Delegating Nurse

Job Description

The Delegating Nurse reports directly to the Director of Health Services. The primary role of the Delegating Nurse is to oversee the safety, health and well being of the individuals that we support as well as to promote and maintain the health of these individuals, using a nursing delegation conceptual framework. The Delegating Nurse maintains a caseload of individuals and is responsible for coordinating and facilitating the health care needs for individuals assigned to their caseload.

The nurse in this position is responsible for delegating nursing duties such as medication administration and other health-care functions carried‑out by unlicensed staff. The Delegating Nurse’s role is to assess the staff, to make sure that they are competent and safe, to supervise them as they perform health‑care tasks, to provide continuous training, to provide support to them, and to maintain a good relationship with the staff to facilitate communication back and forth as needed with the staff and their supervisors.

The Delegating Nurse will ensure that all nursing documentation is completed in a timely manner. The goal is to have the documentation completed and in the office and home files no more than seven days after the visit, hands‑on assessment or phone call.

Delegating nurses are expected to participate in periodic nursing meetings and other pertinent agency meetings. They are responsible for consulting with the Director of Health Services should they have questions and/or need feedback on a particular health‑related issue.

It is the function of an RN in this position to work as a team with the other nurses, nutritionist, coordinators, directors and other staff ses at CSAAC are encouraged to be a part of the agency as a whole, not just the nursing department. Frequently nursing will have an impact on other departments, and all aspects of the agency need to be considered.

Excellent communication skills and flexibility are essential.

The Delegating Nurse practices nursing in accordance with the State of Maryland Nurse Practice Act, Code of Maryland Regulations Title 10, Subtitle 27, and the Standards of Developmental Disabilities Nursing Practice.

Education: Registered Nurse currently licensed by the Maryland Board of Nursing

Experience: Minimum of one (1) year experience as a registered nurse. Experience in working with individuals with special needs desirable.

Should have or be qualified for Case Management/Delegating Nurse certification in the State of Maryland.

Current CPR/First Aid/AED Training.

Skills: Must possess strong written and oral communication skills, as well as good organizational and coordinative ability. Must possess and demonstrate strong interpersonal skills with the ability to exercise patience, caring and concern in new and sometimes stressful situations.

Must possess knowledge of the role of the Delegating Nurse as outlined in the Nurse Practice Act/Maryland Board of Nursing and the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA).

• Trains, delegates and supervises unlicensed staff (CMT) in the process of medication administration.
• Develops plan of care, ongoing nursing assessments and evaluates/updates the nursing plan of care every 45 days and as needed.
• Performs an initial 45 day assessment during a site visit to the residential home. A follow‑up residential site visit to assess the clinical status of the individual must occur at a minimum of every 45 days.
• Performs MAR/medication reviews including ensuring that appropriate medication storage guidelines are applied.
• Evaluates/assesses the competency of unlicensed staff. Completion of the DDA Competency and Evaluation form must be done on unlicensed/CMT staff during the 45 day site visit and as needed.
• Assessment of the task to be delegated including complexity and the environment in which the task is to be performed.
• Determines the appropriateness of delegation as outlined in the Maryland Board of Nursing MBON and Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR 10.27.09/10.27.11).
• Reviews HRST of Individuals that have Health Care Levels of 3 or greater.
• Monitors hospitalizations, Emergency Room/Urgent…