Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON)

Job Description

Job Description:\n\n \n \n \n Covington Post Acute, located in Covington, Tennessee, is a Medicare and Medicaid-certified skilled nursing facility. It offers care for up to 98 residents in private and semi-private suites. The facility emphasizes a comfortable and engaging environment with indoor and outdoor common spaces, personalized dietary plans, and a variety of social activities. Additional services include nursing, physical and occupational therapy, mental health support, and more.\n Why join us?\n At Covington Post Acute, we are committed to providing exceptional skilled nursing and rehabilitation services to our residents in a compassionate and supportive environment ensuring our residents thrive in comfort and dignity.\n We are looking for passionate and dedicated individuals to join our team and contribute to our mission of delivering high-quality care. Whether you are an experienced professional or exploring a rewarding career in healthcare, Covington offers a collaborative and growth-focused workplace where your efforts truly make an impact.\n Position Overview:\n The Assistant to the Director of Nursing is an exempt leadership role responsible for supporting the Director of Nursing in planning, organizing, developing, managing, and directing the day-to-day functions of the Nursing Services Department. This role exercises independent judgment and discretion in carrying out assigned administrative, supervisory, and clinical oversight responsibilities. The position helps ensure compliance with current federal, state, and local standards, guidelines, facility policies, and procedures, as directed by the Administrator, Medical Director, and/or Director of Nursing Services, while supporting the highest quality of resident care at all times.\n As the Assistant to the Director of Nursing, this role is delegated the administrative authority, responsibility, and accountability necessary to carry out assigned duties. This position may direct and oversee the work of nursing personnel, make recommendations regarding staffing, hiring, performance management, discipline, and other personnel actions, and assist in implementing department policies and standards. In the absence of the Director of Nursing Services, this position is responsible for implementing the resident care policies established by the facility.\n Essential Job Functions: \n Administrative Functions:\n \n Assist the Director of Nursing Services in planning, developing, organizing, implementing, evaluating, and directing the nursing service department in accordance with current rules, regulations, and guidelines that govern the long-term care facility. \n Participate in developing, maintaining and updating written policies and procedures that govern the day-to-day functions of the nursing service department.\n Interpret the department’s policies and procedures to personnel, residents, visitors, and government agencies as required.\n Participate in developing, maintaining, and periodically updating the written job descriptions for each level of nursing personnel.\n Ensure that the reference material (i.e., PDR’S, Federal and State Regulations, etc.) maintained at the nurses’ stations is current. Recommend to the Director written material that will assist the nursing service department in meeting the day-to-day needs of residents.\n Ensure that the Nursing Policy and Procedures Manual is current at all times and reflects the day-to-day nursing care procedures used by this facility.\n Make written and oral reports/recommendations to the Director as necessary/required, concerning the operation of the nursing service department.\n Assist in developing methods for coordinating nursing services with other resident services to ensure the continuity of the residents’ total regimen of care.\n Participate in the development, maintenance, and implementation of the facility’s quality assurance program.\n Participate in facility surveys (inspections) made by authorized government agencies.\n Participate in the interviewing and selection of residents for admission to the facility. \n Participate in developing, implementing, and periodically updating the resident’s discharge plan and ongoing plan of care. Assist the resident and Discharge Planning Coordinator and the IDT in planning the nursing services portion of the resident’s discharge plan.\n Perform administrative duties such as completing medical forms, reports, evaluations, studies, charting, etc., as necessary.\n \n Committee Functions:\n \n In the absence of the Director, serve on, participate in, and attend various committees of the facility (i.e., Infection Control, Policy Advisory, Pharmaceutical, Budget, Quality Assurance & Assessment, etc.).\n Serve on the Quality Assurance and Assessment Committee as directed. Assist the Director in preparing written and/or oral reports of the nursing service programs and activities to submit to such committee(s).\n Participate in the development, maintenance, implementation, and updating of the written policies and procedures for the administration, storage, and control of medications and supplies.\n Evaluate and implement recommendations from established committees as they may pertain to nursing services.\n \n Personnel Functions:\n \n Assist the Director in determining staffing needs for the nursing service department and make recommendations to ensure appropriate staffing levels, quality of care, and operational efficiency.\n Assist the Director in the recruitment, interviewing, selection, and assignment of nursing service personnel, and provide recommendations regarding hiring and placement decisions.\n Ensure that a sufficient number of licensed vocational and/or registered nurses are available for each tour of duty to ensure that quality care is maintained.\n Ensure that a sufficient number of certified nursing assistants are available for each tour of duty to ensure that routine nursing care is provided to meet the daily nursing care needs of each resident. Monitor absenteeism. Report problem areas to the Director.\n Make daily rounds of the facility to ensure nursing service personnel are performing work assignments in accordance with acceptable nursing standards, provide direction as needed, and report findings and recommendations to the Director.\n Ensure that all nursing service personnel are following their respective job descriptions. \n Review complaints and grievances made or filed by department personnel. Make appropriate reports to the Director as required or as may be necessary.\n Meet with the nursing staff, as well as support personnel, in planning the department’s services, programs, and activities.\n Develop and maintain a good working rapport with inter-department personnel, as well as other departments within the facility to ensure that nursing services and activities can be adequately maintained to meet the needs of the residents.\n Create and maintain an atmosphere of warmth, personal interest and positive emphasis, as well as a calm environment throughout the unit and shift.\n Participate in employee performance evaluations and make recommendations to the Director concerning performance improvement, transfers, promotions, disciplinary action, suspension, termination, and other employment status changes.\n Ensure that departmental disciplinary action is administered fairly and without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, age, sex, religion, handicap, or marital status.\n Report occupational exposures to blood, body fluid, infectious materials, and hazardous chemicals in accordance with the facility’s policies and procedures governing accidents and incidents.\n \n Nursing Care Functions:\n \n Inform nursing service personnel of new admissions, their expected time of arrival, room assignment, etc. Ensure that rooms are ready for new admissions. Greet newly admitted residents upon admission. Escort them to their rooms as necessary.\n Make daily rounds to observe residents and to determine if nursing needs are being met. Report problem areas to the Director. Assist in developing and implementing corrective action.\n Ensure that direct nursing care is being provided by a licensed nurse, a certified nursing assistant, and/or a nurse aide trainee qualified to perform the procedure. \n Review nurses’ notes to ensure that they are informative and descriptive of the nursing care being provided, that they reflect the resident’s response to the care, and that such care is provided in accordance with the resident’s wishes. \n Provide direct nursing care as necessary.\n Ensure that residents who are unable to call for help are checked frequently.\n Monitor medication passes and treatment schedules to ensure that medications are being administered as ordered and that treatments are provided as scheduled. Report medication errors to the Director.\n \n Staff Development:\n \n Assist the Staff Development Director, as needed, in the development, planning, conducting, and scheduling in-service training classes that provide instructions on “how to do the job” and ensure a well-educated nursing service department. \n Ensure that these programs meet the continuing education requirements which allow licensed personnel (e.g., RNs, LVNs, CNAs, etc.) to keep their license on an active status.\n \n Safety and Sanitation:\n \n Assist the Safety Officer in developing safety standards for the nursing service department. \n Ensure that nursing service personnel participate in and conduct all fire safety and disaster preparedness drills in a safe and professional manner.\n Participate in the development, implementation and maintenance of the procedures for reporting hazardous conditions or equipment.\n Monitor nursing service personnel to ensure that they are following established safety regulations in the use of equipment and supplies i.e. ensure that all personnel wear and/or use safety equipment and supplies (e.g., back brace, mechanical lifts, etc.) when moving or lifting a resident. \n Ensure that appropriate MSDSs are on file for hazardous chemicals used in the nursing department.\n Report missing/illegible labels and MSDSs to the safety officer or other designated person.\n Participate in the development, implementation, and maintenance of the infection control program for monitoring communicable and/or infectious diseases among the residents and personnel.\n Assist the Infection Control Coordinator in identifying, evaluating, and classifying routine and job-related functions to ensure that tasks in which there is potential exposure to blood/body fluids are properly identified and recorded. \n Ensure that all personnel performing tasks that involve potential exposure to blood/body fluids participate in appropriate in-service training programs prior to performing such tasks. \n Ensure that an adequate supply of personal protective equipment is on hand and readily available to personnel who perform procedures that involve exposure to blood or body fluids.\n Ensure that personnel follow established procedures for the use and disposal of personal protective equipment. \n Assist the Infection Control Committee in the development, implementation, and revising of written aseptic and isolation techniques. \n Ensure that nursing service personnel follow established infection control procedures when isolation precautions become necessary.\n Monitor nursing service work areas (i.e., nurses’ station, medicine preparation rooms, etc.) are maintained in a clean and sanitary manner. Ensure that all resident care rooms, treatment areas, etc., are maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner. \n \n Equipment and Supply Functions:\n \n Recommend to the Director the equipment and supply needs of the department.\n Ensure that an adequate stock level of medications, medical supplies, equipment, etc., is maintained on premises at all times to adequately meet the needs of the resident.\n Assist the Maintenance Director in developing a preventive maintenance program for maintaining the nursing department’s equipment and supplies in a safe and operable manner.\n Participate in the development and implementation of the procedures for the safe operation of all nursing service equipment.\n Ensure that only trained and authorized personnel operate the department’s equipment. Ensure that all personnel operate nursing service equipment in a safe manner.\n \n Care Plan and Assessment Functions:\n \n Participate in the development of written preliminary and comprehensive assessments of the nursing needs of each resident as necessary.\n Assist the Resident Assessment/Care Plan Coordinator in planning, scheduling, and revising the MDS, including the implementation of RAPs and Triggers.\n Participate in the development of a written care plan (preliminary and comprehensive) for each resident that identifies the problems/needs of the resident, indicates the care to be given, goals to be accomplished, and which professional service is responsible for each element of care.\n Ensure that all personnel involved in providing care to the resident are aware of the resident/s care plan. Ensure that nursing personnel refer to the resident’s care plan prior to administering daily care to the resident. \n Review nurses’ notes to determine if the care plan is being followed.\n Ensure that nursing staff personnel honor the resident’s refusal of treatment request. Ensure that such requests are in accordance with the facility’s policies governing advance directives.\n \n Resident Rights:\n \n Maintain the confidentiality of all resident care information.\n Monitor nursing care to ensure that all residents are treated fairly, and with kindness, dignity, and respect. Ensure that all nursing care is provided in privacy and that nursing service personnel knock before entering the resident’s room.\n Ensure that all nursing service personnel are knowledgeable of the residents’ responsibilities and rights including the right to refuse treatment.\n \n Working Conditions:\n \n Works in office area(s) as well as throughout the nursing service area (i.e. drug rooms, nurses’ stations, resident rooms, etc.).\n Moves intermittently during working hours.\n Is subject to frequent interruptions.\n Is involved with residents, personnel, visitors, government agencies/personnel, etc., under all conditions and circumstances.\n May interact with residents, family members, personnel, and visitors who are experiencing difficult or stressful situations.\n Communicates with the medical staff, nursing personnel, and other department supervisors.\n Works beyond normal working hours and on weekends and holidays when necessary.\n