Position Summary: 

The Patient Care Leader is a mentor and a colleague/customer advocate.  This individual possesses the skills to identify, introduce and assimilate change successfully into the practice environment through and with colleagues.  The Patient Care Leader provides effective professional direction to facilitate staff satisfaction, promote unity, and achieve optimal nursing outcomes. 

Surgical -Neuro ICU. Designated by TJC as Comprehensive Stroke Center.  Cares for patients who have experienced critical illness as a result of surgery, post-transplant, or neuro event requiring critical care recovery.  Very busy environment includes complex patients requiring ventilators, frequent drip titration, frequent nuero checks, various IV lines, surgical site and drain care, CRRT, and external ventricular drain monitoring. Charge RN serves on Code Team and Rapid Response Team. 

Licensure/Certification/Registry:

• Current RN license in the State of Illinois required.
• Healthcare Provider or Instructor BLS certification required.

Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years hospital experience required.
• Leadership experience preferred.

Other Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Demonstrates outstanding human relations & communication skills.
• Comfortable with change.
• Excellent critical thinking skills.
• Strong, creative, and flexible problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrates responsibility for own personal and professional growth.
• Able and willing to mentor and coach clinical and secretarial colleagues.
• Promotes teamwork among acute care colleagues and with other departments.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Assists manager with planning, education and implementation of process improvements.
• Performs safety audits to ensure ongoing regulatory compliance.
• Performs chart audits to validate compliance with care protocols and documentation standards.
• Assists the manager with review of policy and procedures.
• Coordinates unit-specific orientation of new colleagues and monitors their progress after orientation is complete.
• Facilitates colleague participation in development of unit goals.
• Represents the acute care unit at specific committees as assigned.
• Assists with investigation, follow through, and process improvement related to Sensor reports.
• Serves as coach and mentor to colleagues in clinical and secretarial roles.
• Maintains clinical excellence by participating in patient care and regularly serves as staff nurse.
• Facilitates colleague education and participation at hospital events.
• Demonstrates ability to foster team work within the department as well as across departments.
• Provides input into colleague performance appraisals.
• Assists the manager in preparation of unit budget by providing input into needed supplies and equipment.
• Works with manager to develop plans to address colleague concerns identified by the Employee Opinion Survey.
• Works with colleagues to ensure work schedules are complete and appropriate while utilizing a self-schedule method.
• Works with manager to ensure staffing is appropriate each shift based on quantity & acuity of patients as well as skill level of colleagues scheduled to work. Makes adjustments as needed.
• Works with manager to ensure that pertinent information is shared with all colleagues.
• Works closely with manager, colleagues and physicians to identify opportunities to improve and facilitate patient satisfaction.
• Performs patient rounds to assure patient satisfaction is achieved and concerns related to plan/provision of care are addressed prior to discharge.
• Performs other related work as required or requested.
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