ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF NURSING

Directs and supervises Unit Managers, Supervisors and Charge Nurses RN/LPN in effectively
accomplishing their duties. Trains, supports, assists as needed.
• Communicates effectively with the Director of Nursing and discusses any problems or
concerns regarding clinical operations of the department.
• Acts as a resource person in all areas of resident care.
• Assumes Unit Manager or charge nurse duties as needed in relation to facility staffing.
• Ensures that nursing services are scheduled in accordance with patient needs and within
nursing services budget.
• Assists in the education of facility nursing policies and ensures implementation of these
policies. Assists in nursing competencies.
• Assists in recruitment and selection of nursing employees.
• Assumes all responsibilities of the Director of Nursing Services in his/her absence.
• Responsible for coaching nursing employees to support positive behavior and interactions
with others. Assists Director of Nursing with disciplinary concerns.
• Engages in the rounding for outcomes strategy with staff, residents and families in an effort
to assess whether there are unmet needs/desires, recognize staff for a job well done, or
provide coaching to staff as appropriate.
• Monitor incident/accident reports to assure licensed nursing staff have evaluated the root
cause of the incident/accident, put approaches in place in an effort to prevent reoccurrence, and made appropriate changes to the plan of care. Track I&A’s to evaluate
widespread causes or trends. Reports to the CQI committee on a monthly basis.
• Completes a line listing in regards to facility infections in accordance with infection control
standards and State and Federal Regulations. Reports to the CQI committee.
• Ensures isolation precautions are maintained in accordance with facility policy and
State/Federal Regulations.
• Develops a written agenda for Infection Control Meetings. Keeps minutes of and makes
report for the DON.
• Maintains Infection Control policies and procedures and participates in an annual
review/revisions of these in cooperation with the DON.
• Monitors the treatment of pain for residents. Assures assessments are thorough and plans
of care accurate. Advocates for a change in the plan of care should assessment reveal that
the pain is not being managed. Report finding to CQI.
• Monitors the hydration of residents and completed lab work in regards to potential
hydration issues. Assist nursing staff in the assessment of at risk residents in regards to
hydration and assist in developing a plan of care to prevent dehydration. Interact with the
dietician as needed. Report findings to the CQI committee.
• Works with the interdisciplinary team in the prevention of wounds. Tracks the facility
wounds in an effort to identify potential causes and assures that every wound has an MD
order for appropriate treatment, a care plan that is accurate and updated based on nursing
assessment. Calculates facility wound rate and reports to the CQI committee.
• Uses protective/safety equipment and interventions in accordance with facility policy and
OSHA standards.
• Makes efforts to recognize, educate and train employees and promotes employee growth
in an effort to increase retention and employee satisfaction.
• Promotes a culture of safety in the nursing department. Assures there is thorough
investigation of injuries and efforts made to prevent further injuries.
• Attends mandatory in-services held at the facility in a timely manner and assures nursing
staff attendance is acceptable. Takes advantage of CEU programs in an effort to keep your
skills current and broaden your knowledge base. Maintain current CPR certification.
• Understands and adheres to all safety, infection control, sanitation, accident, fire, accident,
disaster and personnel policies and procedures of the facility.
• Performs other duties and attends meetings as assigned by the DON.
• Communicates effectively with DON and discusses any problems, needs or concerns which
arise with the DON.
• Assumes responsibility in supporting the DON in promoting and maintaining positive employee
relations and effective communications among facility staff.
• Understands and upholds the Residents' Bill of Rights and holds all resident information
confidential.
• Maintains a professional appearance and mannerisms according to established facility standards.
Displays a polite and courteous manner towards fellow employees, visitors, and residents at all
times.
• Provides on-call support to the nursing department as scheduled by the DON.
• Ensures appropriate communication systems within the department and between shifts so all staff
are knowledgeable about the day to day strategies and overall goals.
• Assists the DON in the completion of meaningful evaluations post orientation and yearly thereafter.
• Meets with residents and their families as needed to discuss concerns and makes every effort to
meet their needs/desires.
• Assures check and balance systems are in place to identify potential systems breakdowns.
Examples include: system to assure assessments are thorough and care plans are updated; system
to assure care cards are updated; system to assure shift to shift reports are thorough.
• Leads or participates in Falls meetings to ensure root cause of falls is identified, interventions care
planned, assessments completed, trends analyzed. Reports to CQI committee on falls analysis and
trends.
Supervisory Responsibility
Nurses, certified nursing assistants, shadow aides
Qualifications:
• Holds current nursing license in accordance with State regulations. RN preferred.
• Five years Long Term care experience preferred.
• 2-3 years of nursing management experience preferred.