Director of Nursing

Director of Nursing | Palms Behavioral Health | Harlingen, Texas

About the Job

PURPOSE STATEMENT:

The Director of Nursing is responsible and accountable for providing professional nursing care to patients.

Directs, plans, coordinates, monitors and supervises the effective and efficient use of the operations of nursing and the safe delivery of behavioral health/nursing services with a positive, empathetic, and professional attitude.

Ensures the development, implementation, and evaluation of policies, programs, and services consistent with the facility’s strategic goals and objectives.

Roles and Responsibilities

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Sets the vision for nursing practice in the delivery of safe, timely, efficient, equitable and client centered care. Manages the daily operations of nursing services.

Identifies and prioritizes issues of importance, including those priority issues as set for by leadership. Collaborates with department leaders and corporate leaders, as needed.

Communicates instructions, expectations and timelines clearly and concisely.

Develops, maintains and implements nursing services, policies and procedures that conform to current standards of nursing practice and accrediting agencies, facility philosophy and operational policies while maintaining compliance with state, federal and local governmental agencies laws and regulations.

Develops and interprets operational indicators to detect census and acuity changes and increases or decreases in volume that could impact staffing levels, revenues or expenses. Acts to correct undesirable trends. Allocates nursing resources based on measurement of client acuity/care needed.

Leads a team of highly qualified and engaged department members thru hiring, orienting, performance assessment and management, motivating, training, scheduling, and coaching to meet department and facility goals. Ensures adequate staffing.

Maintains productivity levels that are aligned with client census, curtailing unnecessary overtime and/or excessive staff work hours.

• Manages staff scheduling and maintains an updated plan for contingency staffing.
• Maintains accountability expectations for self and staff in all areas of job performance.
• Engages staff in quality and safety basics to ensure sustained, measurable compliance.

Identifies staff educational needs and ensures they are addressed with education programs that are attended by staff.

Hold staff accountable for non-compliance and client safety concerns, as well as attendance, following policies, behavior, and adherence to code of conduct.

Oversees medication management for the facility. Orders and maintains adequate inventory of medication. Ensures compliance with medication management standards and record keeping. Implements corrective actions based on pharmacy consultant inspection of medication rooms and medication management processes. Reviews and reconciles medication reports in collaboration with the pharmacy vendor.

Audits and organizes medication room to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements, best practices, and reduce the opportunity for medication errors or diversion.

Makes nursing diagnosis of the medical and emotional status of clients and recommends treatment options. Consults with psychiatrists and other behavioral health staff in designing appropriate treatment plans for clients. Provides overall supervision of client assessments and care plans. Coordinates nursing services with all other departments.

Participates in daily or weekly management team meetings to discuss client’s status, identify indicators for reassessment of client’s condition, reaction/responsiveness and involvement of other disciplines. Discusses census changes, client or staff complaints or concerns.

Establishes, implements and monitors the infection control program and safety. Prepares or reviews infection control surveillance reports to identify trends and to develop effective actions to control and prevent infections.

Collaborates with interdisciplinary treatment teams, other departments and administration to ensure that all client’s physical, biopsychosocial, age, developmental and cultural needs are met.

Develops and implements health care related training that assures the best possible delivery of health-related supports and services.

Assists the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in the preparation and administration of the organization's budget. Manages budget and operates within approved budget while providing excellent quality of care. Actively participate in strategic planning and budget development.

Maintains adequate and appropriate inventory of supplies and equipment for the provision of client services.

Oversees the maintenance of client clinical records, statistics, reports and records for purposes of evaluation and reporting of organization activities.

Stays informed about changes in the field of nursing and behavioral health care and uses information to stay compliant and improve performance.

Assists CEO in preparing staff for inspection survey. Participates in the preparation and implementation of the Plan of Correction response to an inspection survey.

Monitors unit/floor functioning by making frequent rounds. Intervenes in crisis situations and investigates incidents. Analyzes, reviews and completes follow up on incident reports related to nursing/client safety issues in conjunction with Risk Management.

May be required to provide onsite coverage for other programs when needed, develops, and executes new programs according to market needs and may provide training, case consultation and Administrator On Call coverage during and after program hours as needed.

Performs Leadership Rounds as assigned to include observation and immediate identification of environment of care, safety, and infection control concerns, as well as real time education of new facility processes.

Assists with direct care as needed.

Education/Experience/Skill Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from an accredited school of nursing required. Master’s degree in psychiatric or mental health nursing preferred.

If not MSN, you must enter into a nursing consultation agreement with a master’s level nurse for supervision per state requirement.

Three or more years’ experience in nursing practice required. One or more years’ psychiatric or behavioral health experience required.

Skills in assessment, considerable knowledge of nursing principles and practice, staffing, budgeting, employee management, regulatory requirements and documentation of care; ability to meet regulatory requirements.

Licenses/Designations/Certifications

• Valid current RN license from the state or from a compact state, where applicable.
• Certified in Psychiatric Nursing preferred.
• CPR and de-escalation and restraint certification required (training available upon hire and offered by facility).
• First aid may be required based on state or facility.

Supervisory Requirements

Two or more years progressive managerial experience required.

Essential Functions

Sets the vision for nursing practice in the delivery of safe, timely, efficient, equitable and patient centered care. Manages the daily operations of nursing services.

Identifies and prioritizes issues of importance, including those priority issues as set for by leadership. Collaborates with department leaders and corporate leaders, as needed.

Communicates instructions, expectations and timelines clearly and concisely.

Develops, maintains and implements nursing services, policies and procedures that conform to current standards of nursing practice and accrediting agencies, facility philosophy and operational policies while maintaining compliance with state, federal and local governmental agencies laws and regulations.

Develops and interprets operational indicators to detect census and acuity changes and increases or decreases in volume that could impact staffing levels, revenues or expenses. Acts to correct undesirable trends. Allocates nursing resources based on measurement of patient acuity/care needed.

Leads a team of highly qualified and engaged department members thru hiring, orienting, performance assessment and management, motivating, training, scheduling, and coaching to meet department and facility goals. Ensures adequate staffing.

• Manages staff scheduling and maintains an updated plan for contingency staffing.
• Maintains accountability expectations for and staff in all areas of job performance.
• Engages staff in quality and safety basics to ensure sustained, measurable compliance.

Identifies staff educational needs and ensures they are addressed with education programs that are attended by staff.

Hold staff accountable for non-compliance and patient safety concerns, as well as attendance, following policies, behavior, and adherence to code of conduct.

Oversees medication management for the facility. Orders and maintains adequate inventory of medication. Ensures compliance with medication management standards and record keeping. Implements corrective actions based on pharmacy consultant inspection of medication rooms and medication management processes. Reviews and reconciles medication reports in collaboration with the pharmacy vendor.

Audits and organizes medication room to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements, best practices, and reduce the opportunity for medication errors or diversion.

Makes nursing diagnosis of the medical and emotional status of patients and recommends treatment options. Consults with psychiatrists and other behavioral health staff in designing appropriate treatment plans for patients. Provides overall supervision of patient assessments and care plans. Coordinates nursing services with all other departments.

Participates in daily or weekly management team meetings to discuss patient’s status, identify indicators for reassessment of patient’s condition, reaction/responsiveness and involvement of other disciplines. Discusses census changes, patient or staff complaints or concerns.

E