Transfer Center and Patient Flow Registered Nurse Coordinator

The employee functions as a liaison and consultant for the Capacity Management Center during and throughout an assigned shift. The RN Patient Flow Coordinator facilitates communication between and among patient care providers, physicians, and support service associates. The RN Patient Flow Coordinator serves as a customer relation representative for all callers and collaborators. The RN Patient Flow Coordinator is an expert in patient movement logistics which includes but is not limited to coordinating hospital to hospital transfers & direct admits, appropriately bedding patients based on individualized patient needs, and dispatching resources such as Environmental Services to facilitate timely ready rooms. The RN uses clinical background, in collaboration with the physician, to connect the patient with the appropriate clinical resources and level of care. The RN Patient Flow Coordinator has a strong ability to utilize many different software applications whilst interacting with clinicians for clinical decision-making and collaborates with non-clinical Patient Flow Coordinators within the department as a clinical liaison for bed placement and transfer center triage. 

Education: ASN required, BSN preferred. Nursing license required.

Experience: Clinical proficiency relevant to specific clinical area. Charge nurse experience preferred. Transfer Center and/or patient flow (bed board) experience preferred.

 

Bed Board 55%

• Utilize clinical knowledge to help in placement of patients for UC Health (UCMC and WCH).
• Conduct bed placement of all patients within UC Medical Center (to include UCMC Hospital, Blood Cancer Healing Center, and Ridgeway Psychiatry), West Chester Hospital, and the Daniel Drake Center (to include Encompass, Rehab – SNF and LTAC, and Hospice) from all portals of entry. 
• Able to prioritize bed placement based on known constraints for all portals of entry within all UC Health facilities.
• Manage the Medicine residency team assignments for all new Medicine admissions. 
• Coordinate the transfer of patients to a higher or lower level of care based upon patient’s condition, in a timely manner to reduce the chance of patient safety events. 
• Serve as a contact person for bed management for any admission concerns throughout the enterprise.
• Ensure throughput on units is sustainable to achieve effective patient flow outcomes. 
• Able to prioritize and perform multiple tasks effectively in a time sensitive environment to achieve optimal outcomes in patient placement.
• Coordinate and collaborate with physicians, all hospital nursing units, transportation, and environmental services regarding patient placement.
• During high call volume or limited bed capacity, remains calm and provides solutions effectively.
• Provide overall direction/guidance/coordination to health care providers for the timely movement of patients in and through the system. 
• Review patient clinical chart for appropriate patient placement. 
• Coordinate internal connections across multiple communication platforms for various clinical teams to maintain patient flow efficiency.
• Ability to incorporate additional bed volume and specialized placement requirements as needed during daily operations. 
• Maintain awareness of clinical service preferences as it relates to appropriate patient placement on the correct unit. 

Transfer Center 40%

• Utilize clinical knowledge to triage transfers appropriately based on need for transfer, level of care, and service. 
• Conduct outside hospital transfers for UCMC Hospital and West Chester Hospital. 
• Conduct direct admits from home/clinic for all established UC Health patients for UCMC Hospital and West Chester Hospital. 
• Collaborates with physicians, Care Coordinators, and the software system to ensure timely and accurate coordination of transfer.
• Facilitates linking outside organizations CareEverywhere for potential incoming transfers to allow for the clinical team’s assessments of the patient’s appropriateness for UC Health. 
• Use critical thinking skills to gather the correct information for the clinical team’s assessment of transfer. 
• Understanding the need for accuracy in documentation as the work becomes a part of the patient’s permanent medical record. 
• Ensure throughput of units and compliance with the transfer center process. 
• Utilize escalation techniques during high stress transfer calls to facilitate the callers needs. 
• Assume responsibility of the UCMD referral line after hours and on weekends/holidays. 
• Communicate with clinical unit nursing staff the new admission information and develop a plan for acceptance of the new admission within 30 minutes. 
• Accurately follow specialized time sensitive protocol policies created by physician leadership while maintaining accurate documentation in the patient’s medical record to not delay patient care and patient placement. 

Other duties as assigned 5%

• Understanding of the organizational structures of the unit, hospital and key departments is displayed.
• Understanding of the Nurse Practice Act, hospital policies and procedures, and unit protocol is demonstrated.
• With guidance, hospital policies and procedures are interpreted to other staff members including legal implications.
• Responsibility for patient/resident care is delegated and accepted.
• Open lines of communication are maintained between staff and management and makes staff needs known to management.
• Remains cognizant of staff morale, attempts to alleviate inter-staff tensions and when indicated, directs pertinent complaints to management.
• Actively participating in problem solving, decision-making and conflict resolution.
• Maintaining a team environment that encourages retention, development of staff and patient satisfaction.
• Facilitating the planning, implementation and evaluation of the orientation of the new employees.
• Delegates tasks to appropriate levels.
• Utilizes time management skills.
• Constructive use of time on unit by staff is promoted and maintained.
• Identifying the learning needs of the staff and facilitating methods to meet these needs.
• Care expeditor responsibilities to expedite discharges to help with patient flow throughout the hospital
• Other responsibilities as assigned