Director of Nursing

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP:  Supervised by: Administrator Positions Supervised: Hospice Clinical Staff Interrelationships: Patients, family, IDT and other health care team members   JOB SUMMARY: To provide Hospice care to the terminally ill hospice patient twenty-four hours/day, seven days/week. To work as a member of the Hospice team in providing Hospice care. Oversees and supervises all Hospice care to patients and families in all settings.   QUALIFICATIONS: Educational/Degree: Graduate from an accredited school of nursing Training/Licensure: Currently licensed as a registered nurse to practice in the state.  Knowledge/Skills/Ability: Ability to work independently, make accurate, and at times, quick judgments. Ability to supervise others appropriately. Ability to respond appropriately to crises outside of a hospital setting. Acceptance of and adaptability to different social, racial, cultural and religious modes. Experience: Minimum 2 years of experience as a registered nurse, preferred.   Active patient contact within the past three years, preferred.   JOB FACTORS: Physical Requirements: Requires considerable physical effort most of the day including kneeling, squatting, reaching, twisting, climbing, walking, exposure to temperature and humidity changes and maximal assist in lifting and/or transferring of a patient of any size. Must possess sight/hearing senses or use appropriate adaptive devices that will enable senses to function at a level required to meet the essential duties of the position. Must provide evidence of annual TB tests and other state-required tests or examinations. Mental Requirements: Must be able to work independently, make judgments based on assessments and data available and act accordingly. Must be flexible, innovative and possess good interpersonal skills. Must be able to cope with mental and emotional stress and demonstrate emotional stability. Working Conditions: Be able to tolerate exposure to elements including, but not limited to, odors, blood, body fluids and excrements, adverse environmental conditions and hazardous materials. Transportation: Must have a current valid driver’s license, auto liability insurance and reliable transportation.   Essential Functions: 1. Participates in developing standards which ensure safe and therapeutically effective service to patients and families. Has joint responsibility with the Administrator for seeing that standards are met. 2. Participates in developing objectives for Hospice. 3. Is responsible for seeing that objectives are implemented. 4. Consults with the Administrator to determine a staffing pattern which will accomplish stated objectives and promote maximum level of utilization of personnel. 5. Prepares and maintains current policies and procedures which meet Medicare, Medicaid, accreditation standards, state and federal laws, etc. and implements; revises concurrently. 6. Displays a willingness to support the policies and procedures and uses appropriate channels for change of such policies. 7. Participates in establishing the functions and qualifications for each service position; 8. Assures ongoing assessment of patient/family needs and implementation of interdisciplinary group plan of care. 9. Assist clinical staff in reviewing care plans with each IDT meeting.  10. Assures physician approval of plans for continuity of medical care. 11. Organizes Hospice to delineate and delegate authority, functional responsibility, lines of relationship and communication to provide safe and therapeutically effective service. 12. Serves as a role model for all colleagues by setting an example of high standards in dress, conduct, cooperation and job performance. 13. Observes confidentiality and safeguards all patient related information. 14. Accepts responsibility for regular attendance and punctuality, fulfills job requirements without regard to time involved. 15. Serves as a resource person to employees. 16. Develops a cooperative relationship and communicates effectively and professionally with the physicians. 17. Ensures certifications of terminal illness are completed timely and written thoroughly with clinical information to appropriately meet hospice appropriateness required by regulatory bodies. 18. Oversee diagnoses coding and work with physicians to ensure patient diagnoses deem them hospice eligible for billing requirements.  19. Investigates and reports any problem relating to patient care or conditions which might harm the patient and/or employee well-being. 20. Responsible for maintaining investigation documentation and carrying out the investigation process for any patient/emp