VeroSkills

Summary/Objective 
The Director of Nursing Services has a heart for older persons and is passionate about enhancing the quality of life and care for those at Little Sisters of the Poor.  As an integral member of the administrative team, the Director of Nursing Services brings a personal and professional commitment to advancing a holistic approach to health care, working in close collaboration with the Little Sisters of the Poor.  The Little Sisters of the Poor have served the elderly poor in St. Paul  since 1977 and is an international Congregation of women religious. 
The Director of Nursing Services assumes responsibility for organizing and managing all aspects of the nursing program in accordance with current federal, state and local standards alongside the mission, vision and values of the Little Sisters of the Poor.  Responsibility for the nursing program requires that all decisions and choices made are based on safeguarding the sanctity of human life by respect for the dignity of each elderly resident. 
This position intentionally advances person-centered care and services irrespective of the presence of chronic and/or acute disease. These standards and guidelines are designed to attain the highest possible degree of quality of life and quality of care across multi-levels of aging services; ranging from independent to skilled nursing.  NAME OF HOME is licensed for NUMBER skilled nursing and NUMBER LEVEL OF CARE/ASSISTED LIVING private rooms. NUMBER independent living apartments complete the senior living community. 

Requirements and Qualifications:
Active license with the state as a Registered Nurse in good standing. 
Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing and 8 years of experience in progressive nursing administrative and supervisory roles, preferably in senior living or previous work experience with the Little Sisters of the Poor.
Knowledge of various licensing and certification survey processes.
Medicaid & Medicare program experience preferred.
Proficiency in computer usage and software applications, including but not limited to electronic medical records, clinical nursing and staff scheduling programs and Microsoft Office.
Ability to follow and give written and oral directions. Proficient in English.
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively. 
Strong management and leadership qualities and a desire for personal and professional growth. 
Communicate effectively by dealing tactfully and respectfully with all persons.
Flexibility and a willingness to adapt to change in an ever-evolving environment.

Core Competencies  
Commitment to person-centered care as a way of life; respect for human dignity.
Communication through logical thinking and moral and ethical integrity.
Ability to practice accurate nursing skills that meet the needs of residents.
Leadership that is both empowering and capable of conflict resolution when indicated.
Strong analytical skills to interpret nursing and regulatory compliance trends. 
Detail-oriented to prioritize work demands and manage time effectively.
Financial literacy for department budget oversight.

Essential Functions:  Manuals, Policies/Procedures and Mission Integration materials for the Little Sisters are located in the Director of Nursing Services Office. A personal copy of current Employee Handbook, the Home’s Supplement and Benefit Guide are provided at time of hire.
Administration, management, supervision and coordination of all services and programs comprising the nursing department, including but not limited to the following: primary and specialty physician services, restorative nursing, pharmaceutical management, consultants and ancillary medical providers (lab, diagnostic, testing); health information documentation, retrieval and privacy management, medical equipment and supply/disposal.

Resident Care and Quality of Life
Ensure that nursing services assure flexibility to staff to meet residents’ preferences. Maximize resident quality of life and quality of care from the time of admission to discharge/end of life. This is achieved by maintaining a daily proximity to the residents, in particular those with acute nursing needs. Participate in nursing management rounds (all shifts) and administrative rounds to promote prompt assessment of resident behavior and/or response to interventions.
Collaborate closely with the Little Sister hospitallers to meet each Resident’s preferences, needs and desires as evidenced in a personalized “Plan of Care”.  
Play a pivotal role in maintaining a dynamic interdisciplinary approach, since all departments impact the security, safety and happiness of the residents (i.e. social and business services, food service, spiritual / therapeutic recreation /activity programs, laundry, physical environment).  Identify a just balance of individual Residents’ rights and choices, personal comfort and safety within a congregate setting.
Participate in fostering a dementia-friendly culture for residents with memory impairment.
Foster positive relationships and open communication with residents’ family and responsible parties beginning at the time of admission through the duration of her/his stay.  
Palliative and End-of-life care:  collaborate closely with the Mother Superior and admission team to assure all end-of-life wishes of potential residents are consistent with the Little Sisters of the Poor values and the Roman Catholic Church as documented in Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care (and future publications).  Examples of inconsistent values would be physician assisted death, euthanasia, neglect and withholding basic treatments/care.
Assure the provision of all services, treatments, nutritional preferences, pain management and comfort measures are appropriate and available for each resident’s condition of a resident and especially at end-of-life.  At least annually, review with social services the resident/responsible party advance directives/life care preferences to keep abreast of any changes of intent and potential conflicts. Address any concerns to Mother Superior and assist with the resolution.

Administrative/Regulatory
Assure that substantial compliance with applicable federal, state and local standards and regulations for nursing services align with the Little Sisters of the Poor mission of respect for life and compassionate care to the elderly.  Ensure nursing oversight of the survey process.
Identify areas of potential legal liability. Develop and implement nursing interventions and/or risk management protocol to minimize or eliminate exposure.
Immediately initiate investigations into incidents, accidents, abuse and concerns/complaints raised by residents, personnel, family members or others. Collaborate closely with the Mother Superior and Administrator to assure the submission of report(s) to appropriate agencies, responsible parties and persons with a need-to-know. 
Adhere to all administrative and nursing policies and procedures, including but not limited to HIPAA, safety / OSHA, infection prevention, residents’ rights, quality improvement and assurance indicators and those contained in the employee handbook. Exhibit respect for each individual by assuring confidentiality of personal information and events. 

Responsible and accountable for the development, maintenance and implementation of nursing services’ philosophy and objectives, the standard of nursing practice, 
Ensure that all necessary department documentation and reporting is accomplished within established time frames/deadlines and according to approved policy and procedures.
Oversee the annual department budget with knowledge of the steps for accurately tracking income/expenses including, but not limited to staffing patterns, equipment repair/replacement.  
Actively participate in Agreement discussions and negotiations for services, equipment and supplies. Decisions involving service Agreements with individual or business entities to provide direct services to residents is made collaboratively with the Mother Superior and Administrator. Work closely with the Corporate Compliance team for appropriate monitoring.

Staffing 
Lead and mentor the department personnel in the mission, vision and values of the Little Sisters of the Poor through management of recruitment, selection, on-boarding, morale, on-going positions assignments, staff development, competency evaluation/appraisals, job performance, retention, disciplinary action, and termination.  Ensure that there is a procedure to collect and review active status of nursing personnel’s licensure/certification/credentials.
Direct the supervision for the scheduling of personnel within established guidelines for allocation of personnel on duty and to fulfill required staffing levels at all times.  Demonstrate a willingness to pitch in, especially during times of resident and/or staff emergency, public health crises, staffing shortages.
Build a strong and united nursing administrative team by identifying and fostering complementary strengths, talents and clinical skills and delegation of duties.  
Empower each member of the department to function both as professionally competent decision-makers and compassionate care-givers. 
Hold all nursing staff accountable for job performance.

Supervisory Responsibility
This position manages all personnel within the Nursing Department through tiered delegation of supervisory responsibility. Immediate supervisor of an Assistant Director of Nursing. Hiring and termination decisions are made in collaboration with the Director of Human Resources, the Mother Superior/Administrator and the appropriate nursing supervisor.
Work Environment and Ergonomics
This job operates primarily in a professional office environment as well as resident care areas. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers/printers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.
This job will require:
Sit for extended periods of time, stand and walk frequently.
Stoop, push and pull occasionally.  Squat, balance, kneel, crouch.
Reach above shoulders and occasionally lift up to 50 lbs.  Frequently lift up to 25 lbs.
Use hands for fine motor skills as well as simple and firm grasping and fine manipulation.
Exposure to hazardous chemicals such as disinfectants, cleansers, soap, etc.
Exposure to latex gloves and other personal protective equipment.
Occasional exposure to blood/body fluids as required to provide resident care.
Exposure to microbial bacteria, viral and other infectious agents inherent to the care of the elderly or public health crises.

Professional Appearance in Attire
Business casual attire with a lab coat is the professional standard expected for nursing administrative work. When directly providing services or care to residents, scrubs may be worn.  For events involving the Home’s professional medical staff, consultants, lay Board of Advisors or when representing the Home, whether in-house or outside the Home, respectful and dignified attire is expected.   
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
As a full-time, exempt position, the days and hours of work allow for flexibility but are generally Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. depending on the needs of the department at any given time. This position will at times require long hours and/or evening/night and weekend presence in the Home.  On-site presence is expected for attendance at administrative and department meetings and staff development programs (mandatory all-staff and/or nursing department). The ability to provide immediate decision-making leadership during times of emergency, public health crises, licensing and certification surveys and other serious events affecting resident and/or staff safety and quality of life necessitates on-site presence.  Reasonable availability at other times can be assured by telephone, text and other forms of communication. 

Travel
This position requires some local travel within the MSP/St.Paul  area.  In addition, there may be an occasional job-related event/conference/meeting requiring travel beyond this geographical region, including overnight accommodations.  Associated expenses are determined and approved by both the Mother Superior and the Human Resources Manager.

AAP/EEO Statement 
Little Sisters of the Poor d/b/a Holy Family Residence St. Paul provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law.

Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.