As a Staff Development Coordinator, I embraced the opportunity to enhance the skills and knowledge of healthcare professionals in a long-term care facility. My role encompassed everything from monitoring ongoing staff education needs to overseeing infection control practices. In my nursing role, as ‘Staff D’ for 340+ staff members (and only one other member other than myself on the Staff Development Team). The facility included in-house dialysis, five floors, each with four different wings. Scheduled Monday to Friday (9am to 5pm), salary paying position and having to report to the director of nursing.
My duties included:
– Monitoring ongoing staff education needs and accesses external resources, programs or workshops for continuing education of staff.
– Collaborate with staff to obtain required licensure CEU education in accordance with clinical best practices.
– Develop, evaluate & control the quality of education in accordance with clinical best practices.
– Assign mandatory training for all staff in Relias and track compliance on a monthly and annual basis.
– Oversee the general orientation for all new employees (in keep in mind every two weeks there was a group of new hires to orient) in addition to nursing schools from a few different schools with students that do clinical rotation at the facility.
– Complete necessary class and educational program attendance records.
– Prepare training classrooms/ areas prior to scheduled class times.
– Work with facility leadership team to discuss current in initiatives & resolve issues that arise.
– Complete Staff Drug Test (not at that facility; I have had interviews use this as a reason to cover up racism and bias, by just simply calling out a false positive)
– Develop & participate in the planning, conducting and scheduling of orientation programs for newly hired personnel including, but not limited to staff role, facility policies, procedures, and role expectations.
– Remain current with nursing education and best practices in care delivery.
– Administer employee & volunteer required PPD or completion of Signs and Symptoms form as needed.
– Initiate & maintain employee immunization records; track employee and volunteer required administration i.e., influenza, PPD
– Complete Infection Control Surveillance records and maintain Infection Control Binder for facility.
– Work with facility leadership and Medical Director to develop, implement, and evaluate infection control practices.
– Conduct investigation on infection control outbreak as appropriate.
– Be accountable for surveillance of healthcare- acquired and community acquired infections for residents, staff, volunteers and visitors.
– Identify occurrences, reservoirs, incubation periods, periods of communicability, mode of transmission, signs and symptoms and susceptibility associated with the infectious disease process.
– Chair monthly Infection Control/ Antibiotic Stewardship meetings.
– Assess the need for, develop, and present IPCP in-service education for each individual departments (business, nursing, maintenance, Respiratory, Nursing (CNA/ GNA / RN, Kitchen, Management, MDS, Dieticians, Physical Therapy, Maintenance, etc. just to name a few departments I had to work with for at the facility to complete this task along). General orientation and annual review as needed. Education includes but is not limited to, hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection, use of isolation & personnel protective equipment (PPE), resident replacement, transfer & discharge, environmental hazards, use of resident’s care products & medical equipment, and resident/ employee immunization programs (Influenza and Pneumonia vaccines)
– Chair the Antibiotic Stewardship Program and monitor resident’s Antibiotic use and those who build resistance to Antibiotics.
– Serve as a member of the Quality Assurance Committee.
– Perform all duties as assigned (this statement alone raised my eyebrows, but since I needed the job, money, and career/ resume boosting qualifications, I accept the position.
The educational and experience required for this job included a current, unencumbered, active license to practice as a RN in the state or compact and a minimum of two yearscRN experience in a skilled nursing center. The required skills and ability required for this job included:
– Ability to read, write, speak and understand the English language & communicate effectively on all matters; including resident condition with all residents (some may be hostile or emotionally distressed), families, personnel, medical staff, general public and support agencies under all conditions and circumstances.
– Strong supervisory and leadership skills & willingness to work harmoniously with all staff.
– Knowledgeable of nursing and medical practices and procedures as well as laws, regulations, and guidelines that pertain to long term care.
– Strong organizational, planning, analytical, problem-solving, multi-tasking, delegation & implementation skills.
– Ability to make decisions and functions independently, have flexibility and personal integrity.
– Works beyond normal working hours and on weekends and holidays when necessary. Is subject to call back during emergency conditions (severe weather, evacuation, post disaster, etc.)
Physical Requirements & Working Conditions of this job included:
– must be able to push, pull, move, and/ or lift a minimum of 50 pounds to a minimum height of three and be able to push, pull, move, and/or carry such weight a minimum distance of five feet.
– May be able to assist in the evacuation of residents during emergency situations.
– Must be able to relate to and work with the ill, disabled, elderly, emotionally upset, and, at times, hostile people within the facility.
– Must maintain the confidentiality of all resident information at all times.
– Must meet the general health requirements set forth by the polices of this facility, which include a medical and physical examination.
– Must not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals in the workplace.
– Must be able to move intermittently throughout the workday.
– Must be able to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the position.
– Must be able to see and hear or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function adequately to ensure that the requirements of this position can be fully met.
-Is subject to injury from falls, burns from equipment, odors, etc., throughout the workday, reactions from dust, disinfectants, and other air contaminants, and exposure to infectious waste, disease, conditions, hazardous chemicals, etc. Including TB, AIDS and Hepatitis B.
To be able to accomplish all these tasks, I stayed last to work to address all three shifts (7am – 3pm, 3pm – 11pm, and 11pm – 7am). I even would come in on weekends to in-service staff members that were only weekend workers. I was even asked to perform Registered Nurse duties to aid the staff when the facility/ unit was “short”. I need information about the current state of the nursing shortage for this section. I was hired because during the interview process, the facility found it interesting that I had already developed my own nursing review online program since April 15th of 2019.
A year into my job at this facility, ‘the state’ started a facility inspection during this monitoring process is when the faculty was in business transition of switching ownership. The nursing director and I ended during this period because of her insisting also round with ‘the wound team. On top of all my responsibilities as Staff Development Coordinator, I was being required to join wound team as a wound team nurse. This all was very overwhelming because ‘the state’ flagged the facility for documentation mishap a burn was documented as a pressure ulcer. This caused Minimum Data Set (MDS) to pick up on major financial discrepancies in the resident’s chart. This situation prompted me at Staff Development Coordinator to have to educate the entire building about anything you can think of that can come out of that situation.
Joining the wound team under her command, I did not want to do and overwhelm myself so when the Director of Nursing asked for my badge I handed her my badge and walked out on this strong toned Nigerian ‘woman’ like a boss-lady. She was vindictive and I did not trust her, that is why she kept my name badge; impersonating me with unknowing staff members. After I had not returned, I received messages in humor from the staff members telling me about a nurse who “looks just like me being hired for the position, walking around wearing my name badge and getting signatures for in-service. The nursing shortage is a pressing issue that continues to challenge healthcare systems worldwide. Factors such as an aging population, increased demand for healthcare services, and an aging nursing workforce contribute to this ongoing dilemma. Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed firsthand the impact of the nursing shortage on healthcare delivery and the importance of recruiting and retaining qualified nursing professionals.
In the face of the nursing shortage, it’s crucial for nurses to remain adaptable and open-minded, embracing opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others. By charting our own course and advocating for alternative nursing paths, we can continue to shape the future of healthcare and inspire the next generation of nursing professionals.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, my time I spent working in Miami as a body cosmetic nurse specializing in cool sculpting, lipo-laser, and body cavitation as well as vitamin infusion and injections. Body cavitation, also known as non-invasive body sculpting, has emerged as a popular cosmetic procedure aimed at reducing fat and improving body contours without surgery. Utilizing advanced technologies such as cool sculpting, lipo-laser, and body cavitation, cosmetic nurses like myself have the opportunity to help clients achieve their desired appearance safely and effectively. As nurses, we have the privilege of exploring a multitude of career paths, each offering unique challenges and rewards. Whether it’s fostering staff development in traditional healthcare settings or delving into innovative fields like cosmetic nursing, the possibilities are endless.
