Twenty-four (24) hour accountability for providing administrative and clinical leadership and direction for the quality of care delivered on the units and the development of the unit's staff. The objective of the position is to assure the delivery of comprehensive, safe, effective, appropriate patient care in accordance with established hospital policy and nursing practice standards.

1. Provides direction and leadership for the hospital inpatient units to ensure the highest quality of patient care and desired outcomes in addition to a positive patient experience.
2. Participates in collaborative goal-setting and accountability with Hospitalists and local admitting physicians for departmental success.
3. Allocates nursing resources efficiently based on patient care needs and staffing guidelines.
4. Provides timely written objective performance evaluations that will enable staff members to develop/maintain skills, concepts, and standards with ultimate improvement of patient care and efficient utilization of their time.
5. Resolves conflicts with employees constructively and directly. Accepts and gives constructive feedback and/or coaching when necessary.
6. Maintains an environment, which encourages development and retention of staff.
7. Provides educational opportunities according to unit needs and holds regular department meetings.
8. Identifies core competencies necessary for each discipline supervised and assures that these competencies are assessed and met by the end of orientation and on an ongoing basis by each staff member according to established policies.
9. Meets expectation and core competencies for a staff RN within department supervised and willingly performs duties when necessary to meet patient care needs.
10. Implements departmental performance improvement activities including ongoing measures, evaluation of clinical performance and processes, serving on PI teams, identifying quality issues and facilitating change toward improvements
11. Reacts and responds to crisis/problem situations in appropriate manner.
12. Manages departmental budget
13. Interviews, selects, hires, and retains employees, including other management positions
14. Ensures orientation and training for employees, including other management positions
15. Manages performance, including other management positions
16. Promotes, demotes, or transfers employees to meet organizational needs, including other management     positions
17. Executes progressive discipline up to and including termination
18. Manages departmental productivity standards
19. Provides strategic leadership for department(s)
20. Performs long range planning and overall direction setting at the departmental level
21. Responsible for department organizational structure and alignment to meet forecasted business needs
22. Responsible for development, implementation and interpretation of system policies within a major organizational/functional area or the development and review of system policies within a recognized             discipline
23. Approves payroll and is responsible for accurate payment of employees, including other management positions
24. Assures meeting/exceeding of DCH mission and vision and departmental goals

DCH Standards:

• Maintains performance, patient and employee satisfaction and financial standards as outlined in the performance evaluation.
• Performs compliance requirements as outlined in the Employee Handbook
• Must adhere to the DCH Behavioral Standards including creating positive relationships with patients/families, coworkers, colleagues and with self.

• Performs essential job functions in a manner that ensures the safety of patients, visitors and employees.
• Identifies and reduces unsafe practices that may result in harm to patients, visitors and employees.
• Recognizes and takes appropriate action to reduce risks and hazards to promote safety for patients, visitors and employees.

• Requires use of electronic mail, time and attendance software, learning management software and intranet.
• Must adhere to all DCH Health System policies and procedures.
• All other duties as assigned.

Current Alabama license as RN and in good standing with the Alabama Board of Nursing required. A minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree required with BSN preferred. Minimum of five years nursing experience, with demonstrated competence in area of practice, management and leadership skills.  BLS required, ACLS and PALS preferred. Excellent communication skills.  Demonstrated ability to work well with, direct, and motivate a team.  Ability to meet behavioral expectations and hold self and others accountable for all standards.  Basic computer skills necessary to support the programs utilized by the department are required with EXCEL and Powerpoint skills preferred. Must be able to read, write legibly, speak, and comprehend English.

WORKING CONDITIONS

WORK CONTEXT

• Exposed to all patient care elements
• Subject to stress and fatigue. 
• Frequent kneeling and stooping
• Manual dexterity to perform patient care task

PHYSICAL FACTORS

Environmental:

• Includes exposure to human body fluids, disease, infection, lab chemicals and hazardous materials and/or cleaning solutions. Requires wearing common protective or safety equipment.

Psychological:

• Includes demonstrating leadership skills, delegating team members, addressing conflict, communicating with all types of personalities, and being responsible for outcomes/results.

Ability: 

• ability to lift 50 pounds; ability to transport, turn and position patients weighing up to 300 pounds
• frequent lifting and/or carrying object weighing up to 25 pounds
• ability to run in emergency situations

• ability to tolerate prolonged periods of standing and/or walking

• able to reach reasonable distance in any direction
• must be able to move fingers in a coordinated manner
• must have ability to feel and perceive temperature, texture, shape and size with fingertips

Activities: 

• talking, hearing, bending, twisting, walking, running, kneeling, crouching, stooping, crawling, climbing, balancing, reaching, pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping, repetitive motion, standing, and/or using hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls

Requirements: 

• Medium work. Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 30 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.
• Must be able to perform the duties with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Hearing and vision must be normal or corrected to within normal range.
• Physical presence onsite is essential.