Registered Nurse (RN)

Merit House Senior Community • Toledo, OH, United States • $200k - $250k / year • 3h ago

Merit House Senior Community is a family-owned skilled nursing facility that thrives on caring for our residents. We seek qualified Registered Nurses to join our family on day and night shifts. We also offer a $2500 sign-on bonus, a $3.00/hr attendance bonus, and other incentive programs.

I. QUALIFICATION STANDARDS

A. Education

The RN charge nurse must hold a current license to practice in Ohio, have received a nursing degree from an accredited nursing program or college or university, and be required to have current BLS certification.

B. EXPERIENCE

It is preferred that the RN charge nurse have six months of experience working in an assisted living facility, hospital, home health agency, or other health care facility.

I. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties and responsibilities of the RN charge nurse include providing direct nursing care to residents in an assigned unit under the direction of the nurse manager, shift supervisor, and Director of Nursing and supervising the day-to-day nursing activities performed by nursing assistants and others as assigned. The registered nurse will ensure that resident care is performed promptly and accurately per federal, state, and local regulations and current acceptable policies, procedures, and principles relating to the facility's operation.

II. FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB

A. ESSENTIAL

Direct and supervise the nursing assistants' daily functions per federal and state regulations, guidelines, facility policies, procedures, and protocols.
Maintain a knowledge base of the nursing department's policy and procedure manual by reviewing it annually and, by adding new policies and procedures, as needed.
Report any recommendations and concerns regarding residents, families, and staff to the Director of Nursing.
Coordinate with other disciplines to ensure the resident receives a total interdisciplinary care regimen.
Participate in the maintenance and implementation of the facility's quality assurance program.
Maintain the daily census report.
Other duties may be assigned to support the nursing department's daily functions.

Planning:

Inform staffing needs when assigned personnel fail to report to work. Assist in replacing absent employees with other staff as needed—report absentee call-ins per facility policy.
Communicate with your assigned nursing staff and support personnel in planning the shifts' resident services, programs, and activities.
Participate, as requested, in maintaining and implementing the facility's quality assurance program for the nursing services department.
Assist in developing, implementing, and evaluating safety standards for the nursing department, including safety regulations regarding equipment and supplies, participation in fire safety and disaster preparedness drills, and reporting hazardous conditions and equipment.
Assist in developing and implementing an effective Infection Control program, including monitoring infectious and communicable diseases among residents and personnel and supervising the appropriate use of aseptic and isolation techniques.
Ensure that stock levels of medications, medical supplies, equipment, etc., are maintained on the premises at all times to meet the residents' needs adequately.

Developing:

Continually enhance knowledge of applicable State and Federal Regulations and changes as they occur.
Attend and participate in continuous education programs to expand the professional knowledge base and maintain licensure.
Assist with the facility's Interdisciplinary Care Planning Process to provide and maintain a continuum of care for each resident by participating in the assessment of the nursing needs of the resident and participating in the care plan meetings as necessary, contributing to the development of a written plan of care (preliminary and comprehensive) for each resident, as required; and assist with monitoring, reviewing and revising the plan of care within the guidelines of the state, federal regulations and facility policy.
Assist in implementing the resident's plan of care by ensuring that personnel involved in caring for the resident are knowledgeable about the plan of care, that the care plans are used in the delivery of care to the resident, and rendering nursing care as ordered by the physician and according to the plan of care.
Encourage a team approach to resident-focused care planning by encouraging the resident and/or responsible party to participate in the plan of care, soliciting input for the care plan from all staff providing care to the resident, and maintaining a good rapport with all services involved with the resident's comprehensive care plan.
Assist in developing, implementing, and evaluating corrective action plans to address deficient areas of nursing practice as identified by established committees, consultants, and regulatory agencies.
Assist in providing education regarding routine health, safety, and back care training to help prevent employee injuries.

Implementing:

Coordinate with other disciplines to ensure the resident receives a total interdisciplinary care regimen.
Assist in developing nursing assistant work assignments, as required.
Provide the Director of Nursing with information relative to the resident's nursing needs and the ability of the nursing services department to meet those needs.
Inform nursing services personnel of new admissions, expected arrival time, room assignment, and any special needs of the resident.
Ensure that rooms are ready and greet new residents on admission and escort to their room as necessary.
Participate in the orientation of new residents/family members and staff to the facility.
Implement and maintain established nursing objectives and standards.
Actively participate in the surveys made by authorized government agencies as required and requested.
Provide explanations of the nursing department policies and procedures to personnel, residents, visitors, and government agencies as required.
Periodically review and update, as required, the nursing services portion of the resident's written discharge plan.
Comply with, observe, and ensure the nursing staff respects all residents' rights.
Recognize, respond, and ensure that the nursing staff recognizes and responds to changes in the resident's condition and documents observations, interventions, and outcomes.
Recognize, intervene, report, and document accidents, incidents, and investigations involving residents, responsible parties, and staff; follow facility policy and procedure when they occur, and ensure that the nursing personnel assigned to you do the same.
Intervene and document grievances from residents, families, visitors, employees, and the facility.
Maintain and assist in ensuring that nursing services personnel maintain privacy and confidentiality of records, conditions, and other information relating to residents, employees, and the facility.
Follow and implement standard precautions and isolation procedures, review/monitor staff compliance.
Actively participate in the wound/skin care program, assessing, reporting, documenting, and providing treatment.
Report occupational exposure to blood, body fluids, infectious materials, and hazardous chemicals per the facility policies and procedures.
Work with the facility's consultants and implement those changes authorized by the nursing supervisors and director of nursing.

Evaluating:

Assist in reviewing medical documentation, including physicians' orders and progress notes, for timeliness and adherence to regulatory and legal guidelines.
Make periodic checks to ensure that the STNAs are properly administering prescribed treatments as permitted and evaluate the resident's physical and emotional status.
Make rounds of assigned unit(s) to assess resident care, regulatory compliance, and nursing proficiency in performing work assignments per acceptable nursing standards and according to their job descriptions, and report any problem areas to the nurse supervisor to the director of nursing.
Make environmental rounds of nursing service work areas for compliance with safety and infection control practices.
Monitor and evaluate the efficient and appropriate use of supplies by the nursing department.
Assist in ensuring that appropriate personal protective equipment is accessible to personnel performing tasks involving exposure to blood-borne pathogens.
Assist in monitoring the workplace for possible employee health and safety hazards.

Nursing Care Functions:

Charting and Documentation

Complete and file the required record-keeping forms/charts information upon the resident's admission, transfer, and discharge.
Request, as necessary, that attending physician review treatment plans, record and sign their orders, progress notes, etc., per state/federal guidelines and facility policy.
Receive telephone and verbal orders from physicians and record on the physician's order form or electronic medical record.
Transcribe physicians' orders to resident charts, medication administration records, treatment administration records, and care plans as required.
Chart nurses' notes in an accurate, thorough, objective, and informative manner and in compliance with facility policies that reflect the care provided to the resident as well as the resident's response to the care.
Document accurately and thoroughly accident/incident reports and investigations involving residents, responsible parties, and staff, following facility policy and procedure.
Record new/changed diet orders and forward information to the dietary department.
Report any discrepancies in notes concerning physicians' orders, diet changes, charting errors, etc., to the nursing supervisor and or the director or nursing.
Fill out and complete transfer and discharge forms, including appropriate documentation concerning unauthorized discharges, per facility policy and procedure.
Perform routine charting duties as required and per facility charting and documentation, policies, and procedures.
Sign, date, and time all entries made in the resident's medical record.

Medication Administration and Treatment Performance Functions:

Prepare and administer routine and prn medications as ordered by the prescriber, ensuring that medications are given using the "Rights" of medication administration.
Perform or administer routine and prn treatments as ordered by the physician following facility protocols.
Ensure that an adequate supply of floor stock medications, supplies, and equipment is on hand to meet the nursing needs of residents. Report needs to the nurse supervisor or the director of nursing.
Order prescribed medications, supplies, and equipment, as necessary, and per facility policies.
Ensure all narcotic records are completed accurately for administration and documented per facility policy and accepted nursing practice. Notify the nurse supervisor or director of nursing of any drug or narcotic discrepancies noted on your shift.
Review medication and treatment records for completeness of information, accuracy in the transcription of the physician's orders, and adherence to stop-order policies.
Notify the attending physician of automatic stop orders proper to the last dosage being administered.
Dispose of drugs and narcotics as required, per facility policies and procedures.

Other Nursing Care Functions:

Make rounds with physicians as necessary or assigned.
Requisition and arrange for diagnostic and therapeutic services, as ordered by the physician and per facility-established procedures.
Consult with the resident's physician in providing the resident care, treatment, rehabilitation, etc., as necessary.
Review the resident's records for specific treatments, medication orders, diets, etc., as necessary.
Notify the resident's attending physician and responsible party when the resident is involved in an accident or incident.
Notify the resident's physician and responsible party when the resident experiences any change in condition.
Carry out restorative and rehabilitative programs to include self-help and care.
Administer professional services such as catheterization, tube feedings, suction, applying and changing dressings/bandages, packs, colostomy, and drainage bags, drawing blood, range of motion exercise, care for the dying/deceased, etc., as required and within the scope of the RN nurse practice guidelines.
Obtain sputum, urine, and other specimens for lab tests as ordered.
Take, record, and evaluate vital signs per physician orders and as resident condition dictates and report as necessary to the attending physician.
Monitor seriously ill residents as necessary.
Check foods brought into the facility by the resident's family/visitors to ensure that it is within the residents' dietary allowances and notify the nurse supervisor and dietary supervisor of problems.
Ensure that residents who cannot call for help are frequently monitored.
Admit, transfer, and discharge residents as necessary.
Assist in arranging transportation for discharged residents as necessary to ensure discharged residents are escorted to the pick-up areas.
Inform the attending physician and responsible party of the death of a resident.
Call funeral homes when required by the family and establish that post-mortem procedures are followed.
Assist as needed, STNAs, LPNs, and other staff in assigned areas or assessment treatments and evaluations of resident care.
When necessary, perform resident ADLs and personal care as outlined in the certified nursing assistant job description.