Job Description
Job DescriptionCentral Arkansas Assisted Living Community
Job Description: Support Nurse
FLSA: Exempt
Reports to: DON
The Support Nurse is directly under the supervision of the Director of Nursing (DON),
and is primarily responsible for:
Assisting with med pass completion as needed.
Round with physicians/APRNs and process all new orders for that visit.
Assist DON with new admissions and building resident charts.
Assist DON with quarterly pharmacy consultant orders.
Process ordered labs and lab results.
Follow up on any incomplete orders.
Help maintain organization of the med room.
Assist with chart audits and thinning of charts.
Reviewing I & A reports and completing documentation
Van driving
Assist with discharges
Family Care Plan meetings
LOC/ documentation
Evals and assessment - some travel to patients and/or family homes
Participate with QA team
Create a positive work environment
Along with any other duties assigned
The Support Nurse ensures that all new aides have satisfied their on-boarding
requirements prior to being placed on their perspective shift. The SUPPORT NURSE is
required to be proficient in the workflow of the clinical department (CNA/RA, LPN/RN)
and knowledgeable in the workflow of activities, housekeeping, maintenance, and
dietary.
The Support Nurse (along with DON) is responsible for interviewing, hiring, and laying
the groundwork for the training of aides; planning, assigning, and directing duties;
appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining; addressing complaints and
resolving problems. Also, pairing new trainees with a capable mentor, and touching
base with the trainee and mentor during the training phase to ensure adequate training
has taken place prior to being placed on their shift.
(see training/skills/competency checklist for aides)
The Support Nurse is responsible for becoming very familiar with The Office of Long
Term Care (OLTC) Assisted Living II Rules and Regulations, especially staffing ratios
and responsibilities, expectations and education that differ between assisted living (AL)
and memory care (ASCU). The Support Nurse is responsible for scheduling and
ensuring that adequate aides are always in place.
The Support Nurse must demonstrate the ability to prioritize tasks and responsibilities
and complete duties and projects in a timely manner. Critical thinking, problem solving,
conflict resolution, and a listening ear are all imperative when it comes to the role of the
Support Nurse. When an issue cannot be resolved by the Support Nurse or the issue is
outside of his/her scope of practice (such as licensure), the Support Nurse will bring the
issue to the DON.
The completion of the initial resident readiness and cognitive screenings, which
provides all the information needed to develop a resident’s level of care, will be a team
effort between the DON and Support Nurse. Both the Support Nurse and the DON may
also assist direct care nurses with the following resident assessments: skin, self-
administration of medications (when applicable), fall risk, elopement risk, COVID
screening, TB screening, and readiness for memory care transition.
*RNs are the only individuals that can sign off on a resident’s Healthcare Service Plan
(HSP), but the Support Nurse and direct care staff are responsible for bringing notable
changes to the attention of the DON as well as assisting when further clarification is
needed*
Clinical staff are always responsible for finding their own coverage when they cannot
work their scheduled shift. Unless there is an emergency the DON and Support Nurse
should only be contacted for assistance in finding coverage when all other avenues
have been exhausted. Although the Support Nurse is responsible for the scheduling of
aides and the DON is responsible for the scheduling of nurses, the Support Nurse will
be expected to be of assistance to all clinical staff in the event of an unplanned absence
where no coverage is able to be found, up to and including finding coverage for or
working the shift, to meet the needs of the facility and the requirements of OLTC.
Other duties that may be expected of the Support Nurse are as follows: covering clinical
staff’s lunch breaks when needed, assist with resident care when additional help is
required on the floor. The Support Nurse must be willing to be a team player in facility
operations when the need arises. The Support Nurse must be a
level-headed, compassionate, and a steadfast supervisor who strives for the
advancement of the facility as a whole, including the employees, residents’ families and
the corporation/owners of the facility.
Support Nurse will be required to participate in the Manager on Duty program and take
call as rotation requires.
JOB DESCRIPTION REVIEW: I have carefully read, understand and accept this job
description, including the qualifications and requirements of the position and that I am
expected to complete all duties as assigned. I understand the job duties may be altered
from time to time. I understand Universal Precautions Risk Classification Categories
may apply to this position and I may be exposed to AIDS, HIV and hepatitis B viruses. I
certify that I am mentally and physically able to perform the essential functions of the
position without any restrictions. I further understand my employment Crestview Senior
Living is an “at will” nature, which means that I may resign at any time and may be
discharged at any time with or without cause. This lists the major duties and
requirements of the job and is not all-inclusive. Incumbent(s) may be expected to
perform job-related duties other than those contained in this document and may be
required to have specific job-related knowledge and skills.