Clinical Leader - Emergency Department

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Clinical Leader has 24/7 accountability and is primarily responsible for coordinating patient care and daily unit operations. The Clinical Leader I, ED, promotes the continuous advancement of evidence-based, safe patient-focused care that leads to the highest quality patient outcomes and patient/family satisfaction and also assists the Director with hiring, orienting, and scheduling staff; performance improvement projects; and other duties as assigned. The Clinical Leader participates in activities to achieve clinical, financial and organizational outcomes and may provide direct patient care as needed.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Promotes the continuous advancement of evidence-based, safe patient-focused care that leads to the highest quality patient outcomes and patient/family satisfaction. In addition to registered nurse responsibilities, assumes supervisory tasks as assigned by the Patient Care Director/ACNO.

1. Makes recommendations to Patient Care Director/ACNO on improving quality patient outcomes
2. Particippates in QAPI and Enterprise meetings
3. Is able to diffuse conflict within department
4. Utilizes “creative” scheduling to minimize overtime and agency usage
5. Acts a s a liaison to other hospital departments
6. Leads unit, department or hospital committee/projects that result in operational improvements
7. Develops systems that measurably reduce unusual occurrences
8. Develops strategies that enhance patient/family or staff satisfaction
9. Provides leadership to promote effective communication among members of the healthcare team
10. Participates in evaluation of staff

• Assist in coordinating staff meetings and disseminates information

1. Oversees the scheduling of staff to ensure fair, adequate and appropriate shift coverage based on the staffing grid, staff requests and the needs of the unit
2. Assist in the development, implementation and evaluation of nursing practice standards that improve quality and patient outcomes
3. Facilitates the delivery of the professional practice model
4. Schedules staff, including breaks, ensuring fair and adequate coverage across all shifts
5. Handles staff time and attendance issues, including the approval of end of shift overtime
6. Provides feedback to Patient Care Director/ACNO regarding potential new hires
7. Communicates any unusual issues with the Patient Care Director/ACNO
8. Balances personal needs with departmental needs and objectives
9. Coordinates with the clinical educators and preceptors to arrange for orientees/staff to attend educational activities
10. Monitor staff attendance, punctuality and overtime
11. Assists with the investigation of complaints and unusual occurrences
12. Participates on unit, department and hospital committees and projects
13. Participates in peer review
14. Assigns RNs, ERTs to shift schedule
15. Assigns RNs to patients on the next shift according to unit policy
16. Collaborates with the clinical educator to conduct unit-based education consistent with the culture of assigned unit, e.g. disease specific or age specific in-service, posters, etc.
17. Provides leadership to promote effective communication among members of the healthcare team
18. Monitors the workload on the unit, assisting staff as needed
19. Coordinates ADT with Patient Registration and unit RN’s to ensure timely and smooth transaction to enhance patient/family satisfaction
20. Monitors all ERT activities for accountability with delegation
21. Make daily patient rounds and communicate patient care needs to the appropriate staff, offer service recovery
22. Ensure that staff attends scheduled meetings/classes, covering patient assignments as needed
23. Monitor staff adherence to unit, hospital and regulatory policy and procedures
24. Transcribes/verify physicians’ orders as needed
25. Checks that the team leads have performed glucometer quality control, checked emergency carts and tested the defibrillator
26. Assists patients/families and physicians who have questions or complaints
27. Makes sure that patient call lights are answered promptly and courteously

• Clinical Practice

1. Provides and coordinates direct care to patients based on the nursing process with compassion, dignity and respect. Ensures efficient, accurate and safe operation of the unit to promote staff and customer satisfaction, follows Standards of Behavior and holds staff accountable to same
2. Uses knowledge of unit operations, metrics and organizational goals to guide decisions about patient care and use of resources
3. Utilizes patient data to develop outcome-driven plans using theoretical and experiential knowledge
4. Provides consultation to nursing staff and uses opportunities in clinical setting to teach others, either 1:1 or in groups
5. Supports innovative approaches to nursing practice, roles, and utilization of resources to meet challenging organization requirements
6. Role models and teaches cooperation, teamwork, collegiality, interdisciplinary collaboration and successful conflict resolution
7. Recognizes impact of own use of productive and non-productive time on unit resources and maintains flexibility
8. Provides leadership for problem-solving, goal formation, conflict-resolution and negotiation to maximize performance of the healthcare team
9. Seeks or willingly accepts increased responsibility, e.g. COAP instructor, PI team member, BLS/ACLS/PALS skills
10. Consults with Physician, Case Manager, Social Worker or other member of the healthcare team to assure consistency with the plan of care in relation to ED throughput
11. Identifies, documents and reports to appropriate personnel deviations from clinical, service or regulatory standards
12. Secures patient property or valuables per hospital policy
13. Uses all available resources to plan care and improve professional practice
14. Complies with changes in hospital policies and procedures within designated timeframe
15. Within role of Clinical Leader holds others accountable for their decisions, actions, and assignments and for clinical, service, regulatory and operational standards of unit and organization
16. Delegates aspects of patient care to assistive personnel within their skill and expertise; helps assistive personnel organize and set priorities for work
17. Monitors for completion of delegated tasks; provides feedback to members of the healthcare team in a positive and respectful way as necessary to improve quality of patient care
18. Participates in staff meetings and unit activities; keeps current with departmental activities
19. Recognizes behavior of self and others that hinders achievement of departmental or organizational goals and takes appropriate action to address problem
20. Consistently interacts with others in a manner that is perceived to be positive and supportive
21. Balances personal needs with departmental needs and objectives

• Ethics/Code for Nurses/Patient Advocacy

1. Listens to and responds to the needs of patients and others in a manner that is courteous, respectful and timely
2. Upholds and adheres to the Code for Nurses; encourages colleagues to do the same
3. Participates in assessing organizational performance via such mechanisms as peer review, ethics committee, etc.
4. Initiates conversation regarding organ donation, advance directives and encourages formulation of the same
5. Consults the ethics consultation group and coordinates ethics consultation as necessary
6. Is accountable for maintaining the confidentiality and security of all Saint Anne’s related, medical staff, and patient related data and information
7. Understands and adheres to the Patient Bill of Rights
8. Communicates, reports, documents and seeks follow-up when questionable practice or factors in the health care delivery system threaten the welfare of patients
9. Participates in providing informed consent and safeguarding the rights of patients

• Patient Teaching/ Discharge Planning

1. Uses professional judgment when providing information to patients, based on the patient’s age, cultural background, cognition and clinical condition
2. Takes initiative to collaborate with other disciplines regarding discharge planning
3. Assesses patient/family learning needs according to policy and procedure, taking into consideration his/her readiness to learn and the teaching modality preference of the patient/family
4. Follows appropriate policy and procedure for patient discharge and assists other staff in doing the same

• Self/Organizational Improvement

1. Continually strives to suggest and implement ways to improve personal, departmental and organizational performance
2. Makes at least one recommendation per year to reduce cost through more efficient or effective use of supplies or equipment or more productive use of staff time
3. Participates in the assessment of departmental performance as it relates to desired clinical and financial goals
4. Is an active member (85% attendance) of a hospital or nursing committee and participates in all aspects of the project, such as data collection, benchmarking etc.
5. Uses critical thinking skills to systematically and continually improve patient care
6. Assesses patient and departmental needs and suggests cost-effective use of resources to achieve equal or superior results
7. Develops innovative approaches to practice, roles and resources to meet changing organizational needs
8. Identifies own areas of development and seeks opportunities for personal and professional growth
9. Communicates to appropriate person when deadlines can’t be met and suggests alternative actions to achieve outcome in acceptable time limit
10. Completes annual education requirements in a timely manner
11. Identifies opportunities for improvement in departmental operation and offers resolutions
12. Participates in development of corrective action and/or takes steps to prevent recurrences, in consultation with Director and members of the healthcare team
13. Responds to requests from co-workers and other departments in a mutually agreed upon time frame
14. Participates in unit-based performance improvement initiatives and projects when the opportunity is presented
15. Shares information and job knowledge with members of the healthcare team
16. Provides input into process of forming unit goals
17. Limits the discussion of negative issues; offers resolutions to problems
18. Keeps appropriate people informed of relevant issues and events
19. Recognizes that clutter is a safety concern and takes appropriate action to keep hallways clear

• Demonstrates respect and regard for the dignity of all patients, families, visitors, and fellow employees to ensure a professional, responsible, and courteous environment.

1. Commits to recognize and respect cultural diversity for all customers (internal and external).

2. Communicates effectively with internal and external customers with respect of differences in cultures, values, beliefs and ages, utilizing interpreters when needed.

Performs other duties as assigned

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

• Demonstrated clinical competence in area of Emergency nursing practice.
• Understanding of contemporary nursing practice and health care delivery systems.
• Leadership ability with effective communication, motivational, and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to work independently
• Requires effective use of problem solving, negotiating, conflict management, team leading and teambuilding skills.
• Must possess ability to communicate well in written and verbal forms with others, both internally and externally

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/LICENSURE/TECHNICAL/OTHER:

1. Education: BSN from an accredited school of nursing or obtained within 3 years of hire into the role. MSN preferred.
2. Experience (Type & Length): Minimum of 2 years of demonstrated clinical competence in emergency nursing practice and supervisory and/or management experience preferred.
3. Certification/Licensure: Certificaton preferred and membership in professional organization. MA RN License
4. Software/Hardware: General office equipment, Meditech, ANSOS, Kronos, Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
5. Other:

WORKING CONDITIONS: (Place X's where applicable)