DIRECTOR OF NURSING

The GEO Group•High Point, NC

About The Position

The Director of Nursing supervises and evaluates nursing and clerical staff and evaluates and provides comprehensive nursing care in a correctional setting while observing and maintaining security requirements. The position works with correctional personnel, nursing staff, contract providers, and outside provider agencies, using established corporate and correctional policies and procedures. The Director of Nursing oversees staffing and staff development, including scheduling, recruiting, orientation, supervision, performance evaluation, training, and disciplinary matters. The role ensures adequate coverage across shifts, monitors call-ins and overtime, maintains staff assignments and licensure, and organizes in-service education and opportunities for continuing education. The position ensures appropriate supplies and pharmaceuticals, supports detainee/inmate orientation to available medical services, oversees medical orderlies’ handling of contaminated waste and surfaces, and conducts audits of medical records, logs, sharps, narcotic counts, referrals, and sick call. The Director of Nursing participates in quality assurance, monitors chronic disease care plans and infection control activities, supports environmental sanitation and safety inspections, responds to informal grievances, and monitors serious medical conditions. On-call duties are included.

Requirements

Associate’s or bachelor’s degree from an approved program.
Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.
Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse license in the state where the facility is located; maintain a current copy of the license at the facility.
Four years of direct work experience, including two years in a supervisory capacity.
Ability to work without direct, immediate supervision when performing nursing diagnoses and provide appropriate follow-through treatment.

Nice To Haves

Supervisory experience and competence in crisis intervention, medical emergencies, physical assessment, medical nursing care, and psychiatric nursing care.

Responsibilities

Maintain working relationships with correctional personnel, nursing staff, contract providers, and outside provider agencies.
Use established corporate and correctional policies and procedures when making decisions.
Assist management with recruiting, orienting, supervising, and evaluating nursing and clerical staff.
Direct nursing and clerical staff, including hiring, performance evaluation, training and development, promotion, and disciplinary action.
Schedule staff, ensure adequate coverage on all shifts, fill in during short staffing, and monitor call-ins and overtime.
Monitor staff compliance with facility policies and unit directives, counseling employees as appropriate after consultation with management.
Ensure relevant information is communicated to supervisors and supervised personnel.
Monitor compliance with applicable pharmacy laws.
Organize monthly in-service education and ensure staff receive required in-service training.
Arrange staff participation in off-facility workshops for CEUs and current nursing practice.
Maintain current licensure for staff who require it and maintain shift assignments.
Organize daily activities and ensure adequate staffing for them.
Report staff problems to management regularly.
Ensure adequate supplies and pharmaceuticals for the detainee/inmate population and report over-usage, vendor problems, needs, recommendations, and budget concerns to management.
Ensure arriving detainees/inmates are oriented to available services and procedures for obtaining medical services.
Train and monitor medical orderlies assigned to work in the medical area on contaminated-waste handling and cleaning contaminated surfaces.
Conduct random audits of medical records, logs, sharps, narcotic counts, outside referrals, and sick call; address errors through counseling or in-service and submit findings to management.
Participate in quality assurance, recommend monitoring and corrective activities, and report problem areas in writing to management.
Monitor chronic disease clinic assignments, record reviews, and care plans to ensure follow-through under applicable policies and procedures.
Review infection control nurse activities and recommend infection-containment measures.
Assist management in monitoring environmental sanitation, safety, and health-related issues through inspections and recommendations.
Respond to informal inmate grievances directed to management’s designee and report grievances with potential liability to management.
Monitor follow-through on care for serious medical conditions with potential life-threatening or liability issues.
Assume on-call status for staff problems and, in the absence of direct management, assume on-call status.
Perform other duties as assigned.