills
• Motivates employees
• Improves and / or maintains high employee morale as measured by the employee satisfaction survey
• Successful at implementing change and managing and resolving conflict
• Strong team player
• Serves as a resource to the Administrator
• Integrates department’s services with the center’s primary functions and with other departments

Personnel Administration

• Manage exempt and non-exempt employees in accordance with the Center policies utilizing sound principles of practice.
• Manage the clinical departments of nursing, central supply, and supervise the contracted services of laboratory, radiology and pharmaceuticals.
• Review employee performance as evaluated by their respective managers.
• Review and approve the disciplinary action and/or discharge of employees.
• Evaluate clinical management performance and other staff as designated.
• Approve the addition or deletion of clinical positions as well as approve applicants for employment in new or vacant positions.
• Develop employee productivity analysis and assure efficiency of staff levels through increases or reductions in the work force.
• Implements a program of job based, orientation, training, and on going evaluation for all employees.
• Manage all employee files and records.
• Provide educational opportunities for professional staff development.
• Promote the implementation of positive guest relations by the employees and physicians.
• Determines the qualification and competency of clinical department personnel who provide patient care services and who are not licensed independent practitioners
• Verifies staff competencies upon hire, during orientation, and ongoing throughout employment
• Assesses educational needs for employees and self
• Maintains licensure
• Provides for orientation, in-service training, and continuing education of all persons in the department
• Maintains clinical staff job results by coaching, counseling, and disciplining employees; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results.

Human Resources

• Performs all Human Resource functions necessary to maintain appropriate staffing
• Recruits and retains qualified employees
• Actively manages turnover to minimize attrition within department
• Completes payroll edits accurately, in accordance with center policy, and by due date
• Effectively handles all performance / personnel issues and disciplines [counseling, termination] when necessary
• Evaluates all contract services and holds them accountable to center standards
• Shows respect for staff members cultural values, ethics, and religious beliefs as they impact patient care
• Recommends a sufficient number of qualified and competent persons to provide care
• Staffs according to fluctuations in volume to achieve established productivity goals.
• Implements corrective action plans and provides justification for negative productivity and operating expense variances.

Quality Assurance / Process Improvement

• Ensures participation in Performance Improvement activities to improve patient outcomes
• Promotes Performance Improvement activities through the design and cost effective processes that support excellent age specific care
• Prioritize department activities to correlate with the mission, vision, and values of the organization
• Uses aggregate data to effectively analyze opportunities to reduce errors, identify problem prone processes and make decisions for improving clinical outcomes
• Maintains a safe environment through participation in scheduled drills and safety activities
• Continuously assesses and improves department’s performance
• Maintains appropriate quality control programs
• Review “Sentinel Event Alerts” and applies recommendations into policies, procedures and practices as appropriate.
• Knowledgeable of identification and reporting of a Sentinel Event.
• Meet customer expectations by actualizing the “EDGE” program – Every Day Giving Excellence.
• Leads evaluation of new products, techniques and/or methods and provides appropriate feedback for improvement purposes.

Personal Development and Professionalism

• Identify areas that require additional reinforcement through education, consultation, or practicum.
• Attend all mandatory in-services and meetings.
• Follow the Center's professional conduct and dress code policy.
• Act in accordance with the vision, mission, and business philosophy of the Center
• Maintain patient, physician, and employee privacy and confidentiality per policy.
• Communicate effectively and courteously with visitors, physicians and their office staffs, patients and employees.

Qualifications

• 3-5 Years of progressive nursing management and clinical leadership experience in ASC or Hospital based setting
• Graduate of accredited school of professional nursing.
• Completion of a Bachelors Degree in Nursing
• A current license as a registered nurse in the State of Texas.
• Demonstrates competence in management and leadership skills to develop and implement organizational strategies and opportunities for improving the delivery of nursing care to patients.
• Maintain current knowledge and adhere to appropriate regulatory standards (i.e. JC, CMS, TDSHS, employment regulations, TX Board of Nurse Examiners.)
• Possesses experience to meet the organization’s scope and complexity of nursing care needs for the patient populations served.
• Good command of the English language, both verbal and written.
• Ability to work well with physicians, employees, patients and others.