A nurse coordinator’s job entails overseeing and coordinating care for his or her assigned unit or patients. A nurse coordinator, also known as a charge nurse, ensures that patient care meets applicable standards and works to keep the patients in his care, other staff members, and visitors safe in the health care setting. A nurse coordinator may assist in the development of patient care plans and ensuring that they are followed to the facility’s standards. A person with this title frequently assists in the hiring and training of new staff members for his unit, as well as providing performance evaluations.
In many cases, a nurse coordinator’s job entails communicating with doctors, patients, and their loved ones about patient care plans. This person’s job entails assisting in the creation of care plans for the patients in his unit or department, as well as revising them as needed. He may also keep an eye on the health-care setting to ensure that patient care plans are followed to the letter. If he notices a problem with the patient’s care, he may inform other nursing staff members or the patient’s treating doctor.
A nursing coordinator’s job often entails assisting other members of the health-care team in carrying out patient care plans. He might even assist them in evaluating patients. Because documentation is such an important part of nursing care, a nursing coordinator will frequently work to ensure that treatments and procedures are properly documented. He could also make sure that patient responses to treatment are documented.
Staff members are frequently instructed a nurse coordinator in order to help them provide adequate patient care. He could, for example, teach them how to perform a variety of procedures and warn them about potential complications. A nurse coordinator may also prepare staff evaluations. He might also work to ensure that a sufficient number of employees are available for a given shift. A person with this title may even assist in the hiring and training of new employees in some cases.
A person must typically become a registered nurse in order to work as a nurse coordinator. A person with an associate’s degree in nursing and a nursing license may be qualified for this position, but many employers prefer applicants with bachelor’s degrees. Many employers also prefer coordinators who have extensive nursing experience and are certified in the specialty in which they will work.