Wellness Nurse

SUMMARY: The Wellness Nurse (WN) provides nursing care for residents according to established standards and practices relating to basic nursing, restorative, and personal care services; where quality assurance, resident safety, and infection control are inherent responsibilities of the position.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Adheres to the scope of practice for their nursing licensure per state regulatory guidelines.
• Maintains a close working relationship with Executive Director and Wellness Director to foster resident/ family support and resident welfare.
• Demonstrates appropriate judgment skills to be able to make independent clinical decisions in routine and emergency resident care matters.
• Completes incident reports as necessary and following company policy.
• Engages residents in meaningful conversation and activities related to their individual interests.
• Promotes the level of clinical expertise required of staff to provide safe, high quality nursing care.
• Remains flexible and responsive when changes occur in resident activity and workload.
• Performs appropriate documentation to maintain the standards set by the state and the company.
• Assists in evaluation of appropriateness of the plan of care for residents and revise on an ongoing basis with communication to all other disciplines.
• Completes and submits all required documentation within established guidelines.
• Provides guidance and support to care giving staff.
• Assumes on-call responsibilities as per on-call needs.
• Implements physicians’ orders accurately and promptly, using nursing judgment and communicating with the Wellness Director.
• Conducts inventory of all medical/nursing supplies and communicate needs with the Wellness Director
• Along with the Wellness Director, coordinates efforts to enhance the service provided to the resident i.e. home health, hospice, physical therapy, psychiatric assessment, Durable Medical Equipment and other services.
• Communicates changes of conditions, residents’ status, and questions/challenges with the Wellness Director
• Observes residents for significant changes, adverse reactions, emesis, drainage, bleeding and communicable diseases and report findings to the Wellness Director.
• Ensures that residents’ needs are met or fulfilled.
• Communicates all changes with residents to the Wellness Director, Executive Director, and responsible party of the resident.
• Prepares, administers, and charts the administration of prescribed medications; documents effectiveness and adverse reactions twice weekly and as needed.
• Processes daily physician orders.
• Maintains and monitors MARs on a regular basis and ensures accuracy.
• Ensures resident’s medications supply is maintained on a daily basis, i.e. reordering refills and/ or new orders.
• Ensures and performs personal comfort activities such as giving bed bath or shower or assisting with bath or shower. Observes skin and pressure areas; assists with personal hygiene services such as oral hygiene, hair care, nail care, shaving, dentures, eye wear and makeup, etc. Reviews weekly skin assessment and follow up with physician and family as necessary.
• Documents monthly summary for each resident.
• Prepares for and participates in care conferences as needed
• Prepares and monitors residents for meals, and between-meal nourishments; assists in positioning; sets up table; personally assisting in feeding residents if necessary.
• Responds to nurse call and paging systems;
• Monitors residents to ensure the resident remains clean, dry and comfortable by changing clothes, gowns, linens, and dressing as necessary; provides clean water and refreshments, assists in keeping the room clean and neat by straightening and replenishing personal supplies.
• Ensures that bed rest residents are repositioned at predetermined intervals; assists with skin care and treatments as assigned; assists and position residents into and out wheelchair, bed, stretcher, and stationary chair using proper body mechanics and staff assistance according to written procedures and ambulates residents.
• Monitors resident safety on a continuing basis, seeks assistance in emergencies, assists family members in times of stress or crisis, perform established notification procedures during emergency situation.
• Takes and records at predetermined intervals vital signs such as temperature, pulse, respiration, weight, and blood pressure, measures intake. Collects sputum, urine, and stool, discharge drainage and other specimens as ordered.
• Performs periodic cleaning duties, maintains orderliness of the nurse’s station; collects and disposes of contents in trash containers.
• Works cooperatively with members of the care team, maintains effective interdepartmental and interpersonal relations residents, staff and visitors, avoid unnecessary noise.
• Performs other administrative duties such as answering phones and other related duties.
• Participates in new resident admissions.
• Manages the RCC with training, care, staffing schedules.
• Sets priorities in implementing resident care, check resident scheduled physician appointments, needed diagnostic tests, etc.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Completion of a Professional Nursing Program, approved by the state of which you are employed, and licensed to practice as a licensed nurse.
• Experience in Memory Care preferred
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Ability to work evenings, weekends and flexible hours.
• Must be able to speak, read, write and understand English with the ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating procedures, policies and employee manuals. Ability to write reports and correspondence.
• High level of interpersonal and problem-solving skills to handle sensitive and confidential situations and documentation, and interaction with residents’ families and families experiencing loss.
• This position requires occasional local travel.

COMPETENCIES

• Ethics – Works with integrity; Upholds organizational values.
• Dependability – Follows instructions, responds to management direction; results oriented and committed to achieving objectives and tasks as required.
• Teamwork and Collaboration – Exhibits objectivity and openness to others’ views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit. Communicates effectively.
• Professionalism – Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration; Accepts responsibility for own actions.
• Organizational Support – Follows policies and procedures; Completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; Supports organization’s goals and values.
• Change Management – Develops workable implementation plans; Builds commitment and overcomes resistance; Prepares and supports those affected; Monitors and evaluates results.
• Problem Solving – Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Works well in group problem solving situations.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands 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.

• Required to stand and walk regularly, occasionally sit, lift and/or move up to 100 pounds.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.