RN Clinical Leader

Location: CHA Cambridge Hospital

Work Days: 7a-3:30p Mon-Fri (wknds prn)

Category: Registered Nurse

Department: Psych CH Cahill 3 Adult Nursing

Job Type: Full time

Work Shift: Day

Hours/Week: 36.00

Union: Yes

Union Name: MNA Cambridge

Department Description:

Cahill 3 is an adult Psychiatric locked unit. There are 16 beds available on this inpatient unit of which we see various types of psychiatric illnesses such as Schizophrenia bipolar and affective disorders, Personality disorders, Duel diagnosis, Adjustment disorder, Psychosis, and use DBT/CBT Group Therapy. According to DMH we have a lower than average restraint rate, use sensory approach to de-escalating patients, and all staff are educated in trauma informed care with provides each patient with individualized care.

Summary:
• The Clinical Leader knows and understands the philosophy, objectives, policies and procedures of Nursing Service and provides for their implementation.
• The Clinical Leader plans, administers and supervises nursing and related services with the medical/surgical staff.
• Service Excellence Key Responsibility
o Conforms behavior and actions to the expectations of the Service Excellence Program by exhibiting excellent customer relations skills to patients, visitors, physicians and co-workers.

Responsibilities:
Clinical Management/Leadership:
• Serves as an expert nursing resource to the interdisciplinary team regarding patient care issues and unit operations.
• Facilitates clinical coordination of care to ensure a smooth patient flow and maximize patient experience.
• Develops a daily staffing plan to ensure adequate nursing resources based on changing patient census and acuity.
• Collaborates with nurse manager around effective use of staff resources and staffing issues.
• As charge nurse, provides leadership for unit operations on a daily basis
• Communicates pertinent information regarding departmental activities and leads unit practice changes.
• Assists in preparation of scheduling of staff.
• Re-evaluates and adjusts assignments as volume and acuity change.
• Follows through on problems by using the appropriate clinical and administrative channels.
• Participates in the development of annual unit based goals and objectives.
• Recognizes environmental and system constraints that impact unit operations.
• Acts as a change agent among the staff in response to the evolving healthcare environment.
• Serves as an expert resource to all members of the multidisciplinary team regarding unit operations and patient care issues.
• Provides leadership to facilitate conflict resolution in collaboration with the nurse manager.
• Coordinates education, implementation and monitoring of systems for acquisitions and maintenance of equipment and supplies.
• Collaborates within and across service lines and departments to ensure effective clinical operations and continually improve effectiveness and efficiency of systems.
• Acts as clinical resource for staff members using evidence-based knowledge and prevailing standards.
• Identifies performance problems to the nurse manager.
• Actively participates and facilitates staff participation in unit, department, and hospital committees.
• Assumes a leadership role in clinical and administrative multi-disciplinary collaborative practice activities.
• Collaborates with Nursing Department around effective use of staff resources.
• Creates a supportive and cohesive environment that facilitates learning and professional growth.
• Conducts daily unit rounds on all patients to enhance their experience and improve satisfaction scores. Proactively identifies and addresses concerns/issues.
• Collaborates with Nurse Manager or designee to implement service recovery when necessary.
Clinical Practice:
• Acts as a first line clinical resource for staff.
• Demonstrates professional excellence in the care of patients through direct interventions and as a resource to colleagues.
• Initiates and collaborates with unit colleagues to develop, implement, and evaluate clinical standards.
• Reviews staff documentation and delivery of patient care and identifies areas for improvement.
• Develops and implements plans for improving patient care documentation.
• Maintains ongoing assessment of staff’s clinical decision making.
• Collaborates with staff nurses on development of their comprehensive plans of care.
• Promotes independent decision making and problem solving by staff nurses while being available for consultation.
Staff Development:
• Supports the orientation of new clinical staff and the development of clinical expertise in all unit staff
• Contributes to the performance assessment of peers and participates in counseling staff as needed.
• Provides real time staff feedback related to their patient assessment, clinical decision making skills, provision of patient care, clinical documentation and shares areas for improvement
• Participates in the determination of unit based competency needs
• Contributes to the evaluation of individual and unit based competency plans
Quality Improvement:
• Participates in the development of annual unit based competency goals and objectives based on unit outcome data and needed system and process changes
• Supports staff with the implementation and evaluation of quality improvement initiatives, evidence based practice changes, clinical guidelines, protocols, policies and procedures.
• Demonstrates an ongoing awareness of and participation in the quality improvement program.
Professional Image:
• Promotes the image of professional nursing by facilitating an atmosphere of respect to patients, their families and all members of the hospital staff.
• Demonstrates and communicates to staff a common philosophy of patient care.
• Interprets and supports policies, standards, and procedures on the unit.
Facilitates conflict resolution:
• Responsible for communicating pertinent information regarding departmental activities and staffing issues.
• Appropriately utilizes available resources in other departments.
Care of Environment:
• Maintains a clean, neat environment for patient and staff according to hospital and unit policies.
• Insures that supplies and equipment necessary for patient care are stored in an organized and efficient manner.
• Demonstrates correct and safe technique in the use of equipment according to specific product information and policy and procedure manuals.
• Follows appropriate procedure for obtaining and returning or cleaning/disposing of equipment and supplies.
• Monitors patient supplies to ensure adequate supplies available for patient care.
Interpersonal Skills:
• Communicates effectively with management, peers, and health team members.
• Interacts effectively with members of the interdisciplinary team, patients, families, and/or significant others demonstrating respect for diversity.
• Adapts to changes in a positive, professional manner.
• Maintains interdepartmental collaboration.
• Follows through on problem resolution using appropriate clinical administrative channels.
Charge Nurse Role:
• Assumes clinical and administrative charge nurse responsibilities.
• Develops a daily staffing plan which ensures adequate resources based on changing patient census and acuity.
• In conjunction with the nurse manager, provides leadership for unit operations on a daily basis
• Collaborates with nurse manager around effective use of staff resources.
• Effectively communicates and collaborates with diverse individuals, disciplines and departments throughout the organization and the community we serve.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or directed.
• Organizational Duties and Responsibilities:
• Complies with the Alliance policy on confidentiality of information regarding patients, families and co-workers.
• Adheres to dress code; appearance is neat and clean.
• Independently completes annual educational requirements and in-service training as required.
• Wears identification while on duty.
• Reports to work as scheduled and ready to receive assignments; minimal unscheduled absences.
• Attends meetings and participates in committees as required.
Additional Unit Specific Specifications:
Psychiatric Services:
• Certifications
• BLS
• Scheduling
• Weekends and rotation per contract
• May interface directly face to face with ED Staff in the ED regarding the psychiatric management of ED psychiatric patients and make recommendations for management.
• May interface directly with the PES staff to assess the nursing needs of a scheduled patient for admission and make recommendations.
• Actively assist with maintaining current policies and procedures for inpatient psychiatry.
• Facilitate patient admissions and discharges on the unit to prevent admissions from being delayed in the ED.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Graduate of NLN Accredited School of Nursing. 
• Licensure: Current Massachusetts licensure as Registered Nurse
• Certifications: Minimal certifications: BLS, Specialty certification required or obtained within one year of hire. Additional unit specific certifications may apply.

In keeping with federal, state and local laws, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) policy forbids employees and associates to discriminate against anyone based on race, religion, color, gender, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to establishing and maintaining a workplace free of discrimination. We are fully committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not tolerate unlawful discrimination in the recruitment, hiring, termination, promotion, salary treatment or any other condition of employment or career development. Furthermore, we will not tolerate the use of discriminatory slurs, or other remarks, jokes or conduct, that in the judgment of CHA, encourage or permit an offensive or hostile work environment.