Registered Nurse provides medical services in response to health problems, promotes health and safety; provides case management services; and collaborates with clinical and ancillary staff. This position requires the review of various assessments, logs, etc. and follow-up where necessary; ensures all medical appointments; tests and lab work are completed as required; provide 24 hour on-call phone coverage for emergency situations; Assists with the AMAP certification process.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTION

• The assessment, planning, implementation, and supervision of medical care for the individuals we support.

• Provide and supervise comprehensive nursing services and interventions to assure that the health care needs of individuals receiving services are met. Provides continuity of medical care and services to individuals by monitoring the planning, organizing, directing, and controlling nursing activities including those carried out by support staff.

• Assure that the medical needs of the individuals are addressed by working with physician(s) as appropriate. Follow through with the provision of nursing care by monitoring nursing and related services.

• Develop a Nursing Care Plan for each individual and ensure the plan is reviewed and revised as needed.

• Maintaining 24hour on-call capabilities for report on individual’s status and interventions as needed.

• Provides for the individual’s continued health, welfare and safety by direction, coordination, and supervising the individual’s medical care plan along with the implementation of all agency and OPWDD policies and procedures that are related to the Rights, Care, Treatment, and Protection of all individuals.

• Identifies, assesses and reports circumstances occurring at the time a person experiences a seizure, injury, illness, behavioral episode, and/or any other medical or emotional difficulty an individual may have and implements therapeutic interventions accordingly. Treatment team responsibilities including annual, semi-annual and weekly medical meetings; both off and on site.

• Collaborates with the Residence Manager to ensure that all staff are medically trained to meet the individuals’ needs by monitoring, training and evaluating all med-certified staff as per Birch and OPWDD guidelines.

• Conducts delegated nursing training for program staff, as well as general health/hygiene, infectious disease control/prevention, and other related topics for agency staff development.

• Update MARS monthly and as needed.

Education

BA in Nursing, Licensure as a Registered Nursein NYS, meeting all education, testing and experiential requirements identified by the NYS Office of the Professions

Experience

RN with 1-2 years OPWDD or mental health experience.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

Computer Skills: Microsoft Office

To counsel, assist and train individuals with developmental disabilities in the areas of personal care, travel skills, social skills, home management and life skills in order to maximize their functioning in the community.

Minimum Job Requirements:

Education:

High School diploma or General Education Degree (GED).

Experience:

Minimum 1-year experience working with developmentally disabled population preferably in a residential, health or treatment related setting preferred.

Specialized Knowledge, Licenses, etc.:

• Specialized training in direct care provision preferred.
• Must complete and obtain certification in OPWDD Approved Medication Administration Course (AMAP)during probationary period and maintain AMAP certification.
• Valid NYS Driver’s License required.
• Ability and willingness to be First Aid and CPR certified.
• Ability and willingness to obtain certification in SCIPR Competencies and advance to Promote Competencies
• Demonstrated competency in written, verbal, and computational skills to document records in accordance with program standards.

Physical Demands:

• Regularly required to speak clearly and hear the spoken word well.
• Regularly required to utilize near vision ability to read data and documents, including spreadsheets and reports, in printed form and on computer screens.
• Regularly required to provide physical care for clients and individuals, which may include, but is not limited to bathing, feeding, changing clothes or diapers, and pushing wheelchairs.
• Ability to physically restrain challenging behaviors that include aggression, self-injurious, and destructive behaviors.
• Ability to apply proper lifting techniques.

Work Environment:

• Noise level is consistent with levels usually present in an office, education, group home, residential, rehabilitation, industrial, workshop or health related environment.
• Hazards present are consistent with those common to an office, education, rehabilitation, industrial, workshop or health related environment.
• Working with individuals whose age ranges from childhood to adulthood.

Essential Functions:

Support the individual by supporting a comfortable home environment. Examples include but are not limited to:

• Provide safe and clean environment for the individual based on skill level and risks and support the safety of all individuals in everyday situations.
• Use verbal and physical means to create a positive environment that will encourage and enable individual growth.
• Using a holistic approach, participate in the individual’s life planning activities and assist in their implementation.
• Assist the individual in the development of social skills that will help the individual become integrated/ included in his or her community.
• Perform protective oversight while engaging in community activities.
• Monitor each individual’s personal health on a continuous basis (during situations of high activity, while bathing/showering/swimming, in the morning and the evening, at meals, while in the community, at all times).
• Assist individuals in learning and practicing skills necessary for home living (indoor household chores such as, but not limited to, cooking, sweeping, dusting, bed-making, vacuuming, and dish-washing, laundry, folding and storing clothes, etc.).
• Provide opportunities for the individual to be self-advocate.
• Perform advocate responsibilities, while demonstrating respect for the processes and people involved.
• Responsible for all documentation related to the essential function and services for the individual.
• Adhere to the procedures for mandated reporting and responding.
• Adhere to the NADSP code of ethics (attached).
• Work towards the satisfactory completion of each of the core competency goals according to the OPWDD timeline requirements.

Other Functions:

• Demonstrates respect for all people.
• Demonstrates professional demeanor, attention to punctuality and attendance policies, reliability, flexibility, and pleasantness.
• Professionally interacts with other staff members and with others in the community.
• Demonstrates enthusiasm for learning the knowledge and skills required to perform the job.
• Readily seeks and accepts feedback to improve performance.
• Applies knowledge and skills gained on the job and maintain required certifications.
• Participates in the work of the organization in a positive way by using problem solving skills.
• Demonstrates respect for the safety of all others.
• Performs additional responsibilities as assigned by the Senior Staff.
• May be assigned other tasks and duties reasonably related to their job responsibilities.
• Adheres to all rules outlined in the policy and procedures manual.

The position description is a guide to the critical duties and essential functions of the job, not an all-inclusive list of responsibilities, qualifications, physical demands, and work environment conditions. Position descriptions are reviewed and revised to meet the changing needs of the agency at the sole discretion of management.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions unless this causes undue hardship to the company.

Performance is evaluated each year based on these competencies and the NADSP code of ethics.

EEO Statement

Birch Family Services provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Birch Family Services complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.Birch Family Services expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Birch Family Services’ employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.