Position Summary

The Unit Leader plays a key role in supporting the bedside nurse to provide safe patient care and to achieve organizational, departmental, and individual goals. In collaboration with the Nurse Manager the Unit Leader incorporates leadership and communication skills to be an effective change agent on the unit. Supporting the mission of WPH and the nursing division, the Unit Leader acts a role model demonstrating sound time management, conflict resolution, and delegation skills. The Unit Leader acts as a liaison between management, staff, physicians, patients and families, ancillary staff, and other departments. The Unit Leader leads by example and holds staff accountable to provide safe patient care and a high level of patient satisfaction.

 Essential Functions and Responsibilities Includes the Following: 

In collaboration with the Nurse Manager & Asst. Nurse Manager, the Unit Leader:

• Understands and adheres to the WPH Performance Standards, Policies and Behaviors
• Assures that quality, safe patient care and clinical services are rendered in accordance with established hospital, regulatory agency, and nursing evidence-based standards
• Is positive role model for the nursing profession and can demonstrate through exemplars evidence of coaching, mentoring, problem-solving, and acting a resource person for staff and peers on all shifts
• Identifies, develops, implements, and monitors unit-based quality and Performance Improvement initiatives to provide quantifiable evidence of progression toward the success and outcome of unit-based goals
• Provides flexibility with scheduling self in accordance with the Nurse Manager and Assistant Nurse Manager to provide clinical leadership on the nursing units or to meet unit-based needs
• Adheres to the unit-based budget and provides nursing staff and resources in accordance with budgetary guidelines
• Collaborates with physicians and other members of the health care team to assure delivery of optimum, age- appropriate patient care
• Identifies and implements nursing evidence-based and/or best practices to develop Nursing Standards and protocols for the delivery of optimum patient care
• Participates clinically in patient care and accepts patient care assignments as required for the delivery of safe, optimum patient care
• Insures that unit-based professional and non-professional staff participate in continuing education activities, nursing shared governance, maintenance of organization-required annual competencies, and adherence to organizational policies and procedures
• Participates in task forces, committees, or projects as assigned
• Maintains a continuous safe patient care and work environment in accordance with requirements of accrediting and regulatory agencies
• Participates in interdisciplinary collaboration based on theoretical concepts of team building and team participation and can provide quantifiable evidence and exemplars of the success of that collaboration
• Demonstrates mastery of customer service skills, including patient rounding and monitoring of outcomes through successful and maintained patient satisfaction scores that surpass nationally-benchmarked scores
• Identifies and creates action plans with quantifiable measurement and outcomes to correct deficiencies in patient and nursing satisfaction
• Is a positive change agent on the unit and supports all organization-based initiatives and projects
• Performs all other related duties as assigned.

 Education & Experience Requirements

1. Current NY State License
2. BSN (or MSN) required.
3. Knowledge of current nursing, medical and health trends and practices in rendering of patient care.
4. One year of RN experience in the area of specialty or practice preferred.
5. BCLS certification is required.
6. ACLS certification is required for all RNs, except for NICU & Operating Room RNs. All newly hired, inexperienced nurses must receive this certification within 12 months. All newly hired, experienced nurses must receive this certification within 6 months.
7. PALS certification is required for all RNs working in the PACU, 5I Pediatrics, Emergency Department, Armonk Urgent Care, Ambulatory Surgery and 226 Ambulatory Surgery Center. All newly hired, inexperienced nurses must receive this certification within 12 months. All newly hired, experienced nurses must receive this certification within 6 months.
8. NRP certification is required for all RNs working in the Mother-Baby unit, Labor & Delivery and NICU. All newly hired nurses to the NICU, L&D and the Mother-Baby unit must receive this certification within 6 months.
9. Demonstrates a basic knowledge of management skills
10. Previous management/leadership experience preferred
11. 2 years previous clinical experience in area of unit concentration preferred
12. Ability to function as staff RN
13. Demonstrates excellence in clinical skills