JOB TITLE: FORENSIC REGISTERED NURSE SUPERVISOR

JOB CODE: 30429

DEFINITION: This is supervisory professional nursing work directing the care, treatment,

custody and control of court committed forensic mental health patients at a forensic unit at a Commonwealth facility. An employee in this class supervises nursing and Forensic Security Employee services which are provided in multiple Forensic patient care wards or living areas for forensic patients on an assigned shift; or serves as an evening or night shift supervisor planning and directing the administration of all nursing and Forensic Security Employee services in the forensic unit. Shift supervisors establish and maintain communications with previous shift nursing and Forensic Security Employee staff to ensure continuity of nursing care, treatment, custody, and control, and to maintain a safe and secure therapeutic environment for patients and staff. Employees direct the nursing and Forensic Security Employee staff in the identification and assessment of the physical, psychosocial and security needs and problems of patients and may participate in the administration of direct nursing care and treatment and in accordance with the attending physicians' orders. Nurse supervisors maintain continuity of all phases of nursing and Forensic Security Employee services and ensure that patients are provided with care, treatment, custody, and control consistent with the facility's policies and procedures, and standards of professional nursing practice and security requirements. Employees serve as a resource person to Forensic Security Employees and nursing staff, other discipline staff and members of interdisciplinary care and treatment teams; and evaluate the nursing process and nursing services to ensure that optimum care and treatment is provided. Work direction is received in the form of oral or written instructions, and employees exercise independent judgment in performing supervisory duties. Work is reviewed by a professional nursing manager, or other administrative supervisor, through reports, conferences, meetings, and observation for effectiveness and compliance with standards. EXAMPLES OF WORK: (NOTE: The examples of work are representative of the work, but every position classified to this job may not perform all examples of work listed. Conversely, this is not an all-inclusive list of work examples.)

• Plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates the administration of nursing and Forensic Security Employee services.

• Supervises professional and non-professional nursing and Forensic Security Employee personnel.

• Orients new employees to the policies, procedures, rules, and regulations of the nursing department and the health care facility.

• Provides instruction, guidance, counseling, and ongoing employee staff development programs to professional staff.

• Assess the nursing staff's implementation of nursing care and treatment plans.

• Ensures the consistency of the nursing care plan with the patients' comprehensive individualized treatment plan.

• Serves as a resource person to interdisciplinary care and treatment teams.

• Assesses staffing patterns, assigns staff accordingly, identifies staffing needs, and reports staffing deficiencies to management.

• Evaluates head nurses, charge nurses and staff nurses in their implementation of nursing care and treatment plans and overall capabilities in professional nursing.

• Evaluates nursing staff's compliance with custody and control policies and procedures.

• Performs special functions such as hygiene and disease preventative education and counseling to individuals.

• Directs scheduling of physical examinations and required immunizations for facility employees and patients.

• Audits and monitors the quality of nursing care and treatment and initiates action to correct deficiencies, as appropriate.

• Delivers physical and psychiatric nursing care and treatment in accordance with current nursing standards.

• Supervises and coordinates the implementation of activities programming for patients.

• Prepares and signs subordinate employee work performance evaluations and discusses with employee.

• Encourages and recommends appropriate actions to sustain or improve work performance, as necessary.

• Interviews prospective employees and recommends job applicant selection or ranks applicants in terms of preferability for employment.

• Receives employee grievances and complaints.

• Conducts initial grievance investigation into causes and conditions, discusses with employee, and resolves complaints or recommends solutions.

• Receives, reviews, and approves or disapproves leave requests.

• Communicates contractual and administrative rights and obligations to employees.

• Modifies work environment or processes to conform to changing conditions.

• Promotes safe, secure, and sanitary environment and therapeutic milieu.

• Participates in nursing, security, and facility committee activities.

• Implements and participates in nursing service quality assurance/risk management activities.

• Participates in and evaluates the effectiveness of staff development and continuing education programs.

• Identifies training needs of staff.

• Evaluates and initiates training recommendations for nursing and Forensic Security Employee personnel.

• Evaluates the effects of training on overall work performance of staff.

• Plans and conducts on-the-job training and demonstrates more efficient work methods.

• Provides guidance for the promotion and maintenance of an optimal health status for patients, their families, and members of the health care system.

• Provides advice in the development of policies affecting the delivery of care, treatment, custody, and control of patients, and to prevent harm, injury, or escape.

• Develops, implements, evaluates, and modifies psychiatric nursing standards and procedures.

• Prepares and reviews reports and records in accordance with rules and regulations.

• Reviews, evaluates, and coordinates planning for future admissions and pre-discharge planning to promote continuity of care.

• Communicates and coordinates with other members of the health care system.

• Performs related work as required.

ENTRY LEVEL KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of the theories and practices of professional nursing.

• Knowledge of current professional nursing practices in such applicable nursing care areas as forensic treatment and psychiatric care.

• Knowledge of the principles and practices involved in organizing, directing, and supervising the work of others.

• Knowledge of therapeutic and adverse effects of pharmacological agents, medical treatment.

• Knowledge of human anatomy and physiology.

• Knowledge of hospital dietetics and personal hygiene.

• Knowledge of the requirements involved in promoting a safe, secure and sanitary environment and therapeutic milieu for patients and staff.

• Knowledge of the principles and techniques in the interview and selection process.

• Ability to apply professional nursing practices, techniques, methodologies, and standards.

• Ability to assess staffing needs to ensure that staff utilization is proper for the nursing care, treatment, custody and control needs of patients.

• Ability to direct and instruct professional and non-professional personnel in the application of nursing practices and methodology and security procedures.

• Ability to coordinate the nursing and Forensic Security Employee services with resources of other disciplines.

• Ability to assess and evaluate head nurses, staff nurses, and charge nurses in their implementation of nursing care plans and their overall capabilities in professional nursing.

• Ability to identify staff training needs.

• Ability to evaluate and initiate training recommendations.

• Ability to evaluate effects of training on overall work performance.

• Ability to evaluate staff development programs.

• Ability to plan and/or conduct on-the-job training programs, formal training, and continuing education programs.

• Ability to direct the preparation and maintenance of records and reports.

• Ability to apply techniques needed in interviewing, observing, recording, and reporting signs and symptoms of patients' actual or potential health status.

• Ability to promote and maintain continuity of patients' care, treatment, custody, and control.

• Ability to direct patient care administration of nursing and security services.

• Ability to organize and direct professional and non-professional personnel engaged in the nursing care, treatment, custody and control of patients.

• Ability to make independent judgments in relation to nursing practice, security requirements and supervisory functions.

• Ability to plan and assess immediate and long-term nursing care goals and objectives for patients.

• Ability to audit and monitor nursing care for compliance with facility's policies and procedures, standards of nursing practice and security procedures.

• Ability to develop, implement, evaluate, and modify nursing standards and procedures.

• Ability to review, evaluate, and coordinate planning for future admissions and pre-discharge planning.

• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with employees of the health care facility.

• Ability to identify actual or potential health and safety hazards and security requirements.

• Ability to evaluate patterns and trends of nursing care within the secure treatment forensic patient care area(s).

• Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.

• Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions.

• Ability to participate in out-service, in-service, staff development, and continuing education programs.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: (NOTE: Based on the Entry Level Knowledges, Skills, and Abilities)

• Three years as a Forensic Registered Nurse (commonwealth title);

or

• Four years of professional nursing experience providing care, treatment, custody, and control of psychiatric patients.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• All positions require active authorization to practice as a Registered Nurse in Pennsylvania.

• All employees possessing an active temporary practice permit must obtain licensure as a Registered Nurse within the one (1) year period defined by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.