Veteran Care Coordinator (RN IV)

The Veterans Home at Holyoke is seeking an engaging, collaborative, and experienced nursing supervisor to serve as one of our Veteran Care Coordinators. This role will serve as a member of the nursing administration team and be responsible for the supervision and oversight of an assigned Care Center within our long-term care facility.

Schedule:This is a full-time (40 hours/week) position working from 7:00 am - 3:30 pm; schedule to include occasional weekend rotation. Please Note: This is a 24 hour/7 days a week facility. The Veterans Home at Holyoke may require this individual to be present during nontraditional hours when circumstances dictate the operational need

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

• Oversees day-to-day operational needs of the Veteran Care Center
• Ensures continual delivery of high quality and effective nursing care
• Plans for optimal utilization of staff for the delivery of nursing care throughout the 24 hour/7 day a week period
• Holds staff accountable for own clinical practice, including use of nursing process and appropriate documentation to meet all regulatory standards
• Communicates effectively and resolves conflicts when they arise to promote trusting relationships
• Adopts and implements innovative nursing practices to improve Veteran care
• Participates in recruiting, selecting, mentoring and evaluating nursing personnel and their performance
• Ensures that clinical operations remain in compliance with professional and regulatory standards
• Maintains a healthy and collaborative team environment
• Develops and implements nursing policies and nursing
• Maintains own current knowledge of the veteran residents of the care center
• Maintains own competence in geriatric nursing and acts as clinical resource and expert role model to staff
• Assures staff knowledge and integration of age-specific nursing of the veteran resident population as a critical element in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care
• Completes data collection and monitoring for quality and performance improvement
• Assesses, plans and evaluates nursing care and Veteran/family progress towards goals, directing staff as needed
• Utilizes appropriate resources and exercises fiscal stewardship
• Attends appropriate clinical committees to support Veteran care

Veteran Environment Oversight

• Develops a care center's philosophy/goals which reflect the uniqueness of the care center and are consistent with the philosophy of both the nursing department and the Veterans Home at Holyoke
• Monitors the care center fiscally by collaborating with the Associate or Assistant Director of Nursing / Director of Nursing (ADON/DON) maintaining accountability for approved personnel, supplies and expense budget
• Maintains a safe environment for veteran residents, staff and visitors
• Works on interdisciplinary teams with other ancillary support services to initiate appropriate communication and plan to ensure a constant level of services for meeting veteran resident care needs
• Prepares written reports on care center issues, trends and progress towards goals

Personnel Supervision

• Participates in interview process for new employees; assists new staff members in orientation process and completes a competency-based skills inventory, and assigns senior staff to precept orientees
• Promotes teamwork with all staff assigned to shift
• Monitors activities of the care center staff for adherence to standards and need for education
• Promotes communication to staff members by conducting regular staff meetings to share information and maintains active communication by use of logs, etc. to personnel on the Veteran Care Center
• Promotes development of all staff members by:
  • meeting with each staff member on regular basis to evaluate performance, identify areas for growth, set mutual goals and provide progressive work assignments
  • develops leadership skills in personnel by conducting/precepting in orientation of new personnel, and guiding the staff in the development of leadership abilities
• Conducts progressive discipline with individual staff members as needed, documenting appropriately
• Evaluates each member utilizing our performance management system
• Relieves other Veteran Care Coordinators, on a shared basis, during vacation, extended illness, etc.
• Identifies goals for professional development and attends continuing education opportunities to attain goals

Required Qualifications:

• Must possess a current, active certification as a Registered Nurse under the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing
• Must possess a current and valid CPR/BLS certification

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience working in a long-term care environment with increasing supervisory responsibility and involvement to include the knowledge and experience associated with care planning, MDS reporting, and providing care to the geriatric and memory-impaired populations
• Bachelor's degree or higher in nursing
• Certification in Geriatric Nursing or related areas
• Experience supervising in a unionized environment
• Proven ability to lead others and effect sustainable change
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability deal tactfully with others
• Ability to promote change and mitigate conflict
• Knowledge of current evidence-based practice and regulatory standards of care
• Knowledge of emergency nursing procedures
• Knowledge of methods in evaluating nursing practice and health outcomes
• Intravenous skills and knowledge
• Proficient in Microsoft Office to include Word, Excel and Outlook

The job specifications outlined below and within the attached Form 30 are currently being reviewed and will be updated in accordance with the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) effective July 2, 2023

About The Veterans Home at Holyoke :

The Veterans Home at Holyoke is a state-funded, fully accredited health care facility that offers veterans quality health care, including full-time residential accommodations, an on-site dental clinic, a multi-service outpatient department and provides educational and social services for approximately 5000 veterans. The Veterans Home has a total of 240+ long term care beds, 30 residential beds, and is staffed by approximately 330+ administrators, clinicians, nurses, certified nursing assistants, skilled trade, dietary staff, housekeeping staff, contractors, consultants and general administrative personnel. The tradition of service to the veterans of Massachusetts is surpassed only by a continued commitment to excellence in care for those who are in need now and in the future. Our mission is to provide Care with Honor and Dignity to our Veterans.

Total Compensation:

As an employee of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts you are offered a great career opportunity influencing a wide-spectrum of services to the diverse populations we serve - but it's more than a paycheck. The State's total compensation package features an outstanding set of employee benefits which you should consider towards your overall compensation, including:

• 75% state paid medical insurance premium
• Reasonable Dental and Vision Plans
• Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Assistance programs
• Low cost basic and optional life insurance
• Retirement Savings: State Employees' Pension and a Deferred Compensation 457(b) plan
• 12 paid holidays per year and competitive Sick, Vacation and Personal Time
• Tuition Benefit for employee and spouse at state colleges and universities
• Short-Term Disability and Extended Illness program participation options
• Incentive-based Wellness Programs
• Professional Development and Continuing Education opportunities
• Qualified Employer for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program

Pre-Hire Process:

A criminal background check will be completed on the recommended candidate as required by the regulations set forth by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services prior to the candidate being hired. For more information, please visit http://www.mass.gov/hhs/cori

Education, licensure and certifications will be verified in accordance with the Human Resources Division's Hiring Guidelines.

Education and license/certification information provided by the selected candidate(s) is subject to the Massachusetts Public Record Law and may be published on the Commonwealth's website.

If you require assistance with the application/interview process and would like to request an ADA accommodation, please click on the link and complete the Reasonable Accommodation Online Request Form

Qualifications:
First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must have at least (A) two years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, experience as a registered nurse in a recognized hospital, clinic or medical facility and (B) of which at least one year must have been in a supervisory, administrative or managerial capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.

Substitutions:

I. A Graduate degree with a major in Nursing may be substituted for a maximum of one year of the required (A) experience.* No substitutions will be allowed for the required (B) experience.

*Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL LEVELS IN SERIES: Current and valid registration as a professional nurse under the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing.*

*Recent graduates from an approved school of nursing must have applied for the first available registered nurse examination. Based on assignment, possession of a current and valid Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Operator's license may be required.

Executive Order #595: As a condition of employment, successful applicants will be required to have received COVID-19 vaccination or an approved exemption as of their start date. Details relating to demonstrating compliance with this requirement will be provided to applicants selected for employment. Applicants who receive an offer of employment who can provide documentation that the vaccine is medically contraindicated or who object to vaccination due to a sincerely held religious belief may make a request for exemption.

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.