Director of nursing
Encyclopedia
A director of nursing is a registered nurse
who supervises the care of all the patient
s at a health care
facility. The director of nursing has special training beyond that of any clinical nurse for the position that pertains to health care management, and in some places, a director of nursing must hold a special license in order to be employed in that capacity.
The director of nursing is one of up to seven directors at a typical health care facility. The other are the directors of food (or dietary) services, social work
, activities, business management, housekeeping/laundry, and maintenance. In most facilities, the director of nursing is only second to the facility's administrator, and will fill in in the administrator's absence.
In some facilities, there is also an assistant director of nursing (ADON) who backs up the director of nursing, especially in the DON's absence or off-hours.
The director of nursing is the one who is responsible for communicating between the nursing staff and the physician
s at a health care facility. It is the director of nursing who communicates to physicians the needs of the patients.
The director of nursing has the duty of testifying in any criminal or civil legal cases that arise out of the nursing care at the facility and can be held legally liable in the event that his/her own negligence in practice was responsible for a mishap at a facility resulting in death or personal injury to a patient.
, federal OBRA regulations set the requirements for directors of nursing.
The director of nursing be a full-time position. Either on person can work in this position for 35 hours in a week, or two or more registered nurses can fulfill the duties for a combined 40 hours in a week.
Registered nurse
A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
who supervises the care of all the patient
Patient
A patient is any recipient of healthcare services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, veterinarian, or other health care provider....
s at a health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
facility. The director of nursing has special training beyond that of any clinical nurse for the position that pertains to health care management, and in some places, a director of nursing must hold a special license in order to be employed in that capacity.
The director of nursing is one of up to seven directors at a typical health care facility. The other are the directors of food (or dietary) services, social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
, activities, business management, housekeeping/laundry, and maintenance. In most facilities, the director of nursing is only second to the facility's administrator, and will fill in in the administrator's absence.
In some facilities, there is also an assistant director of nursing (ADON) who backs up the director of nursing, especially in the DON's absence or off-hours.
The director of nursing is the one who is responsible for communicating between the nursing staff and the physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s at a health care facility. It is the director of nursing who communicates to physicians the needs of the patients.
The director of nursing has the duty of testifying in any criminal or civil legal cases that arise out of the nursing care at the facility and can be held legally liable in the event that his/her own negligence in practice was responsible for a mishap at a facility resulting in death or personal injury to a patient.
United States
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, federal OBRA regulations set the requirements for directors of nursing.
The director of nursing be a full-time position. Either on person can work in this position for 35 hours in a week, or two or more registered nurses can fulfill the duties for a combined 40 hours in a week.
Duties
The duties of a director of nursing may be as follows:- Development and implementation of nursing policy and procedure. These must be aimed at preventing accidents at the facility.
- Overseeing the hiring and continued employment of nursing staff
- Ensuring there is adequate nursing staff, and that the staff's skills remain current
- Overseeing nursing employee conduct
- Being a witness at a trial in the event of litigation
- Being knowledgeable of incidents at the facility
- Assessing the health needs of each resident
- Communicating the needs of the residents of the facility to the physicians