TRAUMA NURSE MANAGER - North Arkansas Regional Medical Center

Overview

Responsible for staffing and administration of a nursing unit or floor

Supervises the caliber of treatment and care of the patients

Typically reports to the Director of Nursing

The Nurse Manager is responsible for the overall administration and management of the unit and reports to Nursing Administration.

Under the direct supervision of the Director of Nursing with cooperation of the ED Physician- The nurse manager is responsible for maintaining approved standards of care for all persons presenting themselves to NARMC for emergency care.

A registered nurse with responsibility for monitoring and evaluating nursing care of trauma patients and the coordination of quality improvement and patient safety programs.  The Trauma Program Manager is responsible for implementing and maintains a cost-effective system of care for trauma patients and their families throughout the continuum of care.  The TPM works both independently and in collaboration with the Trauma Medical Director and other members of the health care team and management staff.

Responsibilities

• Communicates with patients and families in a kind, caring manner.
• Directs and supervises activities in ED.
• Ability to triage patients
• Keeps families informed
• Promotes harmony between ED physician and medical staff.
• Coordinates patient care in ED with services rendered by other hospital
• Demonstrates emotional stability, ability to identify problems and plan solutions and quality assurance.
• Reviews and directs ED procedures to meet standards of care, after appropriate approval of ED committees.
• Keeps administration informed of problems concerning misuse of unit or questionable care.
• Ensure availability of supplies and equipment.
• Makes sure infection control policies are carried.
• Supervises EMS care in the ED.
• Trains EMT, nursing and paramedic students within approved guidelines.
• Must be well versed in electrocardiography, drug therapy, trauma, medical, surgical and pediatric emergencies done within scope of ED services.
• Promotes harmonious relationships between nursing personnel, patients, family and medical staff.
• Responsible for orientation of new personnel and education of emergency personnel and demonstration of new equipment.
• Monitors ED records for completion.
• Responsible for telephone communication, concerned with emergency situation, public or family concern with questions about necessity of patient care.

• Administration

  • Support and adhere to hospital policies, procedures, philosophy and mission
  • Produce and manage the trauma program budget
  • Interpret and implement policies and procedures; make recommendations for revisions; assist with updating policies and procedures
  • Participate in the development and planning of goals and objectives related to trauma care
  • Coordinate with the medical director, hospital administration and clinicians to assess the need for policies, procedures, and protocols related to the care of trauma patients
  • Develop policies and procedures based on current literature, input from clinicians and other sources such as information from patient care evaluations
  • Represent the Trauma Program on various hospital and community committees to enhance and foster optimal trauma care management
  • Participate in the budget process: anticipate trends, future needs of the trauma program
  • Work with a broad array of department to resolve inefficiencies and reduce costs
  • Supervise adherence to hospital policies and procedure and standards through observation, medical record review, staff feedbacks and other appropriate sources.
  • Serves as a liaison to administration, representing the Trauma Program on various hospital and community committees to enhance and foster a fiscally sound Trauma Program
  • Monitor trauma care financial reimbursement issues.

   

  Program Initiatives:

  • Implements program initiatives
  • Monitor and maintain compliance with statewide trauma system regulatory requirements.
  • Coordinate preparation for statewide trauma system designation site visit.
  • Develop and foster collaborative relationships with all hospital departments to facilitate and support quality trauma care.
  • Participate in state and regional trauma care activities
  • Monitor national and statewide trends in trauma care
  • Respond to trauma team activations that occur during work hours; function in whatever role necessary to assist the team in the care of the patient.
  • Serve as a resource for the hospital staff regarding trauma care issues.
  • Plan and implement strategies for ongoing trauma program development and improvement
  • Collaborate with trauma program medical director, physicians and other healthcare professionals to provide clinical and system oversight for the care of trauma patients, ensuring the provision of efficient, quality, cost-effective care.

  Performance Improvement:

  • Assess and improve departmental performance
  • Maintains quality control programs and participates in the organization’s overall quality control program
  • Monitor performance of hospital staff involved in the care of trauma patients
  • Monitor trauma patient outcomes; evaluate for trends
  • Coordinate with physicians, nurses, and other in-hospital staff and outside providers to evaluate and address specific patient care issues.
  • Participate in case review
  • Assist the trauma program medical director and hospital administration in the development, implementation, and evaluation of a quality plan, which is multi-disciplinary, and patient-outcomes focused.
  • Serve as the coordinator for the identification, investigation, reporting and follow up of incidents and quality issues throughout the program while maintaining confidentiality
  • Monitors the trauma team’s availability and compliance with policies and standards
  • Develop and monitor the trauma PI program in collaboration with the trauma program medical director
  • Coordinate and schedule the morbidity and mortality committee and multidisciplinary review meetings
  • Assists in data collection related to the trauma patient
  • Analyze registry data on the trauma patient population; identify trends for strategic planning and performance improvement
  • Manage registry data: collect, analyze and trend
  • Supervise the collecting, coding, scoring and developing of processes for validation of data entered into the registry
  • Ensure accurate data entry into the trauma registry
  • Ensures the maintenance of the trauma registry in collaboration with the trauma registrar
  • Ensure the periodic reporting of trauma data to the state trauma program
  • Facilitate the measurement of selected outcomes for the trauma patient population

   

  Clinical Education

  • Plan, coordinate and evaluate trauma-related educational programs for nursing staff
  • Monitor physician and nurse compliance with the educational requirements of the trauma program
  • Ensure staffs involved in the care of trauma patients meet educational requirements of the trauma program
  • Develop, coordinate and implement orientation, nursing education, and in-service programs related to care and management of trauma patients
  • Seek and pursue opportunities for internal and external trauma-related educational programs for hospital staff

   

  Community Outreach

  • Coordinate and oversee the development and implementation of any injury prevention program
  • Direct community trauma education and prevention programs by developing, implementing and evaluating programs for targeted populations in the community related to injury prevention and other topics identified through needs assessment of the community
  • Develop and implement strategies for communication, education and feedback for EMS systems in the catchment area
  • Identify opportunities for injury prevention programming in the local communities
  • Plan, coordinate and collaborate with community representatives to accomplish injury prevention activities
  • Evaluate the impact of injury prevention activities
  • Seek and pursue opportunities for internal and external trauma-related educational programs for hospital staff, patients, families and the community.

   

  Knowledge and Skills:

  • Analyze and interpret complicated information
  • Determines a course of action based on research, data, standards of care and general guidelines/protocols
  • Communicate effectively with a wide variety of intra- and inter-facility staff and administration using both oral and written communication.

   

Qualifications

Education:

Associate’s degree from an accredited nursing school

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited nursing school

Experience:

Five years clinical experience in trauma/emergency care

Degrees, Licensure, and/or Certification:

Current RN licensure from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing or compact state

BLS

Currently certified in TNCC, ACLS, PALS or ENPC

CEN Certification

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Must be able to communicate with physicians, all levels of hospital personnel, patients, visitors and families. Must possess the ability to establish and maintain effective interpersonal relationships, as well as accept and implement change.

Must be able to problem solve and make decisions. 

Must possess critical thinking, analytical, teaching/coaching and research skills.

Pass pharmacology test given by NARMC with a score of 80% or above.

Post-orientation, demonstrate knowledge as to patient care, medications, ability to recognize emergency situations then take appropriate actions.

Must be able to read, write, speak and understand English