Director of Nursing - Heritage

Title:  Director of Nursing

Reports to: Administrator

Position Summary: 

The Director of Nursing is responsible for assuring compliance with federal, state and local standards, guidelines and regulations that are required and directed to ensure the highest quality of care for the residents/patients. The Director of Nursing is a clinical expert in care of the elderly as well as care required to optimize post-acute care rehabilitation and recovery.    

Core Responsibilities:

• Assures that care is provided consistent with standards of care, manages the environment to maintain resident/patient safety, and supervises the resident/patient activity performance by nursing personnel.

• Maintains staff accountability for clinical and customer service standards at all times.  Addresses non-compliance with policy, procedure, and standards of practice and behavior with staff in a respectful and professional manner when non-compliance is observed.  

• Make daily rounds on the unit to ensure resident care needs and environmental standards are met; this includes monitoring of the dining room during meal times.

• Participates in the development and implementation of new policies and procedures based on identified needs.

• Oversees care to promote the highest level of physical, mental and psychosocial functioning possible. 

• Drives the Quality Assurance Process, including completing routine quality audits, coaching staff, developing action plans, report preparation, and participating in the facility Quality Assurance Meeting.

• Make frequent rounds to ensure nursing personnel are performing their work assignments in accordance with acceptable nursing standards.

• Ensures Residents/Patient care rooms and treatment areas are maintained in a clean and sanitary manner.

• Conducts staff meetings and continuing education in-service programs.

• Participates in the Interdisciplinary Plan of Care and Care Conferences.

• Monitors at-risk residents and processes including wounds, falls, infection control and uses QAPI processes to improve processes and reduce risk.

• Assure adequate staffing; determine staffing levels needed for census, hire, onboard, and orient staff to support staffing levels. 

• Ensure the facility is well stocked with supplies, including medications and equipment.

• Compile information for and prepare infection surveillance reports, Labs, TB test to maintain compliance within the facility.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must hold a current State of Michigan RN License

• Bachelor’s Degree in related fields preferred

• Two years supervisory with leadership experience in a long care setting required; three to five years preferred.

• Computer literacy skills including Word and basic mouse and keyboard operations.  Electronic clinical documentation experience preferred. 

• Must be able to read, write and understand the English language

• Must possess a high degree of initiative and motivation

• Must be willing to accept and work toward progress, change and high standards of accomplishments for self and others.

• Have strong leadership, interpersonal and management skills as well as be able to work as a team with strong interpersonal skills.

• Must attend and participate in professional activities and programs.

• Stay current on required training safety and new industry trends and areas applicable to performing responsibilities.

• Have the ability to be flexible and perform other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions:

• Works in the office as well as throughout the facility.

• Sits, stands, bends, lifts and moves intermittently during working hours. 

• Is subject to frequent interruptions. 

• Is subject to hostile and emotionally upset employees, residents, family members, etc.  

• Communicates with the medical staff, nursing staff, and other foundation supervisors. 

• Works beyond normal duty hours, on weekends, and in other positions temporarily, when necessary. 

• May be exposed to infectious waste, diseases, conditions, etc., including the AIDS and Hepatitis B viruses including COVID-19.

• May be exposed to chemicals for cleaning and sanitation purposes. 

• There may be instances of standing, walking, sitting, bending, stooping, squatting, grasping/gripping, finger dexterity, writing/data entry, lifting/carrying (up to 25 pounds). 

• There may be instances of climbing stairs, pushing or pulling, reaching above shoulders. 

Must be reliability, trustworthiness and consistency with regard to attendance is extremely important to this job. The ability to regularly and timely attend work, cooperate and politely work and deal with others, and to effectively multi-task and work in a stressful environment are also essential functions to this job.