Senior Staff Nurse

Job Summary
Serve as a clinical expert, unit leader, and mentor. Provide advanced direct patient care for complex cases, ensure quality and safety standards, support audits and accreditation activities, and guide junior nursing staff. Experience: typically 5–10 years with demonstrated clinical expertise.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Mentorship

Act as the clinical expert on the nursing unit; guide junior staff in complex clinical decisions.
Supervise, mentor, and train new nurses, junior staff, and nursing students.
Create a supportive learning environment; conduct orientation programs.
Stand in for the Charge Nurse/Ward In-Charge when needed; manage unit operations.
Lead quality improvement initiatives and process improvements on the unit.
Ensure team compliance with hospital policies and safety protocols.
Represent nursing at unit or hospital meetings.

Clinical Care

Provide direct care to the most complex or unstable patients on the unit.
Apply advanced clinical judgment to changing patient conditions.
Oversee medication safety practices on the unit; coach staff on safe medication administration.
Analyze and review medication errors and near-misses; identify learning opportunities.
Provide education to patients and families on complex care needs and care transitions.

Procedures & Infection Prevention

Provide and supervise direct nursing care and assistance during examinations/treatments.
Ensure unit compliance with infection control standards and device care protocols.
Lead quality audits (hand hygiene, medication safety, documentation quality); implement corrective actions.
Monitor vaccine handling, consent processes, specimen integrity, and biomedical waste management.

Equipment Handling

Serve as the go-to resource for equipment troubleshooting and problem-solving.
Ensure daily checking of emergency equipment (crash cart); escalate maintenance needs.
Train staff on proper use of infusion pumps, monitors, defibrillators, and other unit-specific equipment.

Communication, Coordination & Safety

Model and teach effective handover communication.
Participate in multidisciplinary rounds and shift huddles; coordinate with physicians and support services.
Evaluate new and junior nurses; conduct competency assessments and skill sign-offs.
Support workforce planning: assist with duty rosters, staffing mix, and scheduling,
Track and improve unit quality indicators (falls, pressure injuries, medication incidents); conduct incident investigations and follow-up.
Promote a culture of safety and open reporting without blame.
Handle complex conflicts and difficult conversations; lead service recovery efforts.
Ensure documentation quality across the team; review records regularly.

Qualifications

Education: GNM or B.Sc. Nursing (Indian Nursing Council recognized); Post-Basic B.Sc. Nursing or M.Sc. Nursing (preferred).
Experience: 4–8 years with strong clinical track record.
Registration: Valid and active RNRM certificate with State Nursing Council (mandatory)

Additional Preferred:

Training in clinical preceptorship, education, or leadership
Quality improvement or patient safety certification
Awareness of hospital accreditation standards (NABH/JCI)

Certifications Required:

Basic Life Support (BLS) – Required
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) – Preferred