type of work you enjoy doing.
The
Lesson 1:
Career Planning:
Job Leads / Job
Search
14 Quick Tips for Finding a
New Job
by Margaret Buj
Unless you are one of the lucky
few, who works in a high-demand
career, finding a new job can be a
challenging and frustrating
experience. You can make the job
search a bit easier on yourself if you
use proactive strategies for finding
a new job – and the tips for finding
a new job included in this article
apply to all job seekers, from those
just starting out to experienced
candidates who need a quick
refresher.
Here are some of my best tips for
finding a new job at any career
level.
1. Get clear on what you
want
Before starting your job search,
take the time to reflect on your
strengths and weaknesses and the
better you know yourself, the more
likely you will find a new job that
provides you with greater
satisfaction. What do you want in a
job? What is most important, title,
money, promotion, the work itself,
location, or company culture?
2. Research your target
companies
Once you know what you want, it's
time to find out what the
companies you're applying for
want. An excellent tip for finding a
new job is to investigate a
company's Glassdoor page. It will
help you get a feel for their
company culture, figure out what
questions they commonly ask in
interviews, and even discover what
salary you're likely to be paid.
3. Tailor your resume to
each job
Your resume is still one of the most
critical tools of a job search. I see
many resumes full of
responsibilities (instead of tangible
achievements), and jobseekers
send the same resume to various
openings. One of my best tips for
finding a new job is having an
achievement-oriented resume that
includes quantifiable achievements
relevant to the job you're applying
for.
4. Create your online
career brand
Building your brand means
showcasing your expertise and
passion online, where employers
searching the Web can find it.
5. Get organized
Before you start applying for jobs
or interviewing with employers,
take a moment to develop a system
that works for you in managing
your job search. A simple
spreadsheet works best for many to
keep track of the jobs you've
applied for, where you have been
invited to interview, etc.
6. Build, cultivate, and
utilize your network of
contacts
An extensive and robust network of
contacts — people who know you
and want to help you uncover job
leads — results in more job
opportunities for most job seekers.
Networking – in person and online
– is essential to your success in
your job search.
7. Don't limit yourself to
online applications
If you rely only on submitting online
applications, you could be looking
for a job for a very long time. The
company might be in the final
interview stage by the time you
apply, or the position might have
even been filled. Contact
companies that interest you
directly - you might contact an
internal recruiter or schedule
informational interviews with
people who work in those
companies. Ideally, you want to
know the people who might
influence you to get your foot in the
door.
8. Aim to complete a few
job-related goals daily
It takes a great deal of time and
effort to find a new job. In a long job
search, it's easy to get discouraged
and distracted, but by focusing on
achieving daily goals, you can
motivate yourself while also
building a foundation for success.
9. Be kind to yourself
Looking for a job can be stressful.
So, take some time to meditate,
exercise, watch a movie, or
whatever it is that helps you
unwind. Create a good support
network – having people to
brainstorm with or vent your
frustrations will help the process be
less painful.
10. Develop examples and
stories that showcase your
skills
This is one of the main tips for
finding a new job. People
remember stories, so your goal
should be to develop a set of
interview stories you can use in
networking meetings or job
interviews that demonstrate your
skills, achievements, and passion
for your work. Be memorable!
11. Prepare for all job
interviews
Before you get called for your first
interview, develop responses for
common interview questions, and
then practice them — ideally using
the mock-interviewing technique
with a friend, network contact, or
interview coach. The more
prepared you are for the interview,
the more comfortable you will be –
and the more likely you'll succeed.
12. Write thank-you notes
after interviews to all
interviewers
A quick note (by email is
acceptable) of thanks emphasizes
your interest and fit with the job,
and the employer will not get you
the job offer. Still, it will help make
you stand out from most job
seekers who do not bother with
this simple act of courtesy.
13. Continue following up
with hiring managers
Your work is not done once the
interview is complete or the thank-
you note sent. Following up with
the hiring manager regularly shows
your interest and enthusiasm for
the job. The key is doing so in a
professional way while not making
you sound pesky or needy.
14. Expect the job search
to take longer than you
think
You can hope to have a new job
within a short period, but the likely
reality is that it might take months
to find the right opportunity and
get offered the position. You
should mentally prepare yourself
for a long battle — and then you can
be happily surprised if you are one
of the lucky few whose job search
is short.
VIDEOS:
Watch Ms. Lyqa Maravilla and
Team Lyqa as she talks about How
to Find a Job - Get Hired

Lesson 2:
Career Planning:
Developing a
Resume
Writing a resume requires a
balance of finesse and attention to
detail to land an interview for the
role you seek. It is all about
presenting your professional brand
in a way that will pique the interest
of a hiring manager.
There is more than one way to
write a resume. Our resume-
writing tips and section-by-section
content examples will help you
present your best skills and top
achievements to potential
employers. Here are our eight
steps for writing a professional
resume.
Step 1: Writing prep
Before you start writing your
resume, there are a few things
you'll need to prepare. Remember,
each resume you write should be
customized to an individual role.
To ensure you have all the
information you need at your
fingertips, use the following
checklist:
Look at the job ad to
•
understand the role.
List your applicable soft,
•
hard, and technical skills.
• Highlight important job
duties from each of your
previous positions.
• Write out your
achievements from
previous positions.
• Find industry examples
for your job title.
Step 2: Crafting a
professional summary or
career objective
The professional summary is how
you grab a reader's attention and
express your career goals and
interest in three to five sentences.
It is usually the section hiring
managers spend the most time on,
so it should be both succinct and
customized to the job posting.
Most applicants will want to use a
professional summary as it is the
industry standard and provides
more descriptive cataloging of
your accomplishments in an active
voice. Career objectives (Links to
an external site.) are one to two
sentences that solely convey the
job seeker's goals. They are useful
for job seekers who have
experience in an unrelated field or
are recent graduates.
Here are two examples of a
professional summary statement:
• "Skilled property
management professional
experienced overseeing
operational aspects,
tenant relations, office
management, and
maintenance
coordination. Successful
balancing tenant's rights
with business
considerations to achieve
financial targets. Excellent
interpersonal,
communication, and
leadership abilities."
• "Analytical Technical
Writer with five years of
experience writing about
engineering. Extensive
knowledge of editing and
distribution processes
with fluency in JavaScript.
Able to conform writing
style, content, and
formatting to proprietary
style guides. Dedicated to
thorough and accurate
writing."
Here are two examples of career
objectives:
• "Dedicated marketing
professional with 12
years of experience
looking to explore a
career in design."
• "Recent graduate looking
to pursue a career at a
pharmaceutical company
in chemical research."
Step 3: Capturing your
most notable skills
A great list of skills tells employers
at-a-glance about your technical
acumen and hard and soft skills.
Revisit the list of skills you created
during your writing prep and be
sure to focus on those that were
pulled directly from the job ad.
Here is a quick tutorial on the
different types of skills you will
want to add to your resume:
• Technical skills are
industry and/or program-
specific. They require
either a certain level of
education or certification
and/or are skills that are
specific to a particular
industry.
• Hard skills can be learned,
taught, or measured and
are not dependent on
your industry.
• Soft skills are personality
traits that are hard to
measure but that make
you great at your job.
Step 4: Writing your work
experience section
Employers want to see the impact
your work has had in your previous
jobs, so your work
experience (Links to an external
site.) should be more than just a
list of responsibilities. Results
matter and numbers are powerful.
Regardless of your role, it is usually
possible to find data or metrics
that prove your impact in previous
roles.
Writing tips for your work
experience section:
• List your jobs in reverse-
chronological order. Add
your most recent position
first. If you have many
years of experience or
have changed jobs often,
focus on the first 10 years
of your employment
history.
• Show off the
positive. Did you give
great advice to customers
or improve a less than
effective program? Then
let your future employers
know so they can see
what you'd bring to the
table if you are hired.
• Don't forget
keywords. Whenever
possible, use keywords
from the job ad to
describe your
accomplishments and job
duties. Use the same
language as the job
posting. Don't clutter
your resume with
buzzwords because you
think you should. Use
your real experience to
prove that you're a great
fit.
Step 5: Completing the
resume
Now that you have written the
bulk of your resume, it's time to
focus on the finer details of your
document. Listing out
your educational experience (Links
to an external site.) proves your
industry qualifications and lets
employers know you are a good fit.
To start, your header/contact
information should be in a font
that is professional and easy to
read. Make sure to double-check
your contact information for
accuracy. Add the finishing
touches to your resume by
including:
• Links to your portfolio or
website, if applicable
• Link to your LinkedIn
profile
 • Details about special
training and certifications,
if applicable
• Information about awards
and honors you have
won, if they are relevant
to the role
• Languages
• Volunteer work
• Industry conferences
Step 6: Determining the
right resume format
Now that you have completed
your resume sections, next choose
the resume format (Links to an
external site.) that best fits your
level of work experience. This will
help emphasize the most
significant sections of your
resume.
Most users will opt for
a chronological (Links to an
external site.) or combination
resume format (Links to an
external site.) as it works with their
skills and experience. However,
those with little or no work
experience, or job seekers with
large gaps in their employment
history, should consider using
the functional format (Links to an
external site.).
Step 7: Select a resume
template
Consider the employer and
industry when making your
selection. A colorful
creative resume template (Links to
an external site.) would be a great
fit for a design position. The
simplicity and easy readability of a
traditional template is often
perfect for fields like banking and
law. A sleek modern template is a
happy medium between the two
and is a versatile choice for many
industries.
Step 8: Edit and proofread
your resume
• Fact-check the
details. Double-check
things like dates and the
spelling of company or
school names and that all
your contact information
is accurate and up to
date.
• Proofread your resume. It
will not matter if you are
the most qualified
candidate in the world if
your resume is full of
spelling and grammatical
errors. Read the page
from top to bottom
before deeming it ready
for recruiters. Whenever
possible, send your
document to a trusted
 friend for a fresh set of
eyes.
VIDEOS:
Watch Ms Lyqa Maravilla as she
talks about How to Write Your
Resume - Get Hired (Links to an
external site.)
Lesson 3:
Career Planning:
Cover Letter
What is a cover letter?
A cover letter, also known as an
application letter, is a three- to a
four-paragraph memo to employers
that explains your interest in the
job and company as well as your
fitness for the role. One-page,
standalone document expressing
your interests in the position
typically submitted along with your
resume in a job application. This
letter should highlight your skills,
experience, and achievements in
the position you're applying for.
Unlike your resume, cover letters
allow you to go into more detail
about your professional career and
explain why you're a good
candidate, fit for the role and
company.
A well-written cover letter has the
potential to impress employers and
set you apart from other applicants.
To avoid a generic cover letter, you
should conduct in-depth research
on the company and role you're
applying in-depth before writing
your cover letter.
Cover letter format
A cover letter should be formatted
like a business letter and include
the following sections:
• Header with the date and
•
contact information
Salutation or greeting
• Opening paragraph
• Middle paragraph(s)
• Closing paragraph
• Letter ending and
signature
Your cover letter should be one
page long and use a simple,
professional font, such as Arial or
Helvetica, 10 to 12 points in size.
Your letter should be left-aligned
with single spacing one-inch
margins.

How to write a cover letter
in 6 steps
Here are six simple steps to write a
great cover letter:
1. Start with your header
2. Include a greeting
3. Write an opening
paragraph
4. Follow with a middle
paragraph
5. Finish with a closing
paragraph
6. End with a professional
sign off
We will offer detailed information
about what to include in each area
in the sections below, with
examples for each.
1. Start with your header
As with any standard business
letter header, you should include a
few pieces of personal and role-
specific information at the top of
your cover letter. This section
should include your contact
information, date of application,
and recipient's contact information.
If you'd like, you can also center
your name and address at the top
of the page, mirroring the way it
looks on your resume.
Cover letter header template:
Your name
Your city and zipcode
Your phone number
Your email address
Date
Name of recipient
Title of recipient
Company name
Company address
2. Include a greeting
In your research, try to find the
person's name who will be
reviewing applications for the job.
Address your letter to this person
with a standard business greeting,
such as "Dear" or "Hello." If you are
unable to find the preferred gender
pronouns (she/her, them/they), it is
best to use a gender-neutral
greeting such as "Dear [first and last
name]" or "Dear [position title]."
Example greetings:
• Dear Hiring Manager,
• Hello Ms. Wallace,
• Dear Tyler Wallace,
3. Write an opening
paragraph
In the first paragraph of your letter,
mention the job title you are
applying for and where you saw the
position posting. Explain your
specific interest in the role and
company so the reader knows you
have done your research and have
a genuine interest. Briefly state the
primary experience or qualification
you have that makes you a good fit.
The first section of your cover
letter is also the first impression the
reader will have of you, so it is
essential to appeal to that person
quickly and succinctly.
4. Follow with a second
paragraph
Your second paragraph should be a
brief overview of your background
as it is relevant to the position.
Here, you should include key
achievements, skills, and specialties
that make you particularly suited to
perform well in the position. Focus
on one or two and provide specific
details about your success,
including measurable impacts you
made.
Pay close attention to keywords
listed in the job description and
include those that you identify
within the body of your cover
letter. You should only have
information about your most recent
one or two professional
experiences.
5. Finish with a closing
paragraph
The following paragraph should
focus on another key achievement
or skill that is relevant to the
position. Instead of repeating
details from your resume, expand
on specific stories or anecdotes
that display your fitness for the
role. Again, focus on stories that
demonstrate the skills and
qualifications outlined in the job
description.
6. End with a professional
signoff
You should end your cover letter
with a paragraph that summarizes
why you are applying for the role
and why you would be a great fit.
Keep the cover letter conclusion
brief and explain that you look
forward to hearing from the
employer with the next steps. End
with your signature at the bottom.
VIDEOS:
Watch Ms. Lyqa Maravilla and
Team Lyqa as she talks about Write
the BEST Cover Letter! - Get Hired
Lesson 1: Staffing and Scheduling
Head nursing requires professionally sound decision making, problem
solving, critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills for the safe delivery of
nursing care as well as maintaining the welfare of the nursing staff.

Managers must be certain that adequate numbers and an appropriate mix

of personnel are available to meet the unit needs and organizational goals.
Care quality is highest when workload and staffing resources are properly
balanced.

Staffing and scheduling are important responsibilities of the nurse manager

and critical aspects of providing nursing care for several reasons.
Decreasing nurse-to-patient ratios are associated with higher patient
survival rates (McHugh et al., 2016). In addition, failing to match patient
needs to nurses' skills also increases patient mortality (Needleman et al.,
2011). Serious understaffing impairs quality, because overworked nurses
lack time to perform essential protective and therapeutic measures while
marked overstaffing impairs care quality by encouraging excessive
socializing among personnel, which leads to relaxed practice standards.

On the other hand, staffing and scheduling are also important factors in job
satisfaction for nurses. Nurses' perceptions of workload and feelings of
burnout have been tied to job dissatisfaction, increased turnover, and
nurse-reported quality of care (Van Bogaert et al., 2014). Not only have
higher nurse staffing levels translated inti lower mortality, but hospitals
reported better nurse retention rates as a result (Aiken et al., 2010).
Furthermore, magnet hospitals report higher staffing levels (Hickey,
Gauvreau, Connor, Sporing & Jenkins, 2010) and improved teamwork
(Kalisch & Lee, 2011)
STAFFING
• refers to the number and mixture of personnel assigned to work in
nursing units at a given time.
• is a human resource planning to fill positions on organization with
qualified personnel.
• is a process of determining and providing the acceptable number
and mix of nursing personnel to meet and produce desired level of
patient care demand.

STAFFING PLAN
• indicates how many persons of what job classification should be
on duty per unit each shift.
• a scheme that is mathematically derived to indicate how many
people of what classification must be hired in order to deliver
nursing care.

STAFFING MIXES
• is the skill level of individual delivering the required care in
nursing (e.g. nurse assistance, technical nurses and practical
nurses)

STAFFING PATTERN
• determines position that are required to the unit or hospital.
GOAL OF STAFFING
• to provide adequate numbers of right mixture of nursing
personnel to give proper care to patients admitted in the unit at a
particular time.
• to establish a balance between the nursing staff available with the
manpower required, according to the patients and their care
needs
• to provide sufficient staff to permit a 1:1 nurse-to-patient ratio
for each shift in every critical care unit
• to ensure sufficient nursing staff to general medical surgical,
obstetrics, pediatrics, and psychiatric units to permit a 1:5 nurse-
patient ratio (day and afternoon shifts), 1:10 nurse-patient ratio
(night shifts)
• to summarize the data on actual versus required staff
• to improve moral job satisfaction and quality care with decreased
turnover and vacancies.
• to evaluate staffing practices periodically
• recruit qualified personnel
• provide orientation to new employees
• develop personnel policies that attract and provide effective staff
member.

TYPES OF STAFFING
CENTRALIZED - made by the person in the central office of staffing
center. Nurse manager only makes minor adjustments and provide inputs
therefore he continues to have the ultimate responsibility for seeing that
adequate personnel are available to meet the needs of the organization.
DECENTRALIZED - the unit managers is the one responsible for scheduling
decisions, covering all scheduled staff absences, reducing staff during
periods of decreased patient census, adding staff during high patient
acuity, preparing monthly unit schedules, vacation and holiday schedules.
The goal of staffing is to provide appropriate number and mix of nursing
staff (nursing care hours) to match the actual or projected patient care
needs (patient care hours) to provide an effective and efficient nursing
care. There is no single or perfect method to achieve this since variability in
patient census requires continuous fine-tuning.
To determine the number of staff needed, manager must examine
workload patterns of the designated unit, department , or clinic. For a
hospital it means determining the level of care, average daily census, and
hours of care provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

STAFFING PROCESS
• This refers to a logical operation that consist of the following
interdependent actions:

1. Identifying the type and amount of services needed by the

patients.
2. Determining the personnel categories that have the knowledge
and skill to perform needed services measures.
3. Predicting the number of personnel in each job category that will
be needed to meet anticipated services demands.
4. Obtaining the projected budget for the numbers in each category
needed to service for the expected types and number of clients.
5. Recruitment for available positions.
6. Selecting and appointing personnel from suitable applicant.
7. Combining personnel into desired configuration by unit and shift.
 8. Orienting personnel to fulfill assigned responsibilities.
9. Assigning responsibilities for client services to available personnel.

THREE ESSENTIAL METHODS OF NURSE

STAFFING
1. TRADITIONAL FIXED STAFFING PATTERN - In this method, the
staffing pattern is built around a fixed project maximum workload
requirement. It ignores the fluctuation in workload (quantity and
quality of patients) or a staff member condition (e.g. shortage and
absenteeism)

2. CONTROLLED VARIABLE STAFFING PATTERN - In this method,

the units are staffed below the maximum workload conditions and
staff is then supplemented as needed. Although this is a very
effective method for staffing, it creates dissatisfaction among
staff.

Methods for use of supplementary staff:

A. BORROWING - a common method of borrowing staff from unit to

unit to help those who have too little staff. However, some staff
resent from being transferred unit to unit. And sometimes, the
head nurse never admits that she has more nurses.
B. FLOATING - a better method of managing staffing needs. Nurses
who are permanent workers but do not belong to any units are
used to fill any shortage in staff advantage. It helps to manage the
day to day variation in work volume. Some nurses prefer this
method for a chance to work with different types of patients.
C. ON-CALL STAFF - Usually on- call staff is filled with fixed staff
that receive extra pay for being on call whether they are called or
not. This method is useful in OR and ICU.
 3. SEMI-FLEXIBLE STAFFING PATTERN - In this method, about 10%
to 15% of staff are fixed and the rest is flexible (supplementary)
and the volume is adjusted to match workload needs.

BENEFITS
A full-time equivalent (FTE) is a full-time position that can be equated to 40
hours of work per week for 52 weeks, or 2,080 hours per year. After the
number of required FTEs is determined for an
organization, it is also necessary to determine how many FTEs are ecessary
to replace personnel for benefit time (e.g., vacations, holidays, personal
days). This factor can be calculated by determining the average number of
vacation days, paid holidays, personal days, bereavement days, sick days, or
other days off with pay that the organization provides to employees.
Total Number of Working and Non-Working days and hours of
nursing personnel per year
 Working
Benefit/Year
Hours per Week
40 48
HOURS HOURS

Vacation Leave 15 15

Sick Leave 15 15

Legal Holidays 10 10

Special Holidays 2 2
Special Privileges 3 3
Off duties as per RA
104 52
5901
Continuing Education
3 3
Program
Total Non-working
152 100
days/year
Total Working
213 265
days/year
Total Working
1704 2,120
hours/year

ADVANCED SYSTEMS OF PATIENT

CLASSIFICATION
A. PATIENT CLASSIFICATION
• It is referred interchangeably with "patient acuity system". It uses
patient needs to objectively determine workload requirements
 and staffing needs. Patient classification data are collected and
analyzed at the middle of the shift by the unit nursing staff so
staffing can be decided before the next shift starts to ensure
appropriate numbers and mix of nursing staffs.
• It quantifies the quality of nursing care that is essential to staffing
nursing units and hospitals.
• Ability to respond to constant variation in the care needs of
patient is the primary goal of PCS.
• Grouping of patients according to the amount and complexity of
their nursing requirements.

NURSING
CAT CARE HOU RATIO OF
LEVEL
EGO DEFINITION RS PER PROF TO
OF CARE
RY PATIENT PER NON-PROF
DAY

Minimal care is given to

patients who are
convalescing and who no
longer require intensive,
SELF-CARE/ moderate or maximum
MINIMAL care. 1.5 HOURS 55:45
I
CARE There are the patients who
require diagnostic studies,
minimal therapy, less
observation and daily care
for minor conditions

MODERATE
/ Care give to patients who
II are moderately-ill or are 3.0 H
INTERMEDIA 60:40
recovering from the OURS
TE CA
immediate effects of a
RE
 serious illness and
operation.
Patients require nursing
supervision or some
assistance related to
ambulating and caring for
their own hygiene

Given to patients who

need close attention
throughout the shift.
TOTAL/ Complete care for patients
4.5
INTENSIVE who require nursing to 65:35
I CAR initiate, supervise and HOURS
E perform most of their
II
activities or who require
frequent and complex
medication.
Given to acutely-ill
HIGHLY patients who have a high
SPECIALIZED level of nurse dependency 6.0
including those requiring 70:30
/ OR MOR
intensive therapy or whose 80:20
E HOURS
IV CRITICAL condition is unstable who
CARE require frequent
evaluation.

GOALS OF PATIENT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

• The overall goal of nursing is to meet the patient nursing needs
with the available resources for providing smooth day and night
quality care.
• To ensure that nursing care is provided to patient, work must be
organized.
 • A nursing care delivery model organize the work of caring for
patients.

B. TASK QUANTIFICATION
Task quantification system focuses on nursing tasks to be performed.
Common tasks are either direct nursing care (e.g. medication
administration and vital signs monitoring) or indirect nursing care (away
from the patient e.g. preparing medications, documenting on patients' files,
providing instructions, educative sessions)

PERCENTAGE OF PATIENTS AT VARIOUS

LEVELS OF CARE
Highly
Type of Minima Moderat Intensiv
Specialized Car
Hospital l Care e Care e Care
e
Primary 70 25 5 -
Secondar
65 30 5 -
y
Tertiary 30 45 15 10
Special
10 25 45 20
Tertiary

STAFFING COMPUTATION
Find the number of nursing personnel needed for a 250 patients in a
tertiary hospital.

a. Categorize the patients according to levels of care needed.

250 patients x 0.30 = 75 patients needing minimal care

 250 patients x 0.45 = 112.5 patients needing moderate care

250 patients x 0.15 = 37.5 patients need intensive care

250 patients x 0.10 = 25 patients need highly specialized nursing

care

b. Find the number of nursing care hours (NCH) needed by patients at

each level of care per day.

75 patients x 1.5 (NCH needed at Level I) = 112.5 NCH/day

112.5 patients x 3 (NCH needed at Level II) = 337.5 NCH/day

37.5 patients x 4.5 (NCH needed at Level III ) = 168.75 NCH/day

25 patients x 6 (NCH needed at Level IV) = 150 NCH/day

Total = 768.75 NCH/day

c. Find the total NCH needed by 250 patients per year.

768.75 x 365 (days/year) = 280 593.75 NCH/year

d. Find the actual working hours rendered by each nursing personnel

per year.

8 (hrs/day) x 213 (working days per year) = 1704 working

hours per year

e. Find the total number of nursing personnel needed.

where:

Total NCH/year/Working hours per year =

280,593.75/1704 = 165

Relief x Total Nsg Personnel = 165 x 0.15 = 25

Total Nursing Personnel Needed 165 +25 = 190

f. Categorize professional and non-professional personnel. Ratio of
professionals to non-professionals in a tertiary hospital is 65:35.

190 x 0.65 = 124 professional nurses

190 x 0.35 = 66 nursing attendants

g. Distribute by shifts

124 nurses x 0.45 = 56 nurses on AM shift

124 nurses x 0.37 = 46 nurses on PM shift

124 nurses x 0.18 = 22 nurses on Night shift

66 nursing attendants x 0. 45 = 30 NA on AM shift

66 nursing attendants x 0. 37 = 24 NA on PM shift

66 nursing attendants x 0. 18 = 12 NA on Night shift

SCHEDULING
Nurse shortages and current restrictions in salary budgets have made
creative and flexible staffing patterns necessary and probably everlasting.
Combinations of 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-hour shifts and schedules that have
nurses working 6 consecutive days of 12-hour shifts with 9 days off, and
staffing strategies, such as weekend programs and split shifts, are
common. Flexible staffing patterns can be a major challenge and, in some
cases, a mathematical challenge. However, once a schedule is established
and agreed to by the nurse manager and the staff, it can become a cyclic
schedule for an extended period of time, such as 6 to 12 months. This
allows staff members to know their work schedule many months ahead of
time.
The use of 8-hour and 12-hour shifts is fairly straightforward. Problems
with combined staffing patterns may include the following:

• The perception that nurses do not work full-time when they work several
days in a row, then are off for several days in a row
• Disruption in continuity of care if split shifts are used (7:00 to 11:00 a.m.;
11:00 a.m.
to 3:00 p.m.; 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.; 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.; 1:00 a.m. to
7:00 a.m. shifts)
• Immense challenges for nurse managers to communicate with all staff in
a timely manner
Advantages of using combined staffing patterns are that it achieves
the following:
• Better meets patient care needs during peak workload times
• Improves staff satisfaction
• Maximizes the availability of nurses
Ten-hour shifts provide greater overlap between shifts to permit extra time
for nurses to complete their work; for this reason, they may increase salary
expenditures. There are a few specialty units in which 10-hour shifts would
be cost-efficient—for example, post-anesthesia recovery areas, operating
departments, and emergency departments.
Ten hour shift in Four day workweek - The main problem was fatigue. The
long weekends and off were attractions. There is time to finish work, peak
work loads can be covered, and there is decreased overtime and decreased
costs.
Eight hour shift in a five day workweek - 5-day, 40-hours workweek. The
shift usually 7am to 3:30pm, 3pm to 11:30pm, and 11pm to 7:30 am and a
half hour overlap time between shifts to provide continuity of care.
Twelve-hour shift in seven day workweek - The better use of personnel
lower staffing requirements; this consequently lowers the cost per patient
day. Fewer communication gaps and better continuity of care. Improved
nurse-patient relations, job satisfaction, and morale. Working relations are
improved. Team development is possible. No blames for problems. Total
time off is increased, with an increased usefulness for other duties. Travel
time is reduced. Overtime pay has been of some concerns.

Types of Schedules
Centralized scheduling - The schedule done by the upper manager for
all nurses in all departments manually or by computer.
Advantages: fairness to employees through consistent, objective, and
impartial application of policies
and opportunities for cost containment through better use of resources.
Relieves nurse managers from time-consuming duties, freeing them for
other activities. Computer can be used for centralized scheduling. The
advantage of this include cost-effectiveness through the reduction of
clerical staff and better use of professional nurses by decreasing the time
spent in non-patient care activities; unbiased, consistent scheduling;
equitable application of agency policy; developed in advance so employees
know what their schedule are and can plan their personal live
accordingly.
Disadvantage: Lack of individualized treatment of employees is a chief
complaint.
Decentralized scheduling - When managers are given authority and assume
responsibility, they can staff their own units through decentralized
scheduling.
Advantages: Personnel feel that they get more personalized attention
with decentralized scheduling. Staffing is easier and less complicated when
done for a
small area instead of for the whole agency. Managers can work together to
solve chronic staffing
problems.
Disadvantages: Some staff members may receive individualized treatment
at the expense of others. Work schedules can be used as a punish-reward
system. Because it is consuming time, takes managers away from other
duties or forces them to do the scheduling while off duty. It may use
resources less efficiently and consequently make cost containment more
difficult.
Alternating or rotating work shifts - Some nurses may work all three shifts
within 7 days. Create stress for staff nurses. Body rhythms need time to
adjust to the discrepancy between the persons activity cycle
and the new demands of the environment. The ability of the body functions
to adjust varies considerably among individuals. It may take 2-3 days to 2
weeks for a person to adjust to a different sleep-wake cycle. It affects the
health of nurses and the quality of their work. Anorexia, digestive
disturbances, disruption in bowel habits, fatigue, and error proneness.
Permanent shift
Advantages:
1. Permanent shift relieve nurses from stress and health related problems
associated with alternating and rotating shifts.
2. Provide social, educational, and psychological advantages.
3. staff can participate in social activities.
4. They can continue their education by planning courses around their work
schedules.
5. Child care arrangement can be stable.
6. Fewer health problems and less tardiness, absenteeism, and turnover.
Disadvantages:
1. Managers may have difficulty in evaluating the evening and night shifts.
2. the staff of permanent shift not develop an appreciation for the workload
or problems of other shifts
Block, cyclical, scheduling - uses the same schedule repeatedly. The
schedule repeat itself on an identified period of time.
Advantages:
1. Personnel know their schedules in advance and consequently can plan
their social live.
2. Absenteeism will be less.
3. Establish stable work groups and decrease floating, thus promoting team
spirit and continuity of care.
Variable staffing - Method in which the number and mix of staff are
determined by patient needs.
Self-scheduling allows the staff to create and manage the schedule by
indicating their preferred shifts to work and noting what shifts they are not
available (Russell, Hawkins, & Arnold, 2012). Self-scheduling allows staff to
feel satisfied because they play a large role in choosing their schedules. The
manager’s role
with self-scheduling is to pay close attention to the proposed schedule and
balance staffing if the proposed self-schedule draft is not balanced to meet
patient care needs. After a schedule is completed and balanced, it is posted
for staff to see, well in advance of when the schedule starts. Posting of the
schedule may be done on paper on the unit and also online in electronic
format.
Shared scheduling is when wo people share one full-time schedule by
splitting the day of 12 hours into half days of 6.5 hours each, alternating
morning and afternoon shifts. This allows nurses who might not be able to
work the full 12 hours to share the shift. This option might be attractive to
parents of young
children who want to work but do not want to be away from home long
hours. It can also be helpful to nurses who are close to retiring from their
nursing career but still want to work some hours.
Open shift management is a technique that allows staff to schedule
additional shifts beyond their expected shifts. With the schedule posted
online, staff members can select assignments and shifts that fit their
expertise and accommodate their personal schedules. Healthcare systems,
with multiple hospitals, might use open shift management so staff can select
assignments at multiple care locations within the system.
Weekend staffing plan is being utilized by hospitals can no longer arbitrarily
staff patient care units for weekends or nights with marginal numbers or
levels of qualified staff. The acuity of patients in hospitals,
including medical and surgical patients, mandates staffing units on the
weekends by the same principles used for weekdays. Thorough trend
analysis of patient data can provide the justification necessary to
appropriately decrease the number of RNs, at least for some levels, because
of differences in patient care needs throughout the day.
Automated Scheduling is powered by today's technology (Douglas, 2010).
Matching patient demand to nurse staffing is better done by automated
systems than by individuals. To aid in scheduling decisions, data should
include patient information, nurse characteristics, and hospital data (Frith,
Anderson, & Sewell, 2010). Automated systems improve patient care
outcomes because nurses spend more time with the patients who need the
most nursing care. In addition, using nurses’ time appropriately improves
financial outcomes (Barton, 2011). Data are often displayed on a dashboard.
A dashboard is a computer display of real-time data collected from various
sources and categorized for use in decision making.
Shifting schedule pertains to the varying time of work of an employee as
compared to a fixed schedule. The idea of a shifting schedule emanated for
the concept of shift work which in turn arise out of the need of a company
to work and provide service 24 hours 7 days a week.
Lesson 2: Modalities of Care
Review on the Modalities of Nursing Care
This refers to the manner in which nursing care is organized and provided. It
depends on the philosophy of the organization, nurse staffing and client
population.
Case Method/Total Patient Care
In case method, the nurse cares for one patient whom the nurse cares for
exclusively. The Case Method evolved into what we now call private duty
nursing. It was the first type of nursing care delivery system.
In Total Patient Care, the nurse is responsible for the total care of the
patient during the nurse’s working shift. The RN is responsible for several
patients.
Advantages:

• Consistency in carrying out the nursing care plan

• Patient needs are quickly met as high number of RN hours are
spent on the patient
• Relationship based on trust is developed between the RN and the
patient’s family

Disadvantage:
- It can be very costly
Functional Nursing
It is a task-oriented method wherein a particular nursing function is
assigned to each staff member. The medication nurse, treatment nurse and
bedside nurse are all products of this system. For efficiency, nursing was
essentially divided into tasks, a model that proved very beneficial when
staffing was poor. The key idea was for nurses to be assigned to tasks, not
to patients.
Advantages:
 • A very efficient way to delivery care.
• Could accomplish a lot of tasks in a small amount of time
• Staff members do only what they are capable of doing
• Least costly as fewer RNs are required

Disadvantages:

• Care of patients become fragmented and depersonalized

• Patients do not have one identifiable nurse
• Very narrow scope of practice for RNs
• Leads to patient and nurse dissatisfaction

Team Nursing
This is the most commonly used model and is still in use today. It was
developed in the 1950’s in order to somewhat ameliorate the fragmentation
that was inherent in the functional model. The goal of team nursing is for a
team to work democratically. In the ideal team, an RN is assigned as a Team
Leader for a group of patients. The Team Leader has a core of staff
reporting to her, and together they work to disseminate the care activities.
The team member possessing the skill needed by the individual patient is
assigned to that patient, but the Team Leader still has accountability for all
of the care. Team conferences occur in which the expertise of every staff
member is used to plan the care.
Advantages:

• Each member’s capabilities are maximized so job satisfaction

should be high
• Patients have one nurse (the Team Leader) with immediate access
to other health providers

Disadvantages:

• Requires a team spirit and commitment to succeed

• RN may be the Team Leader one day and a team member the next,
thus continuity of patient care may suffer
• Care is still fragmented with only 8 or 12 hour accountability

Primary Nursing
The hallmark of this modality is that one nurse cares for one group of
patients with a 24-hour accountability for planning their care. In other
words, a Primary Nurse (PN) cares for her primary patients every time she
works and for as long as the patient remains on her unit. An Associate
Nurse cares for the patient in the PN’s absence and follows the PN’s
individualized plan of care. This is a decentralized delivery model: more
responsibility and authority is placed with each staff nurse.
Advantages:

• Increased satisfaction for patients and nurses

• More professionalsystem: RN plans and communicates with all
healthcare members. RNs are seen as more knowledgeable and
responsible.
• RNs more satisfied because they continue to learn as as part of the
in-depth care they are required to deliver to their patient

Disadvantage:

• Only confines a nurse’s talents to a limited number of patients, so

other patients cannot benefit if the RN is competitive
• Can be intimidating for RNs who are less skilled and
knowledgeable

Modular Nursing (District Nursing)

This is a modification of team and primary nursing. It is a geographical
assignment of patient that encourages continuity of care by organizing a
group of staff to work with a group of patients in the same locale.
Advantages:

• Useful when there are a few Registered Nurses

• RNs plan their care

Disadvantage:

• Paraprofessionals do technical aspects of nursing care

Lesson 3: Nursing Kardex: Patient
Care Summary
The Kardex is a widely used, concise method of organizing and recording
data about a client, making information quickly accessible to all health
professionals. The system consists of a series of cards kept in a portable
index file or on computer-generated forms. The card for a particular client
can be quickly accessed to reveal specific data.
It may or may not become a part of the client’s permanent record. In some
organizations it is a temporary worksheet written in pencil for ease in
recording frequent changes in details of a client’s care. The information on
Kardexes may be organized into sections, for example:
• Pertinent information about the client, such as name, room
number, age, admission date, primary care provider’s name, diagnosis, and
type of surgery and date
• Allergies
• List of medications, with the date of order and the times of
administration for each
• List of intravenous fluids, with dates of infusions
• List of daily treatments and procedures, such as irrigations,
dressing changes, postural drainage, or measurement of vital signs
• List of diagnostic procedures ordered, such as x-ray or
laboratory tests
• Specific data on how the client’s physical needs are to be
met, such as type of diet, assistance needed with feeding,
elimination devices, activity, hygienic needs, and safety precautions (e.g.,
one person assist)
• A problem list, stated goals, and a list of nursing approaches
to meet the goals and relieve the problems.

Although much of the information on the Kardex may be recorded by the

nurse in charge or a delegate (e.g., the nursing unit clerk), any nurse who
cares for the client plays a key role in initiating the record
and keeping the data current. Whether the Kardex is a written paper or
computerized, it is important to have a place on it to record dates and the
initials of the person reviewing or revising it. It is a quick visual guide to
ensure that information is current and updated on a regular basis.
Lesson 5: Nursing Clinical
Handover (Endorsement of
Patient)
THE PROCESS OF ENDORSEMENT AND REFERRING PATIENT
USING ISBAR
The "ISBAR" framework is used for effective communication. It aims to give
users the capacity to adapt, implement and evaluate an approach to clinical
communication around clinical handover in a health care setting. The
ISBAR framework is simple. It consist of 5 elements that focus a
conversation to relevant detail. This helps to focus the information and
eliminate irrelevant in formation. These elements are:
I- INTRODUCTION

• Who you are, your role, where you are and why you are
communicating.
• Patient’s name, age, gender and location

S- SITUATION

• Briefly state the problem

• What is happening at the moment?

B- BACKGROUND

• What are the issues that led up to this situation?

• State client admission diagnosis and date of admission.
• State pertinent medical history.
• Provide brief summary of treatment to date.
• Code status (if appropriate)

A- ASSESSMENT/ACTION

• What do you believe the problem is?

• Use ABCDE approach
• Airway
 • Breathing
• Circulation
• Disability
• Exposure
• Vital signs
• Pain scale
• Is there a change from prior assessments.

R- RESULT/RESPONSE/RECOMMENDATION/RATIONALE

• What should be done to correct this situation.

• Ask if Health Care Provider (HCP) wants to order any tests or
medications.
• Ask Health Carte Provider (HCP) if she/he wants to be notified for
any reason.
• Ask, if no improvement, when you should call again.

EXAMPLES:
Introduction:
>Good morning, I am Vivian Mendoza outgoing staff nurse.
>Endorsing patient Elizabeth Dunbar, 36 years old , Female from Brgy. 96
Makati City.
Situation:
> Mrs. Dunbar presented to emergency department today at 12:03pm with
chest pain and shortness of breath. She is markedly unwell and I suspect
she is suffering with infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive airways
disease. We are over capacity due to a mine collapse and do not currently
have resources to provide the level of care she requires.
Background:
>Mrs. Dunbar has a long history of chronic obstructive airways disease and
anxiety with increasing hospital admissions over the last X years. Her last
hospital admission was 10/12/2021. She is a reformed smoker. Her
medication regimen includes oxygen, inhaled corticosteroid, theophylline
and a long-acting bronchodilator. Mrs. Dunbar lives with her daughter due
to limitation in her activities of daily living.
Assessment/Action:
>Mrs. Dunbar is extremely anxious and distressed. Her presentation for
this event is more severe than on previous occasions. An ECG was
negative for acute changes. On physical assessment her temperature is
37.1 C, blood pressure 120/80 mmHg, heart rate 99 bpm, respiratory rate
10 per minute, oxygen saturation 90% on 4 liters of oxygen per minute via
nasal specs. She is unable to perform a peak flow reading. Inspiratory and
expiratory accessory muscle use is evident. This is consistent with acute
exacerbation of her chronic obstructive airway disease. Blood and sputum
specimens have been prior to commencement of an intravenous fluid
regime and antibiotics.
Response/Result:
>Still with chest pain and shortness of breath as well as extremely anxious
and distressed.

Click this link for more information> SHIFT HANDOVER

INTRODUCTION: DELEGATION
(DIRECTING)

Delegation has long been a function of registered nursing, although the

scope of delegation and the tasks being delegated have changed
dramatically the past three decades with the increased use of unlicensed
personnel in acute care settings. As a result, the professional nurse
(registered nurse [RN]) role has changed in many acute care institutions
from one of direct care provider to one requiring the delegation of direct
patient care to others (Huston, 2017).
Delegation can be defined simply as getting work done through others or
as directing the performance of one or more people to accomplish
organizational goals. It is not the same as assignment, which involves
distributing work to a qualified person or persons for implementation of a
specific activity or set of activities within their job description (American
Nurses Association [ANA] & National Council of State Boards of Nursing
[NCSBN], n.d.) In delegation, the individual transfers the authority to
perform a specific activity from their own practice, to an individual qualified
to perform that task, but retains accountability for the delegated task.
Experts also agree that delegation is an essential element of
the DIRECTING phase of the management process because much of the
work accomplished by managers (first-, middle-, and top-level managers)
occurs not only through their own efforts but also through those of their
subordinates. Frequently, there is too much work to be accomplished by
one person. In these situations, delegation often becomes synonymous with
productivity and is not an option—but a necessity.
There are many good reasons for delegating. Sometimes, managers must
delegate routine tasks so they are free to handle problems that are more
complex or require a higher level of expertise. Managers may delegate work
if someone else is better prepared or has greater expertise or knowledge
about how to solve a problem.
Delegation can also be used to provide learning or “stretching”
opportunities for subordinates. Subordinates who have not delegated
enough responsibility may become bored, nonproductive, and ineffective.
Thus, in delegating, the leader-manager contributes to employees’ personal
and professional development.

Yet, delegation is not easy. It requires you to trust somebody else to

perform a task that you believe to be important. It also takes effort: You
have to explain how you do a particular task, train somebody else to do
it, and then monitor that person. Yet, it is also absolutely critical to
managerial productivity and efficiency.
Leadership Roles and Management Functions Associated
With Delegation
Leadership Role
1. Assures that organizational guidelines regarding delegation are
current, reflecting best practices
2. Functions as a role model, supporter, and resource person in
delegating tasks to subordinates
3. Encourages followers to use delegation as a time management
strategy and team-building tool
4. Assists followers in identifying situations appropriate for
delegation
5. Communicates clearly when delegating tasks
6. Maintains patient safety as a minimum criterion in determining the
most appropriate person to carry out a delegated task
7. Plans ahead and delegates proactively, rather than waiting until
time urgency is present and crisis responses are required
8. Conveys a feeling of confidence and encouragement to the
individual who has taken on a delegated task.
9. Uses delegation as a means for stretching and empowering
workers to learn new skills and be successful
10. Works to establish a culture of mutual trust, teamwork, and open
communication so that delegation becomes a strategy health-care
workers feel comfortable using to achieve organizational, patient,
and personal goals

Management Task
1. Knowledgeable regarding legal liabilities of subordinate supervision
2. Assesses accurately subordinates’ capabilities and motivation when
delegating
3. Delegates a level of authority necessary to complete delegated
tasks
4. Shares accountability for delegated tasks
5. Attempts consciously to see the subordinate’s perspective to
reduce the likelihood of resistance in the delegation
 6. Develops and implements a periodic review process for all
delegated tasks
7. Avoids overburdening subordinates by giving them permission to
refuse delegated tasks
8. Counsels and/or disciplines employees appropriately when they
fail to carry out appropriately delegated tasks
9. Provides recognition or reward as appropriate for the completion
of delegated tasks
10. Provides formal education and training opportunities on delegation
principles for staff

Delegation as a Function of Professional Nursing

With the restructuring of care delivery models, RNs at all levels are
increasingly being expected to make assignments for and supervise the
work of different levels of employees. To increase the likelihood that
the increased delegation required in today’s restructured health-care
organizations does not result in an unsafe work environment, organizations
should have: (a) a clearly defined structure where RNs are recognized
as leaders of the health-care team, (b) job descriptions that clearly define
the roles and responsibilities of all workers, (c) education programs that help
personnel learn the roles and responsibilities of coworkers, and (d)training
programs that foster the development of leadership and delegation skills
(Huston, 2017).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL DELEGATION

1. Identify necessary skill and education levels to complete the delegated
task.

2. Plan ahead.

3. Select and empower capable personnel.

4. Communicate goals clearly.

5. Empower the delegate

6. Set deadline and monitor progress

7. Evaluate Performance

8. Reward Accomplishment

1. Necessary Skills and Education Levels

Identify the skill or educational level necessary to complete the job. The
challenge is that RN must also understand the scope of practice of others
on the nursing team who are providing patientcare.
2. Plan Ahead
Plan ahead when identifying tasks to be accomplished. Always make an
attempt to delegate before you
become overwhelmed. In addition, always be sure to carefully assess the
situation before delegating and to clearly delineate the desired outcomes.
3. Select and Empower Capable Personnel
Identify which individuals can complete the job in terms of capability and
time to do so. It is a leadership role to stretch new and capable employees
who want opportunities to learn and grow. It is important though to have
reasonable expectations of what the selected individual can do in the time
and with the resources available (Reyes, 2015). Managing employee
workload is critical when delegating because overburdened employees may
find it impossible to compete assigned tasks and will be less likely to learn
the desired skills. Also, look for employees who are innovative and willing to
take risks. It is also important that the person to whom the task is being
delegated considers the task to be important.
Leader-managers should always ask the individuals to whom they are
delegating if they are capable of completing the delegated task and validate
this perception by direct observation. Delegate the authority and the
responsibility necessary to complete the task. Reyes (2015) suggests that
to carry out a delegated task, employees may also need access to
information, technology and/or tools, an adequate budget, and a directive
informing support staff that they will be tapped for assistance and
should cooperate. Nothing is more frustrating to a creative and productive
employee than not having the resources or authority to carry out a well-
developed plan.
4. Communicate Goals Clearly
The goals for delegation should always be clearly communicated.
Communication should include what is being delegated, the purpose and
goal of the task, any limitations for task completion including a timeline,
and the expectations for reporting. Reyes (2015) suggests that if desired
outcomes are unclear or the limitations of an assignment are fuzzy, chances
are the end result will not live up to expectations. “While the means
of accomplishing a delegated assignment should not be regimented, leaving
no room for initiative or independent thought; specifying desired results,
lines of authority and deliverables will ensure that things don’t veer too
far off track” (Reyes, 2015, para. 9).

5. Set Deadlines and Monitor Progress

Set time lines and monitor how the task is being accomplished through
informal but regularly scheduled
meetings. This shows an interest on the part of the nurse-leader, provides
for a periodic review of progress, and encourages ongoing communication
to clarify any questions or misconceptions. In doing so, the leader-manager
provides staff feedback to increase competency in task performance. In
addition, this keeps the delegated task before the subordinate and the
manager so that both share accountability for its completion. Although the
final responsibility belongs to the delegator, the subordinate doing the task
accepts responsibility for completing it appropriately and is accountable to
the person who delegated the task.
6. Evaluate Performance
Evaluate the delegation experience after the task has been completed.
Include positive and negative aspects of how the person completed the
task. Were the outcomes achieved? Ask the individual you delegated to,
what you could have done differently to facilitate their completion of the
delegated tasks. This shared reflection encourages the development of a
mutually trusting and productive relationship between delegators
and subordinates.
7. Reward Accomplishment
Be sure to appropriately reward a successfully completed task. Leaders are
often measured by the successes of those on their teams. Therefore, the
more recognition team members receive, the more recognition will be given
to their leader.
THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO SIMULATE THE ROLE OF A HEAD
NURSE {CLINICAL NURSE MANAGER} BY:
1. Delegating tasks to staff nurses using appropriate priority setting in
specific situations
2. Identifying tasks that should and should not be delegated to staff nurses.
3. Admitting patient in his/her respective unit.
4. Assisting, coordinating and supervising assigned staff nurse during
Admission procedure.
5. Assisting, coordinating and supervising patient care to assigned staff
nurse during Clinical hand over.
6. Carrying out doctors order effectively.

Lesson 1: Head Nurse: Definition,

Skills and Job Description
HEAD NURSE (CLINICAL NURSE MANAGER)
In hospitals and other medical facilities, the nursing department is
important for the continued safety, treatment and comfort of patients.
Head nurses oversee the nursing department, directly managing the nursing
staff and ensuring they follow all procedures and medical best practices.
Head nurses are healthcare professionals who fulfill both nursing and
managerial duties. They direct the nursing staff and serve as the primary
point of communication between the nurses and the doctors, administration
and other professionals in their healthcare facility.
What does a head nurse do?
Head nurses perform many duties throughout the facility in which they
work. As nurses, they accomplish typical day-to-day nursing responsibilities
for patients. As managers, their responsibilities involve supervision,
administration and communication.
Head Nurse's DAY TO DAY responsibilities are:

• Assisting with and coordinating patient care

• Allocating nursing and healthcare resources where needed
• Organizing nurses' notes regarding patients
• Providing patient paperwork to doctors
• Coordinating patient payments with payments department or
process payments on their own
• Participating in the hiring of new nursing staff and training new
hires
• Creating schedules for nursing staff
• Resolving employee conflicts
• Resolving patient issues
• Creating reports for facility management
• Placing orders for equipment and supplies

Important skills for a Head Nurse (Clinical Nurse Manager)

In order to complete their daily tasks, head nurses require a combination of
abilities related to office administration, interpersonal skills and managerial
proficiency.
The skills most helpful for head nurses include:

• Leadership - Head nurses use strong leadership skills to ensure

their nursing staff performs their jobs correctly and safely.
• Communication - It's important for head nurses to communicate
patient needs, nursing instructions and other medically important
information clearly and efficiently.
• Organization - Coordinating the nursing staff, managing patient
records and monitoring patient treatment all rely heavily on the
head nurse's organization skills.
• Customer service - Head nurses often work together with vendors
to place and fulfill orders for supplies and equipment. Also, though
they don't view patients as customers, customer service skills are
helpful when interacting with patients, listening to their needs and
fulfilling their requests.
 • Empathy and compassion - Head nurses use empathy and
compassion when working with patients so that they can better
understand their patients' needs, which helps them better address
their patients' medical issues.
• Analytical skills - Since head nurses often diagnose patients,
analyzing test results or studying patient files can help them
understand what the medical issue may be. Also, analyzing hospital
records can help with their administrative duties.
• Conflict resolution - As the manager of the nursing staff, head
nurses must often resolve any conflicts the staff may have with
each other or with their patients to help facilitate a positive and
productive environment for all.
• Ability to multitask - Medical facilities are often fast-paced work
environments with many tasks in need of completion. As a
manager, head nurses take responsibility for completing many of
these tasks in addition to typical nursing duties.
• Responsibility - As the head of the nursing staff, much of the
responsibility for patient care belongs to the head nurse.
Employers expect their head nurses to welcome this responsibility
and prioritize patient health and safety.

Experience Requirements for Head Nurses (Clinical Nurse Manager)

At most facilities, head nurses typically need at least 5 years of nursing
experience to qualify for consideration for the position. Additionally, many
employers prefer their head nurses to have 1-3 years of experience in a
supervisory position. This can include some supervision or training
assistance for staff like nursing aides.
Lesson 2: Staff Nurse: Duties and
Responsibilities
Staff Nurse RN Responsibilities and Duties
• Restores and promotes patient’s health by completing the nursing
process.
• Provide nursing care to patients according to hospital policies.
• Make updates to patient care plan according to their changing
needs and properly coordinated to immediate head {Head
Nurse/Unit Manager/Charge Nurse}
• Perform routine procedures (Vital Signs, administering injections
etc.) and fill in patients’ charts.
• Collaborates with the doctor and immediate head (head nurse /
charge nurse) regarding patient care
• Provides physical and psychological support to patients, friends,
and families.
• Identifies patient care requirements by establishing personal
rapport with patients and their families.
• Establishes a compassionate environment by providing emotional,
psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and
families.
• Assures quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards;
measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and hospital
or regulatory standards.
• Resolves patient problems and needs by utilizing multidisciplinary
team strategies.
• Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with
procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control
policies and protocols; medication administration and storage
procedures; and controlled substance regulations.
• Documents patient care services by charting in patient and
department records.
• Maintains continuity among nursing teams by documenting and
communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs.
• Maintains patient confidence and protects operations by keeping
information confidential.
• Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive
maintenance requirements; calling for repairs; and evaluating new
equipment and techniques.
• Maintains nursing supplies inventory by checking stock to
determine inventory level.
• Supervise and train Nursing Aides/assistants
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending
educational workshops and participating in professional societies.
• Maintains a cooperative relationship among health care teams by
communicating information and participating in team problem-
solving methods.
• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as
needed.