Director of Nursing (DON)

Job Description

Description: This position has primary responsibility for training and supervising caregivers and overseeing client care for Assisting Hands®.

Education: Associate Degree in Nursing required; BSN preferred

Qualifications: Must be currently licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN) by the Board of Nursing in good standing. Position requires excellent interpersonal skills and experience in a long term healthcare setting. Must be organized, detail oriented, self-motivated, and able to work independently.

Primary Duties:

Oversees delivery of all skilled, personal, and companion care services delivered by the agency. The RN is available by phone when not in the office for periodic advisement when immediate/urgent direction is needed in relation to client care.

Completes all initial assessments for new clients and develops client’s Care Plan to detail all daily activities to be performed in the home by Certified Nursing Assistant.

Performs all Supervisory Visits to reassess client’s care and draft update Care Plan every 90 days from initial assessment. In cases where the RN has identified a client with complex care, skilled needs or medication administration is being performed by the agency, Supervisory Visits will be performed at 45 day intervals. Complex needs include a client’s use of high-risk medical equipment (such as a Hoyer lift) or a client with multiple co-morbidities. In addition, a client returning home from a hospital stay will be treated as a complex case until the RN deems the client’s condition has returned to pre-hospital status and needs have stabilized.

In addition to the initial and ongoing Supervisory Visits outlined heretofore, the RN will be responsible for performing a new assessment and drafting an updated Care Plan at any time during service that there is a change in condition.

Assists the Administrator, as needed, regarding decisions to accept clients for services or recommend other more appropriate placement.

Collaborates with the Administrator to ensure that all client needs are being met.

Communicates with the client’s healthcare team, as needed, to ensure care and services for the client are coordinated.

Reviews client chart documentation, medication administration records, and caregiver progress notes and documents any concerns as well as corrective action plan should it be necessary.

Ensures that practical competencies of staff have been observed and documented. RN will conduct an initial practical competency assessment at the agency after orientation as well as a demonstrated skills checklist. In addition, the RN must also coordinate visits to client homes to observe the performance of assigned tasks and document satisfactory performance of those tasks for licensed clinicians or Certified Nursing Assistants in complex cases the RN deems appropriate prior to start of service by the agency. If indicated, the RN is will provide additional training/education to the staff on the performance of those assigned responsibilities and to reassess those skills prior to allowing the aide to perform those skills without direct supervision.

Evaluates clinical field staff performance and completes written performance evaluations per agency policy.

Participates in the response to and documentation of any accidents or incidents involving a client (such as a fall in the home).

If abuse or neglect is suspected, a nurse should, in conjunction with the Administrator, open an investigation into the matter and report to appropriate authorities and/or agencies.

Oversees and is responsible for the agency’s Infection Control and Continuing Quality Improvement Plan.

Hours: Generally 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday with on-call availability at all times when not in the office for emergency contact.