Charge Nurse (RN-LPN)

The Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) is responsible for providing general nursing care, ensuring the well-being of residents, and supporting the overall functioning of the facility. Key duties include administering medications and treatments, transcribing and carrying out physician orders, making rounds with physicians, and documenting care in resident charts. The nurse communicates changes in resident conditions to the necessary parties, conducts family and resident education, and manages the coordination of care plans. Additional responsibilities include overseeing dietary needs, monitoring resident intake/output, managing personal protective equipment supplies, and ensuring compliance with safety protocols.

Responsibilities

General Nursing Care Responsibilities

• Demonstrates knowledge and appropriate use of the GNS Infection Control Manual.
• Notifies other departments of resident changes, i.e, room changes, LOA, new admits, discharges, etc.
• Conducts family and resident education.
• Locates and uses emergency equipment when necessary.
• Demonstrates the ability to administer medications timely and according to facility policy.
• Demonstrates the ability to administer treatments timely and according to facility policy.
• Demonstrates ability to receive, transcribe, and carry out physician orders.
• Makes rounds with physicians when necessary.
• Transcribes physicians orders to resident s charts, cardex, medication/treatment cards and care plans, as required.
• Charts progress notes in an informative, factual manner that reflects the care administered as well as the residents response to care.
• Follows established procedure for charting and reporting all reports of incident/accidents (residents & employees).
• Identifies and reports changes in condition to supervisor, physician, and family.
• Accurately identifies skin changes and follows GNS skin care management protocols.
• Communicates physician orders and reports diagnostic tests timely.
• Conducts frequent rounds to evaluate effectiveness of care delivery.
• Orders supplies.
• Assures that a supply of personal protective equipment is on hand and available for staff to perform procedures that involve exposure to body/blood fluids.
• Counts narcotics at the beginning and completion of each shift with the nurse leaving and coming on to the shift.
• Follows Pharmacy policy and procedures for ordering and delivering medications.
• Coordinates resident rehabilitation program with therapies to ensure 24-hour rehabilitation needs are met.
• Participates in care planning with team and routine interventions.

Food Service Responsibilities

• Consults with dietary regarding the special dietary needs of the residents and follows through on dietary recommendations.
• Monitors residents with significant weight loss and gain and reports this to the physician and dietary.
• Checks items and food that is brought in by family members to assure it complies with resident orders, dietary needs, and safety.

Documentation Responsibilities

• Documents medications, treatments, prns per facility policy.
• Completes 24-hour report daily.
• Monitors resident intake and output.
• Participates in the monthly medication renewal process.
• Accurately completes and is familiar with the forms used throughout the resident chart.
• Documents in progress notes any exceptions to resident condition, including daily charting on ill residents, 24, 48, or 72 hour follow up charting on resident with infections, incidents, new admissions, or those with a change in condition.
• Interpret Departments policies and procedures to personnel, resident, visitors, and government agencies as required.
• Ensures that all resident admissions, discharges and transfers are entered in a timely manner.
• Obtain residents or responsible partys signature in Consent to Treat Form upon admission as needed.
• Accurately maintains daily census reports and submits to business office day.
• Performs administrative duties such as completing medical forms, reports, evaluations, studies, charting, etc. to the Nurse Supervisor/Manager.

Care Plan Responsibilities

• Assists in completion of the care plans (acute and long term) and is involved in the care conference as deemed necessary.
• Assists in completion of the MDS and is knowledgeable in the MDS process.
• Evaluates the effectiveness of care interventions, identifies problems and trends and develops alternative interventions.
• Participates and conducts (as appropriate) investigations related to any alleged abuse.
• Has knowledge and understanding of Resident Rights.
• Ensures that the progress notes are reflective of the care plan and that the approaches on the care plan are being followed.
• Assures that assigned nursing assistants are aware of the resident care plans, and ensure that the nursing assistant refers to the care plan prior to administering care.
• Admission, Discharge and Transfer per center procedures.
• Assures documentation is accurately completed for admission, discharge and transfer.

Supervisory/People Management Responsibilities

• Demonstrates knowledge of location and how to use Nursing Policy and Procedure Manual.
• Supervises CNAs; gives and receives daily reports from CNAs; Monitors that CNA documentation is completed daily.
• Prepares and delivers performance evaluations to subordinates, utilizing the information to further their growth and development.
• Makes recommendations for pay increase, promotion or performance improvement plans as deemed appropriate.
• Counsels/disciplines personnel as necessary.
• Reviews employee call-offs and calls in off duty employees or adjust the assignment sheet to adequately cover staffing.
• Receives, investigates and responds to employee and resident/family complaints.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Participates in developing and updating department policies and procedures.
• Maintains confidentiality of necessary information.
• Performs any miscellaneous work assignments as may be required.

Education/ Experience/ Physical Demands

Education and Experience

• Currently licensed as RN/LPN in state.
• One Year prior nursing management experience preferred.

Physical Demands

• Lifting 60 plus pounds maximum with frequent lifting, moving, and/or carrying of objects weighing up to 60 pounds. Exerting considerable force frequently, and/or intermediate force constantly to move objects and residents. Reaching, handling, hearing, visual near acuity, bending, stooping, and walking.

Working Conditions/ Principal Contacts

Working conditions

• Considerable exposure to disagreeable conditions including odors, infection, illness, and physical contact form disruptive residents

Principal Contacts

• Works with elderly residents, families, and other health care staff members

General Requirements

Must be able to execute the terms and conditions set forth in the Good Neighbor Society Handbook, including, but not limited to:

• Works in a safety-conscious manner, which ensures that safe work practices are used in order not to pose a risk to self or others in the workplace. Reports any safety violations or hazards to the supervisor.
• Compliance with company policies and procedures and local, state, and federal regulations.
• Adheres to policy on Drug-Free Workplace
• Interacts in a tactful, diplomatic, and humanistic manner with residents, families, visitors, and co-workers to provide a safe, efficient, and therapeutically effective caring environment that ensures the self-respect, personal dignity, rights, and physical safety of each resident and facility guest.
• Maintains a dependable attendance record and adheres to standards of cleanliness, grooming, hygiene, and dress code.
• Takes positive action to ensure equal opportunity in the conduct of all business activities without regard to race, color, religion, sex/gender, age, national origin, disability, citizenship, veteran status, or any other legally protected category.

• I have read/reviewed the job description for the position of Charge Nurse, acknowledge that all items are essential to the job, understand what the job demands, and agree that I am able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.