Assistant Chief Nursing Officer

Description

The Assistant Chief Nursing Officer assists the CNO in the oversight of the daily clinical and administrative operations of the nursing department to ensure that each resident receives the necessary care and services to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being, in accordance with their comprehensive plan of care. Assists with ensuring that the nursing department’s philosophy and objectives incorporate evidence-based practice in providing high quality care and quality of life to each resident. Serves as an advocate for the residents and staff under his/her direction. Fosters high standards of resident care through the provision and promotion of diligent orientation and continuing education efforts, adequate levels of nursing personnel, properly prepared nursing supervisors and managers, and current policies and procedures.  

Essential Functions

• Assures nursing organizational structure supports clinical and administrative standards and goals that will enable the facility to achieve its mission, person-centered care, ongoing survey readiness and regulatory compliance.
• Implements facility’s systems, processes, and programs to achieve the mission, goals and strategic plan for the facility.
• Assists in leading the nursing team to ensure quality outcomes.
• Oversees the staffing based upon census, acuity and budget. Assures effective recruitment and retention plans exist, and participates in their effective implementation.
• Adheres to facility’s personnel policies and procedures, including the facility’s Employee Handbook. Ensures performance evaluations for nursing employees are completed in a timely manner.
• Promotes effective working conditions, and positive employee relations.
• Participates in budget discussions and staffing composition recommendations.
• Participates in the facility’s quality assurance performance improvement process by analyzing outcomes, identifying trends and developing action plans. Ensure adherence to the plans of correction. Be proactive in driving quality, person-centered care.
• Collaborates with other members of the health care team as needed.
• Reviews prospective resident referrals to validate clinical services can effectively be provided by the facility.  
• Manages adverse events, establishes root cause, and plans to prevent reoccurrences.
• Assists with assessing nursing department education needs and sets obtainable goals to enable the center to provide more complex clinical services that will broaden the facility’s referral base.
• Participates and/or leads committees or workgroups as deemed necessary and/or requested by Administration.
• Communicates and collaborates with the Medical Director, attending and consulting physicians, ancillary and service departments, and contracted resources.  
• Supports an open-door policy for addressing resident, resident representatives, providers, and staff concerns.
• Participates in the selection, monitoring, evaluation, storage and tracking of clinically related equipment and supply usage.
• Assumes responsibilities and authority of nursing department in the short term absence of the CNO.
• Functions as the MDS coordinator for MDS completion and transmission with the appropriate participation of health professionals, as indicated.
• Remains knowledgeable about the residents and their conditions through mechanisms such as making daily rounds, discussion with charge nurse, review of new orders/consultation reports, clinical meetings, and promotion of person-centered care.
• Promotes and evaluates resident and family satisfaction with nursing services.
• Advocates for and assists with smooth transitions of care from one setting to another through effective communication and discharge planning activities.
• Promotes an environment where residents’ rights are protected and residents are free from abuse and neglect.
• Evaluates staff development needs for the nursing department. Ensures clinical competency of all nursing staff. Collaborates with the Director of Clinical Operations to develop and manage systems to assure clinical competencies during the hiring process and annually. Encourages ongoing professional organizations, and completing formal academic programs.
• Participates in employee recognition programs. 
• Communicates effectively, actively listens and functions effectively as a part of the team.
• Conducts job responsibilities in accordance with the standards set out in the Company’s Code of Conduct, its policies and procedures, applicable federal and state laws, and applicable professional standards.

Other Functions

• Other duties as assigned.
• Maintains resident/patient confidentiality and ensures HIPAA compliance by nursing department.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Performance that surpasses resident expectations and foster the highest degree of quality care.
• Strong clinical skills.
• Intimate knowledgeable of applicable federal, state and other regulations, including state specific clinical practice acts.
• Knowledge and ability to follow regulations, policies and guidelines.

Leadership Competencies

• Quality Assessment/Performance Improvement: Advocates for extraordinary patient/resident care every day. Participates in an ongoing and comprehensive cross department effort to monitor quality and trend outcomes. Utilizes evidence based data to measure against industry baselines and facility benchmarks. Becomes proficient in root-cause analysis to drive systemic action for excellence.
• Safety: Creates and fosters a culture of safety at the facility – for patients/residents and employees.
• Development: Assesses and recognizes personal strengths and weaknesses. Promotes continual learning and development – through self-development and development of employees.
• Communication: Communicates verbally and in writing in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. Shares relevant department and/or facility information in a timely manner.
• Customer Service: Understands that our patients/residents are our customers; regularly anticipates the needs of the patients/residents and demonstrates high-quality service with a commitment to continuous improvement. 
• Resilience: Deals effectively with pressure; remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity. Recovers quickly from setbacks. 
• Decisiveness: Makes well-informed, effective, and timely data-driven decisions, even when solutions produce unpleasant consequences; anticipates the impact and implications of decisions. 
• Team Building: Inspires and fosters team commitment, ownership thinking, pride, and trust. Facilitates cooperation and motivates team members to accomplish department and facility goals. 
• Subject Matter Expertise: Serves as a subject matter expert; understands and appropriately applies principles, procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to area(s) of responsibility. 
• Workforce Management (when assigned): Builds and manages a workforce based on organizational goals, budget considerations, and staffing needs. Ensures employees are appropriately recruited, selected, trained, appraised, and rewarded; takes action to address performance growth opportunities and short comings. 
• Technology Management: Keeps up-to-date on technological developments. Makes effective use of facility technology to achieve results. Ensures access to, and security of, technology systems. 
• Financial Management: Understands and follows the organization’s financial processes. Makes financial decisions with an owner’s mindset. Monitors expenditures and uses cost-benefit thinking to set priorities. 
• Creativity / Innovation: Develops new insights into situations; questions the status quo; encourages new ideas and innovations; evaluates and proposes new or cutting edge programs/processes.
• Partnering: Develops internal and/or external networks and builds alliances; collaborates across boundaries to build strategic relationships and achieve common goals.

Requirements

Education

Graduate of accredited school of nursing with an ASN or BSN. 

Licenses/Certification

Valid RN license in the state employed.

Valid CPR certification.

DNS-CT or CDONA, optional.

Valid driver’s license.

Experience

2 years successful nursing experience in a long-term care facility preferred.