Assistant Director of Nursing

The Assistant director of nursing (ADON) is a Registered Nurse has expertise in psychiatric nursing practice and has demonstrated leadership and management skills. Who will assist in ensuring the nursing department provides consistent, attentive, and efficient care to patients. The ADON is responsible for monitoring nursing staff, nursing activities, and patient care, as well as ensuring nursing activities are in compliance with federal, state, and local standards.

Essential Duties:

• Helping to hire, train, teach, and monitor nurses.
• Managing clinical operations and developing care plans.
• Attends meetings with or in place of the CNO.
• Ensuring nursing staff follows departmental procedures and policies when managing the milieu.
• Conducting patient rounds and addressing complaints.
• Evaluating the performance of the department and recommending improvements.
• Scheduling staff meetings for patient updates, issues, and recommendations.

·         Coaching nurses to improve performance and handling discipline issues.

• Direct adjustments in unit staffing pattern to reflect changes in care requirements, patient census, and staffing resources.
• Develop the annual inpatient budget based on nursing department and Hospital direction using variance analysis, performance experience of prior years, and predictors for change.
• Support a decentralized management philosophy at the unit level by designing and supporting a system that facilitates staff involvement at the unit/clinic, clinical department, Nursing Department and Hospital level.
• Assure that unit space is utilized or altered to maximize safety and efficiency.  Collaborate with other departments to ensure unit maintenance and environmental safety.
• Promote cost effective behavior in staff through observation, education, and accountability.
• Identify and resolve complex or recurring operational problems and consult with the CNO and/or CEO when necessary.
• Assure that data submitted for the patient workload system is accurate, timely, complete, and reliable.
• Develop and provide a patient care system that encourages professional practice of staff and results in quality, cost-effective care outcomes.
• Assure that patient and family patient care is provided within established Health standards.
• Analyze clinical practice and identify opportunities to increase effectiveness and efficiency.
• Identify clinical indicators to measure and evaluate quality care. Assure that appropriate quality monitoring occurs on unit and that findings are used to improve practice and reduce potential for patient complications.
• Supervises and coordinates work of licensed and unlicensed personnel in a unit. Manages quality and effectiveness of care given by staff.
• Communicate on an ongoing basis with employees regarding specific performance expectations. Plan and conduct formal performance reviews that are timely, ongoing, and objective, and submit necessary documentation.
• Promote the growth of staff in areas such as teamwork, decision-making, and clinical skills by identifying strengths and weaknesses, goal setting, formal and informal learning, and coaching.
• Upholds the Organization's ethics and customer service standards.
• Performs related duties as requested.

Requirements

Job Requirements

Education and/or Licensure – Associate’s degree in nursing, Bachelor’s degree in health-related field preferred. CPR and SAMA (or obtained within 30 days upon hire). Valid Texas RN license in good standing required.

Experience – 5 years of progressive nursing management experience with demonstrated success. Current regulatory, accreditation, and Joint Commission experience. Acute psychiatric care experience required. Must be 21 years old or older.

Additional Requirements – None

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

·         Knowledgeable of patient rights and laws pertaining to mental health and regulations pertaining to psychiatric nursing and the treatment of the mentally and emotionally disturbed patients. Theories, principles, and techniques of group and individual psychotherapy. Symptoms and behavior patterns of emotionally disturbed mentally ill patients.

·         Advanced knowledge and clinical skills in diagnosis and treatment of mental health, professional nursing principles, procedures, and techniques used in the care and treatment of psychiatric patients, social, psychological, and physical factors of mental and emotional disorders, medical and psychological terminology, medications, including psychotropic drugs, and effects on p