Ambulatory Surgical Center Director

Job Purpose:

The Director of Nursing/DON is a Registered Nurse who has clinical and administrative responsibility for the management of the Ambulatory Surgery Center in which nursing care is directly and/or indirectly provided. He/she shall be responsible for the direction, provision and quality of nursing Services provided to the patient and assigned to the center.

Essential Functions:

1. Responsible for the review of privileges for all staff members every year.
2. Review at least every three months clinical and scientific work, medical services and maintenance of accurate medical records.
3. Maintain the established guidelines for pathologist referrals.
4. Oversee the established procedures for supervising clinical support staff to ensure that patient admission, assessment and discharge requirements meet federal requirements that cover history and physical exams, pre-surgical assessments, post-surgical assessments and discharge orders.
5. Develops and maintains written objectives, policies, a procedure manual, an organizational plan, and a quality assurance program for the nursing service.
6. All nursing policies and procedures shall be reviewed at least annually.
7. Establishes, implements and monitors, in conjunction with other members of the patient care team, standards of patient care within the framework of the standards of the center.
8. Supervises and directs nursing staff towards safe and competent patient care.
9. Coordinates and integrates the nursing service with other patient care services to provide a continuum of care for the patient.
10. Applies sound management principles to organize, plan, coordinate and control the flow of activities, personnel and utilization of resources.
11. Sets realistic unit objectives and demonstrates effectiveness in planning, implementing, and evaluating programs and activities to meet these objectives.
12. Guides and directs the Nurses in the conversion of goals and objective to concrete nursing and administrative activities.
13. Demonstrates analytical abilities necessary to successfully identify a problem and to develop a sound plan of action for resolution.
14. Works flexible hours in assuming responsibility and accountability for providing patient care.
15. Relieves other Nurses within the center, as necessary.
16. Participates in maintaining a safe environment for staff and patients.
17. Manages the clinical and nursing staffing patterns and evaluates the need for overtime or per diem nurses to meet patient care requirements.
18. Reviews and/or revises established goals and objectives, to participate in the planning and evaluating of new program, special project and priorities.
19. Establishes, interprets and implements standards of asepsis and infection control.

Additional Nurse Manager Responsibilities:

1. Scheduling of procedures.
2. Ordering of all medications and supplies.
3. Overseeing monitoring and documenting medical waste.
4. In service instructions on procedures or new equipment.
5. Maintaining employee records: Certifications, Vaccinations, Incidents reports.
6. Maintaining and updating of policies and procedures.
7. Overseeing the maintenance of all equipment.
8. Maintaining traffic control.
9. Overseeing Infection Prevention and Control Program.
10. Overseeing pick-up of pathology specimens and associated documentations and Tumor Registry.
11. Relates effectively to people in the business office.
12. Conducts regularly scheduled unit based staff meetings and maintains open channels of communication with staff.
13. Attends and participates in meeting with other members of the patient care team for problem solving, planning programs and establishing standards of patient care.
14. Manages and reports promptly and accurately all significant events and problems to the appropriate agencies and authorities.
15. Is cognizant of and interprets office and nursing polices, procedures, and job descriptions to staff.
16. Promotes a climate in the center that is conducive to cooperative, collaborative action by utilizing and interpreting results of departmental reports, patient complaints, employee grievances, etc.
17. Interviews, evaluates and selects candidates for employment.
18. Assures that all assigned nursing staff has annual and terminal performance evaluations, utilizing information from appropriate sources.
19. Counsels appropriately as necessary, handle disciplinary action reports and recommends discharge when indicated.
20. Assures that time schedules are planned utilizing availability of staff, patient needs as budgetary constraints of the office.
21. Develops and maintains written job descriptions for clinical personnel, and assigning duties based upon education, training, competencies, and job descriptions.
22. Facilitates the implementation or orientation programs for all levels of staff.
23. Facilitates participating by all levels of staff in formal educational experiences that relate directly to their particular job.
24. Directs and coordinates the execution of the operative schedule, making necessary changes and arrangements to accommodate emergencies, added operations or deviations in plan of care.
25. Supervises the transfer and admission of patients to the Holding Area and coordinates patient flow to and from the Operating Rooms, assuring continuity of communications during the process.
26. Systematically assesses needs of patients including physiological, psychological and socio-cultural aspects.
27. Evaluates nursing intervention and follow through with needed modification.
28. Maintains index guide of surgeons' requirements for specific types of operations with relevant information regarding surgical anatomy.
29. Teaches classes in aseptic technique, safety program, and environmental control in the Operating Rooms.
30. Teaches and assists nursing staff to participate in new techniques of patient care and work with new equipment of materials.
31. Demonstrates the knowledge of budgeting and control by preparing, monitoring, and reviewing budgets periodically to ensure cost containment.
32. Maintains a professional and ethical relationship with vendor representatives.
33. Utilizes opportunities for professional growth by attending continuing education programs.
34. Attends relevant seminars and meetings as requested by the Center.
35. Becomes involved with research / new equipment/ procedures for the Center.
36. Maintains and ensures dress code and decorum.
37. Prominently wears name identification badge at all times.
38. Introduces self to patients and their family members.
39. Promotes good image of Center to patients and family members, physicians, vendors, and the community.
40. Maintains confidentiality of patient's, significant others and fellow employees.
41. Actively communicates and supports the organization's Mission, Values, Ethics, Philosophy, Objectives, and Policies and Procedures.
42. Demonstrates an understanding of how the success of the surgery center is linked to the success or failure of the customer process.
43. Maintains confidentiality, safety, and security in all aspects of job role.
44. Maintains current knowledge of the Center's Emergency Preparedness protocols and procedures.
45. Standing and setting for long periods, walking, lifting, moving heavy equipment and patients, manual dexterity and other physical activities for patient care.

Qualifications and Education Requirements:

1. Graduate of an accredited school of nursing. Perioperative and post anesthesia nursing experience required.
2. Licensed in the state of Alaska.
3. Current BLS, ACLS and PALS certifications.

Preferred Skills:

1. Demonstrated supervisory administrative experience required. Ambulatory Surgery experience preferred.
2. Current IV certification from an approved facility preferred. Evidence of continuing education. AORN and other nursing organization participation encouraged.

Required Competencies:

Excellent judgment, dependability, conscientious performance. Detail oriented. Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills. Caring and empathic. High ethical standards. Mechanical ability and manual dexterity for operating complicated equipment.

Actively communicates and supports the organization's Mission, Values, Ethics, Philosophy, Objectives, and Policies and Procedures. Demonstrates an understanding of how the success of the surgery center is linked to the success or failure of the customer process. Maintains confidentiality, safety, and security in all aspects of job role. Applies HIPAA requirements. Demonstrates advanced technical knowledge and competency for all equipment. Demonstrates safe work habits in the work place with a concern for patients, families, and staff. Maintains current knowledge of the Center's Emergency Preparedness protocols and procedures. Applies OSHA standards.

Able to work under stress and able to set priorities effectively. The potential for exposure to blood and body fluids does exist. May have exposure to patients with communicable diseases. May have exposure to hazardous equipment and/or agents.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, employee is required to walk; sit; use hands to handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach hands and arms; talk and hear. Employee must lift and/or move 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distant vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, speech clarity, climb, balance, and stoop, kneel, and bend.

Work environment: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to environmental risk of radiation exposure, and biohazard exposure.