POSITION SUMMARY
RN Experience Required
The primary purpose of the assistant director of nursing is to plan, organize, develop and direct the overall
operation of the nursing services department in accordance with current federal, state and local
standards, guidelines and regulations that govern our facility. The director of nursing may be directed
by the administrator and the medical director to ensure that the highest degree of quality care is
maintained at all times. Director of Nursing Services will delegate the administrative authority,
responsibility and accountability necessary for carrying out assigned duties. In the absence of a medical
director, the Director of Nursing will be in charge of carrying out the resident care policies established
by the facility.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Plans, develops, organizes, implements, evaluates and directs the nursing services department as well as
its programs and activities in accordance with current rules, regulations and guidelines that govern the
long-term care facility.
- Develops, maintains and periodically updates the Nursing Service Procedures Manual.
- Develops maintains and periodically updates written policies and procedures that govern the day to day
functions of the nursing service department.
- Develops and periodically updates nursing service objectives and statements of philosophy.
- Develops methods for coordination of nursing services with other resident services to ensure the
continuity of the residents’ total regiment of care.
- Develops, maintains and periodically updates written job descriptions for each level of nursing
personnel.
- Performs administrative duties such as completing medical forms, reports, evaluations etc. as necessary.
- Maintains a reference library of written nursing material (i.e. PDR’s, federal and state regulations, etc.)
that will assist the nursing services department in meeting the day to day needs of residents.
- Develops, implements and maintains an on-going quality assurance program for the nursing service
department.
- Assists the administrator and discharge planning coordinator in developing, implementing and
periodically updating the written procedures for the discharge planning program.
- Assists the discharge planning coordinator in planning the nursing services portion of the resident’s
discharge plan.
- Participates in the survey made by the authorized government agencies.
- Develops and implements a nursing service organization structure.
- Makes written and oral reports/communications to the administration as necessary concerning the
operation of the nursing services department.
COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Serves on, participates in and attends various committees of the faculty (i.e. Infection Control, Policy
Advisory, Pharmaceutical, Budget etc.) as required and as appointed by the administrator.
- Provides written and/or oral reports of the nursing service programs and activities as required or as may
be directed by such committees.
- Assists the pharmaceutical services committee in developing, maintaining, implementing and
periodically updating written policies and procedures for the administration, storage, and control of
medications and supplies.
- Schedules, attends and participates in developing the agenda for the Care Plan committee meetings as
necessary.
- Participates in regularly scheduled reviews of the discharge plans and makes the plans available to the
Utilization Review Committee as required.
- Attends and participates in the Utilization Review Committee functions as is necessary.
- Evaluates and implements recommendations from established committees as they pertain to nursing
services.
PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Determines the staffing needs of the nursing services department to meet the total nursing needs of the
residents.
- Recommends the number and level of nursing personnel to be employed.
- Assists the administrator and/or the personnel director in the recruitment and selection of nursing
service personnel.
- Assigns a sufficient number of licensed practical and registered nurses for each tour of duty to ensure
that quality care is maintained.
- Assigns a sufficient number of nursing assistants for each tour of duty to ensure that routine nursing
care is provided to meet the daily nursing dare needs of each resident.
- Develops work assignments and schedules duty hours and/or assists nursing supervisory staff in
completing and performing such tasks.
- Delegates to nursing service supervisory personnel the administrative authority, responsibility and
accountability necessary to perform their assigned duties.
- Develops, maintains and periodically updates the written procedure for ensuring that professional
nursing personnel (including contract nurses) have valid and current licenses as required by the state.
- Makes daily rounds of the nursing services department to ensure that all nursing service personnel are
performing their work assignments in accordance with acceptable nursing standards.
- Monitors absenteeism to ensure that adequate numbers of nursing care personnel are on duty at all
times.
- Reviews complaints and grievances made or filed by department personnel.
- Makes appropriate reports to the administrator as required or as many be necessary.
- Ensures that disciplinary action is administered fairly and without regard to race, color, creed,
nationality, age, sex, religion, handicap or marital status.
PATIENT CARE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Participates in the interviewing and selection of residents for admission to the facility.
- Provides the administrator with information relative to the nursing needs of the resident and the
nursing services department’s ability to meet those needs.
- Informs nursing service personnel of new admissions, the expected time of arrival, room assignments
etc.
- Ensures that rooms are ready for new admissions.
- Greets newly admitted residents upon arrival and escorts them to room as necessary.
- Reviews nurses’ notes to ensure that they are informative and descriptive of the nursing care being
provided and that they reflect the resident’s response to the care.
- Makes rounds with physician as necessary.
- Encourages attending physicians to record and sign progress notes, physicians’ orders, etc. in a timely
basis and in accordance with current regulations.
- Schedules daily rounds to observe residents and to determine if nursing needs are being met.
- Monitors medication passes and treatment schedules to assure that medications are to be administered
as ordered and that treatments are provided as scheduled.
- Provides direct nursing care as necessary.
- Authorizes the use of restraints when necessary and in accordance with our established policies and
procedures.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develops and participates in the planning, conducting and scheduling of timely in-service training classes
that provides instructions on “how to do the job” and ensures a well-educated nursing services
department.
- Develops, implements and maintains an effective orientation program that orients the new employee to
the facility, its policies and procedures and to his/her job position and duties.
- Provides leadership training that includes the administrative and supervisory principles essential for
charge/staff nurses.
- Encourages the nursing supervisory staff to attend and participate in outside training programs and
schedule times as necessary.
- Assists support services in develop9ng, implementing, and conducting in-service training programs that
relate to the nursing services department.
- Attends and participates in continuing educational programs designed to keep the department abreast
of changes in the profession as well as to maintain a current license.
SAFETY AND SANITATION RESPONSIBILITIES
- Assists the safety officer in developing safety standards for the nursing services department.
- Monitoring nursing service personnel to assure that they are following established safety regulations in
the use of equipment and supplies.
- Ensures that nursing service work areas (i.e. nurses’ stations, medicine preparation rooms etc.) are
maintained in a clean and sanitary manner.
- Ensures that all resident care rooms, treatment areas, etc. are maintained in a clean, safe and sanitary
manner.
- Ensures that all nursing service personnel follow established department policies and procedures.
- Ensures that nursing service personnel participates in and conducts all fire safety and disaster
preparedness drills in a safe and professional manner.
- Assists the Infection Control Committee in the development, implementation and revision of written
aseptic and isolation techniques.
- Develops, implements and maintains a program for monitoring communicable and/or infectious disease
among the residents and personnel.
- Ensures that nursing service personnel follow established infection control procedures when isolation
precautions become necessary.
- Develops, implements and maintains a procedure for reporting hazardous conditions or equipment.
EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Recommends to the administrator the equipment and supplies needed for the department.
- Assures that a stock level of medications, medical supplies, equipment, etc. is maintained on premises at
all times to adequately meet the needs of the resident.
- Assists the maintenance director in developing a preventative maintenance program for maintaining the
nursing department’s equipment and supplies in a safe and useable manner.
- Develops and implements procedures for the safe operation of all nursing service equipment.
- Ensures that only trained and authorized personnel operate the department’s equipment.
- Ensures that all personnel operates nursing service equipment in a safe manner.
- Develops and implements procedures that ensure nursing service supplies are used in an efficient
manner to avoid waste.
CARE PLAN AND ASSESSMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develops preliminary and comprehensive assessments of the nursing needs of each resident.
- Develops a written plan of care (preliminary and comprehensive) for each resident that identifies the
problems/needs of the resident, indicates the care to be given, goals to be accomplished, and which
professional service is responsible for each element of care.
- In so far as practical, encourage the resident to participate in the development and review of his/her
element of care.
- Assists in the scheduling of care plans and assessments to be presented and discussed at each meeting.
- Ensures that all personnel involved in providing care to the resident is aware of the care plan and that
care plans are used in administering daily care to the resident.
- Reviews nurses’ notes to determine if the care plan is being followed.
- Reviews and revises care plans and assessments as necessary (at least quarterly).
- Develops and maintains a good rapport with all services involved with the care plan to ensure that a
team effort is achieved in developing a comprehensive plan of care.
BUDGET AND PLANNING RESPONSIBILITIES
- Prepares and plans the nursing department’s budget and submits to the administrator for his/her review
recommendations and/or approval.
- Keeps abreast of economic conditions/situations and recommends to the administrator adjustments in
nursing services that ensure the continued ability to provide quality care.
- Recommends to the administrator the equipment needs of the nursing service department.
RESIDENT’S RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Maintains the confidentiality of all resident care information.
- Monitors nursing care to assure that all residents are treated fairly and with kindness, dignity and
respect.
- Ensures that all nursing care is provided in privacy and that nursing service personnel knocks before
entering the resident’s room.
- Ensures that all nursing service personnel are knowledgeable of the residents’ rights.
- Reviews complains and grievances made by the resident and makes a written/oral report to the
administrator indicating what action(s) were taken to resolve the complaint or grievance.
- Maintains a written record of the resident’s complaint and/or grievances that indicates the action taken
to resolve the complaint and the current status of the complaint.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES)
- Must possess a valid and current RN license in this state.
- Must be able to write the English language in a legible and understandable manner.
- Must possess the ability to make independent decisions when circumstances warrant such action.
- Must possess the ability to deal tactfully with personnel, residents, family members, visitors,
governmental agencies/personnel and the general public.
- Must be a minimum of twenty-five (25) years of age.
- Must be knowledgeable of nursing and medical practices and procedures, as well as laws, regulations
and guidelines that pertain to long-term care.
- Must possess leadership and supervisory ability and the willingness to work harmoniously with
professional and non-professional personnel.
- Must possess the ability to plan, organize, develop, implement, and interpret the programs, goals,
objectives, policies and procedures etc., that are necessary for providing quality care.
- Must have patience, tact, a cheerful disposition and enthusiasm as well as the willingness to handle
difficult residents
- Must be willing to seek out new methods and principles and be willing to incorporate them into existing
nursing practices.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Works in well-lighted and ventilated office area(s) as well as throughout the nursing service areas (i.e.
drug rooms, nurses’ stations and resident rooms)
- Sits, stands, bends, lifts, and moves intermittently during work hours.
- Is subject to frequent interruptions.
- Is invoiced with residents, personnel, visitors, government agencies/personnel, etc. under all conditions
and circumstances.
- Is subject to hostile and emotionally upset residents, family members, personnel and visitors.
- Communicates with the medical staff, nursing personnel and other department supervisors.
- Is willing to work beyond normal working hours and on weekends and holidays when necessary.
- Is involved in community/civic health matters/projects as appropriate.
- Amends and participates in continuing educational programs designed to keep everyone abreast of
changes in the profession as well as maintain a current license.
- Is subject to falls, burns from equipment, odors, etc. throughout the work day.
- Is subject to exposure to infectious waste, diseases, conditions, etc.
- Maintains a liaison with the residents, their families, support departments, etc. to adequately plan for
the resident’s needs.
- Follows dress code of logoed scrubs and closed-toed shoes.
