JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Nurse Incharge
Department: All Departments
Reports To: Nursing Superintendent

1. Job Summary

The Nurse Incharge is responsible for the overall management, coordination, supervision, and smooth functioning of the nursing services within the assigned department. The role ensures safe, effective, and high-quality patient care, appropriate staff allocation, adherence to hospital policies and nursing standards, and effective coordination with the multidisciplinary healthcare team.

2. Key ResponsibilitiesA. Clinical Responsibilities

- Supervise and ensure the delivery of safe, timely, and quality nursing care to all patients in the assigned department.
- Ensure proper patient assessment, monitoring, medication administration, documentation, and nursing interventions.
- Ensure adherence to hospital clinical protocols, nursing standards, infection prevention and control practices, and patient safety guidelines.
- Monitor critically ill and high-risk patients and ensure timely escalation of clinical concerns to the treating physician and Nursing Superintendent.
- Ensure proper patient identification and implementation of medication safety practices.
- Coordinate patient transfers to ICU, OT, wards, diagnostic departments, or other units with proper communication and documentation.
- Ensure readiness and appropriate use of emergency equipment, crash carts, oxygen supply, and other essential patient-care equipment.
- Ensure proper implementation of BLS, ACLS, emergency response, and other relevant protocols as applicable to the assigned department.

B. Administrative Responsibilities

- Oversee the day-to-day functioning of the nursing unit/department.
- Prepare duty rosters and allocate nursing staff according to patient workload, acuity, and departmental requirements.
- Ensure adequate staffing and effective utilization of available manpower.
- Monitor attendance, punctuality, leave, duty allocation, and staff deployment.
- Maintain adequate stock of medicines, consumables, linen, nursing supplies, and other essential items.
- Monitor equipment availability and functionality and raise maintenance/service requests when required.
- Ensure proper handover and takeover between shifts.
- Maintain accurate nursing records, reports, registers, and other departmental documentation.
- Report incidents, adverse events, and operational issues to the appropriate authority and initiate corrective action where required.

C. Staff Management & Training

- Supervise and guide nursing staff, nursing assistants, and other support staff assigned to the department.
- Monitor staff performance,



discipline, punctuality, and compliance with hospital policies.
- Conduct or coordinate regular training and competency-based education for nursing staff.
- Ensure staff competency in BLS, ACLS, infection control, medication safety, patient safety, emergency response, and other relevant areas.
- Provide orientation and guidance to newly joined nursing staff.
- Identify training needs and recommend appropriate educational programs to the Nursing Superintendent.
- Promote teamwork, professional conduct, and effective communication among staff.

D. Quality & Patient Safety

- Ensure compliance with applicable NABH standards, hospital policies, nursing protocols, and quality indicators.
- Promote patient safety, confidentiality, dignity, and respect for patients and their relatives.
- Ensure compliance with medication safety practices, including correct patient, medication, dose, route, time, and documentation.
- Conduct and participate in regular audits such as medication audits, nursing documentation audits, crash cart audits, infection control audits, equipment audits, and other departmental audits.
- Monitor quality indicators and implement corrective and preventive actions where required.
- Review incident reports and participate in root cause analysis and corrective action processes.
- Ensure proper implementation of infection prevention and control practices, including hand hygiene and appropriate use of PPE.

E. Communication & Coordination

- Coordinate effectively with doctors, Nursing Superintendent, laboratory, radiology, ICU, OT, pharmacy, housekeeping, biomedical engineering, ambulance services, and other departments.
- Ensure effective communication during shift handovers and patient transfers.
- Communicate appropriately with patients and their relatives while maintaining professionalism, empathy, confidentiality, and patient dignity.
- Address patient and staff concerns within the scope of responsibility and escalate unresolved issues to the appropriate authority.
- Ensure timely reporting of significant clinical, administrative, and safety-related issues to the Nursing Superintendent.

F. Emergency & Disaster Management





- Ensure preparedness of the department for medical emergencies and disaster situations.
- Ensure staff are familiar with emergency codes, evacuation procedures, fire safety measures, and disaster management protocols.
- Ensure emergency equipment and supplies are readily available and functional.
- Participate in mock drills, emergency preparedness activities, and disaster management training.

3. Required Qualifications

- GNM / B.Sc. Nursing / Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing / M.Sc. Nursing preferred.
- Valid Nursing Council registration.
- Minimum 5–10 years of relevant clinical nursing experience, depending on the level of responsibility.
- Previous experience in a supervisory/in-charge role is preferred.
- Experience in critical care, emergency care, medical-surgical nursing, or other relevant specialty areas will be an added advantage.
- BLS/ACLS certification is preferred and may be mandatory for departments handling critically ill/emergency patients.

4. Key Skills

- Strong leadership and team-management skills.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Good clinical judgment and decision-making ability.
- Ability to manage staff and departmental operations effectively.
- Ability to work under pressure and handle emergency situations.
- Sound knowledge of nursing procedures, patient safety, infection control, and hospital protocols.
- Valuable problem-solving and conflict-management skills.
- Strong documentation and reporting skills.
- Ability to coordinate effectively with multidisciplinary teams.
- Commitment to quality improvement and patient-centered care.

5. Work Environment

- Rotational shifts, including night shifts, as per departmental requirements.
- Fast-paced clinical environment requiring effective decision-making and timely response.
- Regular interaction and coordination with patients, relatives, doctors, nursing staff, and other hospital departments.
- May be required to respond to emergencies, incidents, and operational requirements outside routine duties.

6. Key Performance Areas (KPAs)

- Quality and safety of nursing care.
- Staff attendance, deployment, and performance.
- Compliance with hospital policies and NABH standards.
- Medication and patient safety.
- Nursing documentation and handover quality.
- Infection prevention and control compliance.
- Departmental stock and equipment management.
- Staff training and competency.
- Patient and relative satisfaction.
- Timely reporting and resolution of incidents and departmental issues.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From ₹40,000.00 per month

Work Location: In person

📌 Head Nurse (Kochi)
🏢 MAGJ HOSPITAL
📍 Kochi