Nurse Consultant (Nursing Home Surveyor)
About The Position
The Nurse Consultant I serves as a Nursing Home Surveyor for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, conducting regulatory inspections to determine whether licensed nursing homes comply with federal and state requirements. The role performs independent nursing consultation through onsite surveys, complaint investigations, and reviews of facility practices across assigned counties. It involves preparing comprehensive survey documents, assessing quality of care, and evaluating compliance with resident rights, safety, and program standards using nursing expertise, regulatory guidelines, and performance improvement principles. This home-based position serves Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin counties. The surveyor spends an average of three days per week in nursing homes conducting inspections. Weekend and night-shift inspections are occasionally required, and overnight stays may be necessary when a facility is more than 60 miles from the home base. The position requires passing the Federal Surveyor Minimum Qualifications Test (SMQT) after training and maintaining required federal surveyor credentials. The Division of Health Service Regulation oversees medical, mental health, and adult care facilities, emergency medical services, and local jails to help ensure people receive safe and appropriate care. Its Nursing Home Licensure and Certification Section regulates nursing homes in North Carolina, conducting routine federal inspections and investigating complaints. Surveyors document deficiencies, review facility correction plans, and return to verify that identified problems have been resolved.
Requirements
- Licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of North Carolina.
- One year of experience in the area of specialization.
- Must pass the Federal Surveyor Minimum Qualifications Test (SMQT) after training.
Nice To Haves
- Expert proficiency in clinical assessments, resident care planning, and evaluating care delivery in regulated long-term care environments, demonstrated through direct facility review and documentation experience.
- Advanced skill in writing concise, technically accurate regulatory reports, including inspection summaries and deficiency statements, and applying federal documentation standards and grammar conventions.
- Intermediate proficiency in evaluating facility quality improvement processes by reviewing operational data, identifying performance gaps, and validating corrective actions during follow-up inspections.
- Ability to communicate clearly and in a structured manner with multidisciplinary teams, residents, and facility staff through verbal briefings and written documentation.
- Experience using observation, interviewing, and evidence-verification techniques during onsite investigations of compliance with federal and state nursing home requirements.
Responsibilities
- Conduct routine and complaint-driven nursing home inspections to assess compliance with federal and state regulations.
- Evaluate resident care, safety practices, quality-of-life indicators, and facility performance using established survey protocols.
- Review nursing services, clinical assessments, care planning processes, and interdisciplinary care delivery for regulatory compliance.
- Examine facility operations, including infection control, emergency preparedness, staffing, administrative practices, and quality assurance programs.
- Interview residents, staff, and families and conduct observations to verify compliance with resident rights and standards of care.
- Compile survey findings and prepare formal Statements of Deficiency and investigation reports in accordance with federal documentation requirements.
- Validate facility correction plans and conduct follow-up visits to ensure deficiencies are resolved.
- Analyze clinical and operational data to support findings, identify trends, and inform regulatory determinations.
- Collaborate with pharmacists, dietitians, social workers, and other survey team members during multidisciplinary inspections.
- Maintain required federal surveyor credentials, including successfully completing the Surveyor Minimum Qualifications Test (SMQT), and participate in ongoing training.
Benefits
- Health insurance options.
- Standard and supplemental retirement plans.
- NCFlex program, offering benefits on a pre-tax basis.
- Paid vacation leave.
- Paid sick leave.
- Paid community service leave.
- Paid parental leave for eligible employees.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
