We have an exciting roles available for a Director of Care in counties Mayo, Sligo and Roscommon. The Director of Care will be responsible for the overall management, care and treatment of residents, to ensure that the optimum standard of nursing care is provided in compliance with An Bord Altranais Regulations and Guidelines, HIQA regulations and The Nursing homes’ local policies and procedures.

The primary role of a Director of Care will be one of clinical and professional leadership, supporting the Proprietors in the promotion and development of all staff by means of supervision, in-service training, orientation of new staff. The Director of Care will ensure the highest standards of care are provided to all service users 24/7. The Director of Care will play a pivotal role as part of the smooth running and management of the nursing home.

Role and responsibilities

The role of Director of Care will not be limited by reference to this outline and should reflect established practices in relation to the nursing home. It would be expected in the normal course of events at Nursing Home level that the role will evolve as professional and service demands change. Management structures, budgetary processes and training/education, initiatives are the subject of ongoing development to facilitate the exercise of the devolved functions set out below.

This post holder will be responsible for the following duties:

Administrative

• Maintaining adequate safety precautions for both residents and staff.
• Assume responsibility for the efficient day-to-day management of the Nursing Home, subject to the overall supervision and direction of the Proprietors and General Manager.
• Ensuring that the adequate nursing/healthcare cover of the nursing home is maintained by careful planning of staff hours in accordance with the resources allocated.
• Exercising control over ancillary and professional staff where their duties affect the welfare of the residents – and liaising with their department heads (e.g. HCA, Domestic, Catering)
• Manage all resources efficiently and effectively within a budget.
• Facilitate co-ordination, co-operation and liaison with community services, GP Practices, pharmacy and appointed Next of Kin.
• Ensuring that Nursing Home stocks of supplies and equipment are ordered on an economical basis and kept at a reasonable level.
• Planning all admissions and discharges from the Nursing Home.
• Ensure that the working environment is a safe and hazard free zone specific hazard control sheets in association with staff in conjunction with the General Manager.
• Aid in the development and management of safety procedures to comply with statutory obligations, in conjunction with relevant staff.
• Maintaining adequate safety precautions and risk assessments for both residents and staff.
• Ensuring that all staff members are aware of fire regulations, safe lifting and handling techniques, and personally attending trainings and drills held in the nursing home.
• Ensuring any accidents or near accident within the Nursing Home, whether to residents or members of staff or visitors are reported and discussed with the Management.
• Ensuring also the staff are aware of the procedures for completing incident report forms and statements.
• Attending meetings with Proprietors and General Manager and contributing to meetings.
• Reporting back to Nursing Home staff relevant information from such meetings.
• Ensuring that resident property is cared for by approved procedure and that staff members are aware of this policy.
• Maintaining good relationships with all colleagues to maintain a twenty-four-hour service.
• Working with the General Manager to maintain control of budgets with pay and non-pay items.
• Working with the General Manager and Clinical Nursing Manager in assessing and monitoring trends through collection and analyses activity data and identifying changing work patterns.
• To work with the Clinical Nursing Manager in auditing the service and reporting findings to the proprietors and General Manager.
• To have reports ready for end of month meetings with management.

Clinical/Professional

• Undertake the role and responsibilities of the Person-in-Charge in line with the Health Act 2007, related regulations and the Health information and Quality Authority (HIQA) standards.
• Provide a high level of professional and clinical leadership.
• Be responsible for the total nursing care of the residents – ensuring that the treatment prescribed by the medical staff is carried out and the nursing care is maintained at a high standard.
• Manage resident care to ensure the highest professional standards using an evidence based care planning approach.
• Encourage recognition of the resident as an individual; ensuring residents needs and comfort are given priority.
• Ensure that the provision of a high standard of care to the resident and families in Ave Maria Nursing Home is consistent with the mission, vision, values and strategic plan of the Home
• Contribute to the development and implementation of nursing protocols/guidelines which are research based, to ensure the delivery of highest standard of resident-focused nursing care within available resources.
• Work with Management to evaluate and manage the implementation of best practice policy and procedures.
• Implement systems for documenting and evaluating specific standards of nursing care, improve standards of care where possible and report serious problems which interfere with standards of nursing care to the Proprietors and General Manager.
• Facilitate decision making and the implementation of decisions with regard to resident care.
• Establishing and maintaining good relationships with residents and their families,
• Manage communication at Nursing Home and with external agencies.
• Supervise professional duties of all grades of nursing and non-nursing staff to ensure a high standard of nursing care.
• Ensure the safe custody of controlled drugs and scheduled poisons within the requirements of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1998 and the Nursing Home policy.
• Ensure that drugs and medicines are administered in accordance with Nursing Home procedure, checking and witnessing according to agreed procedure.
• Inform relatives of seriously ill residents.
• Ensure that infection Control Guidelines are adhered.
• Ensure that admissions and discharges are conducted in accordance with Nursing Home policy.
• Ensure all residents are assigned a Doctor if regular GP isn’t working in the Nursing Home area.
• Ensure End of Life Care is discussed and documented for all residents (long term & respite) within 1 week of admission. This is to be completed by DOC or CNM only.
• Be aware of the confidential nature of the work and in particular, the right of residents to confidentiality. To this end you will not discuss workings of the Home or its residents with people outside the Home.
• To cover a nursing shift where there is a nursing shortage or a staff nurse sick.

Education and Staff Development

• Participate in the identification, development and delivery of education, training and development programmes for nursing and non-nursing staff.
• Facilitate team building and staff motivation.
• Contribute to the formulation, development and implementation of policies and procedures in the Nursing Home.
• Provide support and supportive supervision to front line staff where appropriate.
• Lead in the development of nursing staff, in the orientation of new staff and supervision of HCA/Domestic staff where this is appropriate.
• To participate in a Personal Development Planning for staff of the Nursing Home.
• To assist in the recruitment of staff where necessary.
• Introduce newly appointed staff to their duties and responsibilities in the Nursing Home and providing mentoring and support for newly qualified staff.
• Provide staff leadership and motivation which is conducive to good relations and work performance.

Health & Safety

• Ensure that effective safety procedures are in place and managed to comply with statutory obligations, in conjunction with relevant staff e.g. health and safety procedures, emergency procedures
• Observe, report and take appropriate action on any matter which may be detrimental to staff and/or service user care or well-being / may be inhibiting the efficient provision of care
• Assist in observing and ensuring implementation and adherence to established policies and procedures e.g. health and safety, infection control, storage and use of controlled drugs etc.
• Ensure completion of incident / near miss forms / clinical risk reporting
• Adhere to nursing home policies in relation to the care and safety of any equipment for the fulfilment of duty.
• Liaise with other relevant healthcare professionals e.g. Public Health Nurse, Infection control, Phyiso, Acute Hospitals, GP, Pharmacy etc
• Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc.

The above Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post.

Skills & qualifications

Professional Qualifications & Experience Each candidate must, at the latest date for receipt of completed applications for the post:

• Be registered or be eligible to be registered in the General Division of the Register of Nurses & Midwives maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) An Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann
• Have a minimum of 10 years post registration experience and 5 years nursing experience at a minimum of Clinical Nurse Page 8 Manager 2 (CNM2) level of which 3 must have been in an acute setting
• Have a post registration National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) level 8 or higher award maintained by Quality & Qualifications of Ireland (QQI) or equivalent in a healthcare or management related area.
• Candidates must possess the requisite clinical, leadership, managerial and administrative knowledge and ability for the proper discharge of the duties of the office.
• Extensive successful experience in a demanding Senior Nurse role or equivalent managerial role at a senior level within a complex organisation
• Significant evidence of successful implementation of a range of quality initiatives to develop practice

Annual registration

• Practitioners must maintain live annual registration on the relevant division of the Register of Nurses and Midwives maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann)
• Confirm annual registration with NMBI to the HSE by way of the annual Patient Safety Assurance Certificate (PSAC).

Age

• The Public Service Superannuation (Age of Retirement) Act, 2018* set 70 years as the compulsory retirement age for public servants.  Public Servants not affected by this legislation: Public servants recruited since 1 January 2013 are members of the Single Pension Scheme and have a compulsory retirement age of 70.

Health Candidates

• For and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Character Candidates

• Any person holding the office must be of good character