Charge Nurse - Hillsdale County Medical Care

General Summary: The licensed nurse provides clinical care to the residents of the household to meet both their medical and physical needs and enable the residents to function at their highest possible level. The Charge Nurse provides guidance and leadership to the Care Associates, promote the residents’ psychosocial well-being through meaningful relationship building, and work with the household team to meet other social needs of the resident and of the household, providing support, friendship and kindness for each of the household members and associates. All Charge Nurse tasks are performed in accordance with current standards, guidelines and regulations in a safe efficient manner.

Primary Duties of a ChargeNurse [LPN or RN]                                     

1. A Charge Nurse shall be on-duty during each shift and shall be responsible for the supervision of all nursing activities on their assigned unit during his or her shift.  
2. Attends all staff meetings and inservices to maintain competency of standards of care with changing regulations and procedures. Responsible to obtain information when unable to attend.
3. Administers all medications and treatments via all routes as ordered in a safe and timely manner per facility policy and procedure.
4. Measures, records, and reports resident data, such as: TPR, B/P, glucometer readings, oximetry readings, weights and weight changes, changes in resident’s status. Ability to recognize normal vs. abnormal of resident behavior, complete an assessment for the individual resident and report this information to the resident’s physician and Unit manager.
5. Performs and assesses treatments and completes treatment evaluations weekly and as ordered timely. Reports and documents skin issues to Wound Care and the physician.
6. Maintains cleanliness of medication and treatment carts, medication room and keeps Nurse’s station and charting room clean and organized every shift. All discontinued medications or treatments are to be returned to pharmacy or disposed of immediately. 
7. Records information promptly and correctly and assesses any new admission, readmission, transfer from a different neighborhood, status change, acute illness or resident discharge. Recognizes the time constraints in all areas.

Life Enhancement Tasks:

1. Continually seeks opportunities to support the social needs of all members of the household through support, friendship and kindness.
2. May participate in social activities for individual residents, small groups and for the household, making any necessary arrangements to assure success of the activity. May assist in planning and organizing the neighborhoods.
3. Able to lead and participate in learning circles with residents and staff in the household as needed or desired.
4. Ensures associates maintain of equipment, games, supplies for use in supporting resident and household activity choices.
5. Continually seeks opportunities to share personal interests and talents with members of the household through both planned and spontaneous activities.
6. Maintains appropriate documentation.

Ancillary Tasks:

1. Directs care associates to maintain clean spaces in the household, including resident rooms. Household common spaces, as well as support spaces and equipment – [ex. wheelchairs].
2. Assists to or arranges for maintenance of supply of all materials to meet resident needs in the household.
3. Supports all aspects of the household environment, including pets, plants, children, visitors and guests, facilitating all planned and spontaneous needs and activities.
4. Coordinates work of care associates with house keeping associates to ensure the housekeeping needs of the household are met within the staffing resources of the household.
5. May direct associates to assist residents as needed to wash, mend, iron, fold and sort residents’ personal laundry; supports residents in self care and provide assistance to ensure residents’ personal laundry is maintained in quality condition.
6. Directs/coordinates work with the care and house keeping associates to ensure the personal laundry needs of the resident [and household linens if washed in the household] are met within the staffing resources of the household.

Only duties and responsibilities necessary for proper job evaluation have been included. This list is not all inclusive of the total scope of the job duties and responsibilities.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Position Specific Competencies:

1. Graduate of a state approved School of Nursing as a Registered or Licensed Practical Nurse.
2. Current Michigan license
3. Prefer experience in Long Term Care
4. Accurate ability to perform assessments, use critical thinking under all conditions and relay this information to physicians and families.
5. Accepts responsibility and demonstrates positive professional work ethics.
6. Ability to prioritize.
7. Must possess excellent communication skills.
8. Participates in Person-Centered, Elder-Directed, Quality Focused life in the neighborhoods.
9. Recognizes and understands the expectation to continue knowledge by attending all inservices and meetings.
10. Desire to constantly learn with the ability to change.
11. Must possess leadership abilities to direct Care Associates and other staff in the neighborhoods.
12. Ability to push/pull wheeled carts and chairs weighing up to 300 pounds.
13. Ability to move and reposition residents weighing up to 300 pounds.
14. Must have knowledge of proper lifting techniques and be able to lift 75 pounds.
15. Observe and report the need for repairs to equipment, furniture, building and fixtures immediately upon discovery.
16. Working Conditions: works in resident rooms and other rooms with exposure to noise, unpleasant odors and resident behaviors.

The knowledge, skills and abilities listed above are intended to represent the minimum levels associated with performing the duties and responsibilities contained in the job description. These are a general guideline that should be considered along with other job related criteria as deemed appropriate by the Director of Nursing.