Akeso Registered Nurse

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The Registered Nurse (RN), as shift leader, plays a pivotal role in managing the nursing team to ensure that each patient is treated with dignity and respect at all times. The RN ensures that the patient is in a safe environment and that their individual needs are addressed, thereby delivering high quality mental health care and physical health care to patients within Akeso Clinics. The RN has knowledge and skills to confidently role-model a high standard of nursing practice at all times.

The position description is a broad indication of the work required from individual personnel holding a particular position. The personnel may be required to undertake certain duties which may not be indicated in this description. No Job Description is regarded as a precise specification of duties but should be regarded as a guide to the main responsibilities.

The Registered Nurse will be responsible for assisting with improved quality nursing care by ensuring compliance to professional and ethical practice, Nursing act, 2005 (Act No. 33 of 2005), all Health Care legislation, Basic Conditions of Employment, Policies and Procedures and Core Standards.

The Registered Nurse will also be responsible for assisting with monitoring and ensuring that nursing care and service delivery is implemented and practised within a multi-disciplinary quality assurance team.

The incumbent also fulfils the role by the use of scientifically-based nursing theories and processes, treating the patients as a physical, social and spiritual individual, and by use of educational and technical means applicable to health care practice.

CONSISTENCY OF CARE

Administrative responsibilities

• Ensure that task allocation of subordinates, ie Enrolled Nurses (ENs), Enrolled Nursing Auxiliaries (ENAs) and Health Care Workers (HCWs) is done at the start of each shift.
• Ensure that proper handover takes place at the start of and during the shift.
• Participate in twice-yearly appraisals of subordinates.
• Responsible for ensuring that the Policy and Procedure file is kept intact and well-maintained.
• Familiarity with the content of the Policy and Procedure file, and ensure that implementation of the policies and procedures are adhered to by self and subordinates.

Meetings

• Attend meetings as delegated by the Nursing Unit Manager, in her absence or as part of the nursing team, e.g. Ward Rounds, Nursing Management meetings, Administration meetings, Health and Safety Committee meetings, Infection Control Committee meetings, Employment Equity Committee meetings, Risk Management Committee meetings.
• Actively participate in the meetings by making suggestions, offering contributions and being involved in problem-solving with regard to improving the patients' experience whilst patients at Akeso clinics.
• Responsible for giving feedback to other members of the nursing team by means of verbal and written handovers in respect of changes in a patient's treatment, any new decisions that have been taken, or any management changes.

Finances

• Although the RN is not directly involved with financial estimates, he/she is expected to be prudent in the supervision of human resources, ensuring that personal attendance is good, with judicious use of sick leave, and encouraging the above in subordinates.
• Prudent in the utilisation, control and management of material resources:
• Ensure that medication and medical consumables are managed and controlled as per policy.
• Ensure that patients are billed for ward-stock medication and medical consumables.
• Assist with equipment need analysis for budget / capital expenditure purposes - new medical equipment, preventative services and repair and maintenance within legal specifications.
• Ensure items for repair are reported promptly

Organisation

• In the absence of the Nursing Unit Manager, or as a delegated duty, the RN will be able to plan systematically, adapt as circumstances change, and successfully carry a greater workload.
• Delegate duties in accordance with the knowledge, skills and competencies of subordinates, thus maximising the utilisation of manpower and improving productivity.

Control

• Exercise control over all available resources in a responsible manner:
• Medication
• -  The ordering of medication for patients to be done according to policy.
• -  Ensure safekeeping of medicines as per policy.
• Medical consumables
• -  Medical supplies to be kept at a manageable level and controlled as per policy.
• -  Prevent stock shortages through planned ordering.
• Equipment
• -  Ensure that equipment is used correctly.
• -  Ensure maintenance of equipment.
• -  Ensure safekeeping of equipment as per policy.
• Environment
• -  Ensure that electric lights, heaters and air-conditioners are turned off when not in use.
• -  Report maintenance issues.
• Comply with the Health and Safety Representative role and function.

Personnel administration

• Responsible for the day-to-day supervision of the RN's subordinates.
• The delegation and supervision of subordinates is done according to their knowledge, skills and competencies, in order to ensure that quality nursing care is rendered.

Educational responsibility

• Be aware of the importance and implications of staff development, and the responsibility towards the development of self and subordinates.

In-service training

• Lead by example and monitor subordinates.
• Be involved in the planning of the in-service training programme, in conjunction with the NUM and NSM, taking into account the needs of the group and planning accordingly.
• The in-service training programme is a participatory function and therefore all RNs are encouraged to make contributions towards the development, implementation and evaluation of the programme.
• The RN is expected to be on time for the in-service training / journal club and to encourage colleagues and subordinates to do likewise.
• The RN will prepare for and present at the in-service training if so requested.
• The RN is involved in the day-to-day in-service training of the assistant nurse and health care worker by making maximum use of the teachable moment for subordinates.  This is done by placing emphasis on basic nursing skills, basic psychiatric nursing skills, incident-reporting, record-keeping and computer literacy.
• The training register is to be completed and signed after each training session, be it formal or informal (the teachable moment).

Professional responsibility

• Legislation:
• All nursing activities must be executed according to the legislation application within the Scope of Practice for a Registered Nurse; ie The Nursing Act No. 33 of 2005, and the Nursing Act No. 50 of 1978 and Regulations, as well as the Mental Health Care Act No. 17 of 2002 and Regulations.
• Company and Clinic Policy:
• Responsible for ensuring that the Akeso Human Resources and Hospital Policy files, as well as the Akeso Clinics Policy file, are kept intact and well-maintained.
• The RN is expected