Responsibilities Proactively serves as an advocate for patients and families by facilitating communications with staff and providing assistance to patients, family members and staff with the goal of improving quality, service and patient satisfaction. Acts as a liaison between patients, families, visitors, hospital personnel and physicians. Informs relevant caregivers of patient needs or concerns and assists with course of action. Assists patients, families and visitors to navigate hospital processes before, during and after their hospital experience. Provides education to patients and families regarding but not limited to hospital care, procedures, and patient rights. Complies with HIPAA regulatory requirements in all of these communications. Ensures that patients are treated in accordance with the Patient's Bill of Rights. Educates patients, families and visitors regarding the complaint process and timeline for follow up. Responds to patient care and service related concerns in a timely and consistent manner, in compliance with the organizational patient complaint and grievance policy and procedure. Acts on the behalf of patient to achieve satisfactory resolution to complaints, conflicts or concerns. Initiates complaint documentation upon receipt of concern. Notifies Physician, Department Manager, Administration and/or Risk Manager as determined by situational discretion, scope and severity of complaint, and/or potential for liability. Assures that complainant is provided with written and/or telephone acknowledgement of their concern; provides updated status report to the complainant as necessary. Maintains a complaint log data base ensuring documentation is correct and current; tracks complaints for trending and identifying problem areas. Regularly reports data, trends and recommendations to various organizational committees, teams and department meetings. Education Requirements Bachelor's or Associate's degree in Nursing or related healthcare field. N.C. Registered Nurse license. Fluency in both English and Spanish is preferred. Minimum Experience, Knowledge, Skill, and Ability Requirements Five years of health care experience in a hospital setting. Knowledge and familiarity with the rules and regulations pertaining to Federal, State, & County programs. Effective communication skills. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills. Strong interpersonal skills, as well as verbal & written communication skills. Good leadership skills. Excellent typing and computer skills. Ability to product excellent work with Microsoft office products such as Word, Excel and data base programs. |
