Recreational Activities Manager (Skilled Nursing and Rehab) at Pettigrew Rehabilitation Center, LLC in Durham, North Carolina

Job Description:

The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed and are not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required.

SUMMARY
The Activity Director provides an ongoing program of activities designed to meet the interest and physical, mental, and psychosocial well being of each patient.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Supervises activities provided by activity assistant, activity aides, CNAs, restorative aides, volunteers and others for whom they are administratively or professionally responsible.
• Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organizational policies and applicable laws.
• Supervisory responsibilities include:
- Interviews, hires and trains activity employees and volunteers.
- Plans, assigns and directs work.
- Prepares work assignment sheets, taking into consideration patient safety, the educational preparation, experience, knowledge and ability of the persons to whom the assignments are made.
- Receives calls and finds replacement for absent staff.
- Transfers employees among units as needed.
- Prepares performance evaluations with the understanding such evaluations impact tenure of probationary employees and wage increases of non-probationary employees.
- Meaningfully rewards and disciplines employees with the understanding such discipline results in termination of employment through progressing steps.
- Schedules and adjusts lunch and rest breaks.
- Approves errors in time cards or other timekeeping records.
- Authorizes overtime as necessary with supervisor’s approval
- Receives and resolves employee complaints.
- Determines rotation of employees within unit.
- Monitors and corrects job performance of employees.

• Uses independent judgement and discretion on behalf of the organization in the performance of these duties.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications
• Freedom from illegal use of drugs.
• Freedom from use of and effects of use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace.
• Working knowledge of personal computer and software applications used in job functions, (word processing, graphics, databases, spreadsheets, etc.)
• Able to supervise, instructs and motivates others.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills; oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrates ability to utilize independent and effective clinical judgement, problem solving and decision –making skills.
• Utilizes effective time management skills.
• Anyone found guilty by a court of law of abusing, neglecting or mistreating individuals in a health care related setting are ineligible for employment in the position.

Education and/or Experience
• Has two years of experience in a social or recreational program within the last five years (one of which was full-time in a resident activities program in a health care setting) or has completed a training program approved by the state.

Certificates, License, Registrations:
• Certification as a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist is desirable.

LANGUAGE SKILLS
Ability to read, analyzes, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures or governmental regulations. Ability to write business correspondence. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of executive, managers, clients, customers and the public. Computer use may be required.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS
Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as statistical process control tools and budgets. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

REASONING ABILITY
Ability to define and solve problems collects data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in statistical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Completes assessments, MDS, care plans and gathers information to design activities that are multi-faceted, meets patients’ functional levels, and reflects needs and interests of each patient.
• Through activities, provides stimulation or solace, promotes physical, cognitive and/or emotional health.
• Offers activities that enhance, to the extent practicable, each resident’s physical and mental status.
• Promotes each resident’s self-respect by providing activities that support self-expression and choice.
• Offers activities that involve facility staff, volunteers and visitors.
• Provides patients who are confined or choose to remain in their rooms with in- room activities in keeping with life-long interest (music, reading, visits with individuals who share their interests or reasonable attempts to connect the patient with such individuals) and in-room projects they can work on independently.
• Informs patients when activities are occurring: encourage patients involvement in activities.
• Assists with escorting patients to and from activities.
• Maintains sufficient activity supplies
• Interviews patients, interested family members, legal representatives and significant others to obtain and update information needed to develop individualized activities programs, to accommodate individual needs and preferences and to protect and promote patients’ rights.
• Attends care conferences with members of the interdisciplinary team to develop, implement and evaluate plans of care.
• Communicates patient’s concerns and responses to interventions to interdisciplinary team members and to direct care staff.
• Develops and provides individual, group and bedside activities that reflect the needs and interest of patients.
• Identifies ways to accommodate patient choices, preferences, functional capacity and customary routines in activities. Includes these approaches in plan of care and gives this information to direct care staff.
• Develops and implements effective procedures to ensure that all patients are informed that activities are occurring, that staff encourage participation, that transportation is provided and activities occur as planned.
• Posts monthly activities calendars that:
• Reflects the schedules, choices and rights of the patients.
• Offers activities at hours convenient to the patients.
• Reflects the cultural and religious interests of the patient population.
• Appeals to both men and women and all age groups living in the facility.
• Record progress notes in the clinical record that include subjective findings, objective symptoms, observations of behavior, interventions provided to patient and patient’s responses to activity interventions. Reviews chart entries written by activities staff for completeness and accuracy.
• Performs daily rounds, observations of activities in progress, record reviews and interviews with staff members, patients, families and Administration.
• Participates in the development of the department budget. Provides relevant financial information to Administrator regarding department financial needs and status.
• Develops staffing plan and recommends to Administrator numbers and types of activities personnel needed to meet patient needs in compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Actively participates in long term care survey process and works with Administrator to develop responses to survey report as needed.
• Participates in facility committees as required.

Resident Rights
Promotes and protects residents rights, assists patients to make informed decisions, treats patients with dignity and respect. Protects patients’ personal belongings, reports suspected abuse or neglect, avoids the need for physical restraints in accordance with current professional standards. Supports independent expression, choice and decision-making consistent with applicable law and regulations.

Leadership
Demonstrates willingness to try new tasks generates new ideas for change and evaluates and recognizes priorities. Selects effective team members, challenges others to learn and keeps current and integrates new information. Communicates and models organization values, fosters high performance and recognizes the need for and provides adequate resources.

Process Improvement
Applies processes improvement methods and techniques and identifies process for improvement in daily work.

Environment of Care
Demonstrates understanding of fire and emergency procedures and participates in fire and disaster drills. Demonstrates understanding of safety and security procedures and applies safety and security precautions. Demonstrates understanding of hazardous materials plan and demonstrates proper use of equipment.

Infection Control
Applies handwashing principles during daily work, demonstrates understanding of isolation precautions and recognizes signs and symptoms of infection and complies with the employee health program. Demonstrates understanding of the process for identifying and handling infectious waste; maintains personal hygiene and complies with OSHA standards in the work place and demonstrates understanding of cross-contamination.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
Demonstrates active listening techniques; gains support through effective relationships; treats others with dignity and respect; seeks feedback; sets clear standards for performance; evaluates job performance and provides effective feedback; establishes systems to measure effectiveness, efficiency and service; creates and maintains reporting mechanisms.

CONTINUING EDUCATION
Attends in-service and education programs; attends continuing education required for maintenance of professional certification or licensure.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, use hands or fingers reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to sit, climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee on occasion will assist to lift and/or transfer patients weighing between 100 to 250 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and peripheral vision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles and toxic or caustic chemicals. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. If you are a job seeker with a disability, or are assisting someone with a disability, and require accessibility assistance or an accommodation to apply, please contact Jack West, HR Manager at 407-756-6442.

See job description