Overview

Our children's hospital serves children ages 5 to 12 years and adolescent's ages 13 to 19 years who are in psychiatric crisis. Children whose behaviors are life threatening, destructive or disabling or that require 24-hour monitoring and assessment meet criteria for admission. The program provides assessment and stabilization of psychiatric symptoms. The goal of treatment is to promote the highest level of functioning through an individualized treatment plan. The focus is on returning consumers to their homes or to the least restrictive level of care as quickly as possible, with comprehensive aftercare plans. The estimated stay in this BayPointe program is three to ten days.

Responsibilities

Nurse Coordinators in a Hospital Setting are responsible for assisting with orientation of new staff; conducting staff meetings; effective communication with staff, consumers, and family members, reviewing consumer records to ensure compliance; and ensuring quality care is provided throughout the consumer's length of stay.

Essential Functions

• Assists with the orientation of new nursing staff
• Conducts staff meetings to address consumer, facility, and programmatic needs
• Effectively communicates on a regular basis with staff, consumers, families as well as internal departments and external providers to meet consumer needs
• Ensures the staffing mix is based upon the education preparedness and clinical competence of the nursing staff
• Reviews consumer records to ensure compliance with regulatory standards
• Ensures quality care is provided throughout the consumer's length of stay; oversees the coordination of patient care to ensure consumer's needs are met and policies are followed
• Conducts hospital rounds with staff to direct, demonstrate and evaluate delivery of consumer care and to ensure safety throughout the facility
• Ensures adequate staff coverage throughout the facility
• Ensures payroll is completely timely and accurately
• Approves PTO requests and shift exchanges per hospital policy
• Performs management activities including interviewing, hiring, orienting, evaluating, and disciplining
• Accepts on-call responsibilities
• Actively assists with hospital cost containment by accepting responsibility for their own time management and use of unit supplies
• Orders necessary supplies and ensures safety and operation of medical and office equipment
• Oversees integrity and cleanliness throughout the facility
• Participates in performance improvement initiatives, per hospital policy
• Reviews findings of 24 hour chart reviews and forwards to Director of Nursing
• Conducts safety drills and monitors for compliance, reporting concerns to Director of Nursing, per hospital policy
• Adheres to professional code of ethics
• Performs additional duties as assigned by supervisor
• Seeks clinical supervision and consultation needs
• Accepts and employs suggestions for improvement
• Actively works to enhance clinical skills
• Documents in a timely fashion per AltaPointe policy
• Documents in a clear, concise manner types of consumer problems, treatment goals, and services provided
• Documentation shows that forms, notes, logs, and other applicable written information are completed promptly, accurately, and updated when appropriate
• Documents legibly
• Treats consumers with care, dignity and compassion
• Respects consumer's privacy and confidentiality
• Is pleasant and cooperative with others
• Assists consumers and visitors as needed
• Personal values don't inhibit ability to relate and care for others
• Is sensitive to the consumer's needs, expectations and individual differences
• Is gentle and calm with consumers and families
• Actively participates in Performance and Improvement activities
• Actively participates in AltaPointe committees as required
• Completes assigned tasks in a timely manner
• Accesses appropriate community resources according to consumer needs.
• Follows AltaPointe Policy & Procedures
• Maintains current State license and requirements for renewals (i.e. CEU's), and attends to required in-services and workshops

Physical Requirements

• There is frequent standing, sitting, and walking which are in bursts of 5 to 10 minutes. However, there are times when this can be extended to pacing with the consumer (time could be undetermined), and at times sitting and standing can be extended with the employee having the ability to change positions as permitted by the observance and behavior of the consumer at that time.
• There is occasional forward bending from the hips while kneeling to reach to the side.
• There is an occasional need to be able to assume a full squat/lunge from a standing position.
• There is an occasional need to maintain back extension while being on stomach with one's own body weight on hips and legs. This position is maintained for several minutes.
• Occasionally, be able to put one's own body weight on one knee and one elbow on the same side of one's body.
• Occasionally, be able to kneel and reach to same side toward the floor.
• Lift up to 10 pounds from the floor to various levels, including from the floor to overhead occasionally during shift.
• Have the ability to lift up to 50 pounds to assist in Activities of Daily Living, as required. Be able to lift up to 50 pounds from floor to waist.
• Strong grasp is needed to use keys to open doors throughout the facility, and to maintain constant contact with a consumer during a restraint procedure or with other hold techniques.
• Pushing/pulling force up to 25 pounds occasionally during shift.
• There are times that require the employee to be able to ambulate as quickly as possible to assist coworkers with a consumer in a restraint procedure. (Example: jog/run up to 0.1 mi).
• At times therapy may be inside or outside the facility; therefore, some activities will dictate physical requirements for playing or games.

Qualifications

Current RN license to practice in the State of Alabama; 3-5 years' behavioral healthcare experience with at least 2 years being in a management position; excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to present information to a group of people; ability to operate a computer (electronic staffing and incident reporting, Word, Outlook) and telephone system; ability to withstand continual deadlines in spite of interruptions; ability to organize and prioritize a busy workday; sensitive to confidential matters; uses judgment in carrying out work; ability to work independently; and demonstrable knowledge of the following:

• Knowledge of psychiatric disorders in child/adolescent and adult populations
• Knowledge of general and psychiatric nursing care
• Knowledge of growth and development of child/adolescent consumers as related to intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects of their development
• Basic knowledge of medical terminology especially terms associated with child/adolescent and adult psychiatric care
• Familiarity of psycho-pharmacy and the use of psychotropic medications with the child/adolescent and adult populations
• Knowledge of behavior management and crisis intervention
• Knowledge of educational methods appropriate to child/adolescent and adult populations
• Knowledge of family dynamics and parenting issues.
• Knowledge of effects and treatment of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect issues
• Knowledge of cultural diversity