Under the direction of the Manager of Emergency Medicine, the Charge Nurse demonstrates competent knowledge and skills to perform various non-nursing function and clinical nursing functions in order to provide quality care to the neonate, infant, pediatric, adolescent, adult and geriatric patient. As a Registered Nurse, the Charge Nurse understands and employs the principles and practices of professional nursing and adheres to the standards set forth in the Nurse Practice Act of Pennsylvania and Grand View Hospital policies and procedures.

Essential Functions:

• Interprets policies, procedures and standards of care to staff to ensure compliance with established hospital and departmental policies.
• Facilitates problem-solving for the staff by acting as a resource person, thus eliminating delays in patient care and increasing overall patient safety.
• Assists in the orientation of new personnel in order to provide the new employee with an accurate appraisal of the needs of the position.
• Gives and accepts constructive criticism when interaction with others in order to encourage open effective communication.
• Prioritizes needs of patients, staff and entire unit to ensure prompt delivery of quality care.
• Coordinates care with ancillary services by meetings with department manager in an effort to resolve any problems or concerns rapidly and effectively.
• Facilitates patient care by lifting physician orders; directing staff; assisting with admission, discharges and transfers; and handling telephone inquiries, thereby allowing staff more time in delivering direct patient care.
• Understands current medication preparations, actions, interactions and administration via various routes, thereby ensuring safe medication administration to patients.
• Operates monitoring equipment and troubleshoots when the equipment is not performing in the expected manner in order to provide for accurate dysrhythmias/pressure monitoring. Initiates the "Trauma Alert" system according to protocol and is competent in the use of the abdominal tray, chest tray and chest tube insertion tray; understands the principles of patient immobilization; and comprehends the roles of the ancillary staff in this situation, so that the care of a trauma patient is expeditious and competent.
• Recognizes and intervenes in potentially dangerous situations involving patients brought the Department of Emergency Medicine with severe psychological problems or drug and/or alcohol intoxication so that a safe environment for staff and patients is ensured.