Charge Nurse

SUMMARY:

The Charge Nurse will be responsible for ensuring assigned Surgery Center(s) are operating efficiently, consistently, and are staffed appropriately, including scheduling, downtime, and overtime. The Charge Nurse will ensure all clinical best practices and policies are followed, while proactively solving problems. The Charge Nurse will participate in the recruitment and selection process of new staff, as well as train and onboard Surgery Center staff. The Charge Nurse will develop team members through effective leadership, coaching, and mentoring. The Charge Nurse will collaborate with physicians and Company management to operate Surgery Centers within budgets, while providing the best patient care.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily with or without accommodation. The requirements listed below are representative, but not all inclusive, of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

• Develops, maintains, and implements nursing policies and procedures that conform to current standards of nursing practice, facility philosophy, and operational policies while maintaining compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.
• Communicates and interprets policies and procedures to nursing staff, and monitors staff practices and implementation.
• Participates in all patient care decisions and performs staff annual performance evaluations and competency testing on an ongoing basis as assigned by management.
• Participates in management team meetings to discuss patient status, census changes, personnel, or resident complaints or concerns.
• Participates in the recruitment and selection of staff and ensures sufficient staff are hired and fully utilized.
• Participates in coaching, counseling and disciplinary actions of nursing staff and other surgical staff.
• Ensures delivery of compassionate quality care and nursing supervision as evidenced by adequate services and staff coverage.
• Exercises overall supervision of patient assessments and care plans.
• Develops, maintains, and reviews reports to monitor and ensure timely, effective communication to significant changes in condition, and care plans.
• Collaborates with physicians, facilities, community agencies, and institutions to improve the quality of services and to resolve identified problems.
• Works with management in overseeing nursing schedules to ensure they meet patient needs and regulatory and budgetary standards.
• Works as a staff nurse as needed and maintains the highest quality of nursing care as a role model.
• Maintains required licensure and certifications and ensures all nursing staff and surgical personnel maintains their requisite licenses and certifications.
• Maintains industry knowledgeable and looks for ways to improve patient care in all areas of the surgical center including preop, pacu, and intraoperatively.
• Develops and delivers in-service education to equip nursing staff with sufficient knowledge and skills to provide compassionate, quality care and respect for patient rights.
• Performs rounds when not scheduled as a staff nurse to observe care and to interview staff, patients, families/caregivers or other interested parties.
• Proactively develops procedures to promote workplace safety and safe work practices.
• Coordinates and/or develops on-going QI/QA activities for nursing services to monitor nursing compliance with standards and regulatory requirements through rounds, interviews, and record reviews. Compiles summary of findings for the Compliance Department.
• Communicates directly with patients, families, medical staff, nursing staff, interdisciplinary team members, and regional management to coordinate care and services, promote participation of care plans, and maintain a high quality of care and life for patients.
• Promotes customer service and hospitality and responds to and adequately resolves complaints or concerns from patients or families about nursing services.
• Monitors service incidents and complaints as needed to identify those defined as unusual occurrences by State policy and promptly reports such occurrences to the Doctors/Managing Partner and/or administrator.
• Collaborates with other facilities, medical professionals, consultants, and organizations, including government agencies to develop, support and coordinate patient care, related administrative functions, and to represent the interests of the organization.
• Leads and supports care programs and research, and assists in marketing, business development, outreach, education, quality improvement, and other initiatives as needed.
• Relies on extensive experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals.
• Actively share ideas in a constructive and positive manner by listening to and objectively considering ideas and suggestions from others.
• Advocates and assists in maintaining a clean, neat, and cheerful environment where our patients feel comfortable.
• Holding regular staff meetings, keeping meeting minutes to include addressing all incident reports, infection control, adverse incidents, QI and any other issue.
• Assists in maintaining the ASC survey ready and completes any assigned task to get the ASC survey ready in a timely manner.
• Maintains Infection Control certification and oversees the Infection Control Program for the ASC; including the monitoring and reporting as management designates.
• Develops, documents, and maintains standard operational procedures, checklists, and process flows.
• Maintains an appropriate professional appearance and demeanor in accordance with Company policies.
• Keeps commitments and keep direct supervisor informed of work progress, timetables, and issues.
• Maintains strict compliance with State, Federal and other regulations (e.g., OSHA, WC, HIPAA, ADA, FEHA, DOL, HR policies and practices).
• Other duties as assigned by management.

QUALIFICATIONS:

REQUIRED: Bachelor’s Degree plus minimum 3-5 years of related Ambulatory and/or Circulating Nursing experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Prior staff management experience. Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

DESIRABLE: Master’s Degree. Experience in the Ophthalmic Industry with multiple Surgery Center locations. Experience with Regulatory and Accreditation Surveys (AAAHC Accreditation).

CERTIFICATES/LICENSES/REGISTRATIONS:

Current CA Registered Nurse (RN) License. Current ACLS/BLS Certification. CPR Certification.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES/TALENTS:

• Knowledge of surgery center best practices and operations.
• Understanding of budgeting and financial reporting.
• Ability to create and deliver training plans for consistency in the regions.
• Demonstrated strong analytical, critical & strategic thinking with minimal oversight.
• Proven ability to manage multiple work streams & priorities.
• Clear and effective communicator; adapts to different management, communication & delivery styles.
• Ability to develop effective working relationships.
• Models professionalism by maintaining effective working relationships, following all policies and procedures and approaching challenges with a proactive and positive attitude. Also develops strong, trusted relationships with colleagues and customers.
• Effective Team Builder (Character/Integrity; communicates openly; willingness to confront; motivator/inspirer; educator/trainer, promotes learning; effective assessor of talent; consistent)
• Customer Service Advocate (flexible and adaptive; empathetic; passionate; ethical).
• Process Focused Operator (data driven decision-maker; detailed; organized and structured; comprehensive knowledge of all operational processes; computer proficient).
• Influencer (active listener/observer of behavior; builds trust with those requiring coaching; creates a win/win need for change; tailors coaching style to the individual’s needs; recognizes and celebrates improvement to sustain change).
• Ability to respond to common inquiries from customers, staff, vendors, or other members of the community.
• Ability to draw valid conclusions, apply sound judgment in making decisions, and to make decisions under pressure.
• Ability to interpret and apply policies and procedures.
• Maintains the confidentiality of all business documents and correspondence.
• Must address others professionally and respectfully by actions, words and deeds.
• Detail oriented, organized, process focused, problem solver, self-motivated proactive, customer service focused.
• Displays independent judgment by willingness to make timely and accurate decisions based on available information that is sometimes vague or limited in nature.
• Ability to multitask effectively and work in a fast paced and sometimes ambiguous environment, without compromising quality of work.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and projects with limited direction, while understanding and contributing to the success of the office.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
• This is primarily a clinical surgery center classification but requires frequent field visits and driving, which requires the ability to drive an automobile. Temperature conditions are controlled with limited direct exposure to hazardous physical substances. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. There is regular exposure to doctors, staff, patients and vendors.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, keyboard, to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, see, talk and hear. The employee will frequently push, pull, lift, and/or assist patients. The employee will frequently lift and/or carry equipment, reports, records and other materials that typically weigh less than 20 pounds. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, bend, or crouch.
• Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard, calculator, and other standard office equipment.
• All of the information contained herein reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions of this classification, the level of knowledge and skill typically required and the scope of responsibility, but should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Management reserves the rights to add, modify, change, or rescind the duties and/or work assignments of all positions, without advanced notice, and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.
• Notwithstanding any of the foregoing described job responsibilities, employee shall not engage in activities that constitute the practice of ophthalmology as prohibited under applicable law. Employee shall neither exercise control over nor interfere with the clinician-patient relationship. Clinicians shall have sole responsibility for all professional services provided to patients.