ED Flow Cooridnator

FirstHealth of the Carolinas

Position Description

Title:                      ED Flow Coordinator

Department:        Patient Care Services                       Facility:  FirstHealth of the Carolinas

Classification :    ____________ Exempt    _____X_______ Non-Exempt

Relationships:

Reports to:                           Admin Director / leader of Emergency Department

                Positions supervised:        None

              Practice Oversight:          Professional nursing, assistive personal and ancillary team members to maintain

                                                         patient flow

Qualifications:  The following qualifications are necessary to perform the essential functions of this position:

Required:

• Registered Nurse licensure to practice in the state of North Carolina,
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Two (2) years of ED nursing experience

Preferred:

• Charge Nurse, Patient flow, Professional Governance Chair experience preferred,
• CEN Nursing certification

Certifications

Department – specific certification requirements upon hire

        * Certifications required:                                          Certifications Recommended:

ACLS                     ­­­­­

BLS

PALS

Additional skills:

• Able to work in partnership with local and system leaders to maintain ED patient flow and

               deliver results,

• Clinical nursing skills with exhibited intellectual capacity to apply skills and knowledge to practice,
• Collaborate with ED leadership to manage operations and ensure high quality, safe, patient focused care,
• Ability to develop and coach staff as well as the ability to delegate appropriately,
• Must be familiar with ED patient flow process from time of arrival to discharge or admission.
• Must be familiar with core measures and quality indicators.
• Must be able to process multiple lines of data and ability to prioritize patient needs.
• Strong listening and critical thinking skills,
• Ability to handle multiple demands simultaneously and
• Oral and written communication skills.

Overview:

An “air traffic controller” whose responsibility is to develop and manage a plan to accommodate ED volume and acuity. The flow coordinator is responsible for driving clinical decision processes to ensure continuous patient flow in the Emergency Department and prepping to handle surges in volume. Provides coordination of patient flow for patients in the ED through continuous rounding and hourly huddles. The role should utilize the nursing process in accordance with FirstHealth’ s mission, vision, policies, and procedures. Serves as a resource for guidance and assistance for ED team.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Assess and coordinate patient flow throughout the department,
2. Assist in removing any barriers that prevent efficient patient flow,
3. Communicate with ED PCC and ED leadership any challenges or barriers during established huddle updates,
4. Re allocation of resources with PCC and ED leadership to manage flow and remove barriers,
5. Communicate with interdisciplinary team to assist in removing barriers to patient flow and
6. May occasionally be needed to function as an ED staff nurse.

Qualifications:  The following qualifications are necessary to perform the essential functions of this position:

Required:

• Registered Nurse licensure to practice in the state of North Carolina,
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Two (2) years of ED nursing experience

Preferred:

• Charge Nurse, Patient flow, Professional Governance Chair experience preferred,
• CEN Nursing certification

Certifications

Department – specific certification requirements upon hire

        * Certifications required:                                          Certifications Recommended:

ACLS                     ­­­­­

BLS

PALS

Position Specific Competencies:

In addition to the following essential competencies, other competencies may be required to meet changing organizational needs.

1.Use appropriate problem-solving approach to plan performance service.

1. Assures that department is utilizing appropriate resources in a cost-effective manner,
2. Maintains clinical competency to support team, patient care, and department as needed,
3. Supports and upholds decisions of ED leadership,
4. Participates in special projects as delegated.
5. Role models flexibility and nursing process to assist staff in providing patient care appropriate to unpredictable needs of patient population,
6. Monitors patient flow and removes barriers to support expected outcomes and
7. Identifies trends, makes suggestion of changes needed to optimize patient outcomes and ensures changes are carried out.

2.Provides services with consideration of the physical, psychosocial, cultural/spiritual, and age-specific needs of those served.

1. Facilitates patient/family/support person experience for positive outcomes.
2. Rounds hourly to assure flow is appropriate and time goals are being meet.
3. Recommends options and implements plan to enhance patient experience to leadership for additional insights or enhancements.
4. Utilizes the nursing process and evidence-based practice in responding to clinical issues, codes, and crises.
5. Provides hands on leadership for department to meet organizational goals and objectives.
6. Demonstrates skillful responses to patient, family, and colleague's needs based on the specific need and the context of the situation.

3.Uses equipment/supplies correctly.

1. Assures equipment and supplies are used correctly.
2. Identifies needs of department/unit appropriately to meet needs of patients served.
3. Follows established procedures for hospital informatics.
4. Accepts responsibility to inform appropriate individuals when equipment needs to be serviced.
5. Uses appropriate safety and infection control measures.
6. Complies with organizational standards for safety and infection control measures.
7. Reports or corrects, if within scope of practice, any situations that pose a threat to safety.
8. Completes annual education requirements in areas of safety and infection control.
9. Actively participates in safety and infections activities and collaborates with Directors of Safety and Infection Control regarding identified issues and problem solving.
10. Teaches/directs/advises inform others in an appropriate manner.
11. Maintain current knowledge of regulatory agency requirements, policies, procedures, protocols, and standards of practice.
12. Supports clinical area to meet regulatory compliance standards,
13. Provides accurate and effective information to staff, patients, and co-workers and
14. Identifies educational needs and acts as a resource for staff.
15. Reports/records information correctly.
16. Accurately completes all data and information complete with facts, actions taken, and outcomes.
17. Communicates with leadership on all pertinent information.
18. Communicates quality occurrences to leadership.
19. Monitors the work environment and initiates efforts to ensure general employee satisfaction.
20. A. Takes actions as appropriate to promote positive morale.
21. Performs the selection and supervision of personnel reflective of the community served.
22. Regularly performs rounds to verify and validate unit performance utilizing standard work.
23. Review key performance data and trends on patient flow to create performance improvement plans on items that are below target.
24. Monitors the quality of work performed and intervenes, when appropriate, to correct or enhance services.
25. Assures standards of care and regulatory requirements are met.
26. Collaborates with leadership to develop and implement ongoing performance improvement activities to meet departmental goals and standards.
27. Makes timely decisions considering the impact on patient care, financial resources, employee relations, public image, and departmental concerns.
28. Participates in fiscal management of departmental resources.
29. Ensures appropriate and timely communication to administration, directors, department staff, and peers to facilitate flow and decision-making.
30. Recognizes information needs and provides information effectively without prompting.
31. Ensures that there is support of and alignment with systemwide and divisional initiatives in all communication to staff and takes ownership of managing any crucial conversations for their team.
32. Creates a unified message with the leadership team even when the decision differs from personal feelings.
33. Supports the organization in all communications with patients, physicians, visitors, peers, and others.

Working Conditions:

Physical:

Participates in creating a safe environment by always optimizing safety.  Able to access facility, lift and transport patients, supplies, and equipment.  Demonstrates manual dexterity, hearing acuity, and verbal ability.  Displays ability for standing for long periods of time, walking, lifting. Bending, and stooping for much of the workday.  Has efficient endurance to perform tasks over long periods of time.  Involves exposure to blood/body fluids, hazardous materials, and communicable diseases.

Psychosocial:

Able to deal with a high stress and rapidly changing environment appropriately.  Remain calm under pressure.

Other:

Able to work flexible hours.  Ensures critical services are provided during inclement weather and disasters.

Age Groups Served:

____X____ Infant/Neonate               __X____ School-age           ____X____ Middle Adult

                ____X____ Toddler                            __X____ Adolescent           ____X____ Older Adult

                ____X____ Preschool                        __X____ Young Adult