Healthcare

Purpose of the role

The Unit Manager of the Operating Theatre is responsible for overseeing the daily operations, clinical care, and administrative functions of the Theatre department. This role requires strong leadership, clinical expertise, and managerial skills to ensure the delivery of high-quality patient care in a fast-paced and critical care environment with improved quality nursing care by ensuring compliance to professional and ethical practice.

The incumbent will also be responsible for monitoring and ensuring that nursing care and service delivery is implemented and practiced within a multi-disciplinary quality assurance team. In accordance, the incumbent will be accountable for coordinating capacity building, mentoring and training, financial and stock management including cost effective quality patient care.

The Unit Manager supervises and directs nursing care and all related activities of her unit/s according to the policies, procedures, philosophy, objectives of the hospital  and/or as determined by Audit requirements.

Education, Qualifications and Experience

- Registered as a Registered Nurse with the South African Nursing Council.

- A post basic qualification in specialty [Theatre], or evidence of competent experience in that field, together with contemporary skills and knowledge of that specialty.

- Minimum of 5 years of clinical experience in operational theatre, with at least 2 years in a leadership or management role.

- Experience which has provided the opportunity to establish clinical nursing and managerial skills.

- Ability to implement and maintain standards of health practice required from all accreditation bodies and appropriate health legislation.

- Strong clinical expertise and knowledge of operational theatre principles, practices, and technologies.

- Proficiency in budget management, resource allocation, and performance improvement methodologies.

Talent, Ability, Skill, Knowledge, and Style

- Thought leadership: Combines information from a few sources to assess choices and make effective decisions. Aligns work and goals to business and strategic priorities. Uses measures and business information to come to accurate conclusions by using sound judgement and decision making.

- Results leadership: Meets or exceeds goals and acts on opportunities to create value for the Company. Shows the initiative to exceed job requirements. Takes informed risks and faces high-stakes issues head on by being patient centred, execution and results with a planning and improvement approach.

- People leadership: Motivates others and helps them find ways to strengthen the organisation. Works to build cooperation and trust between teams, groups, and people. Interacts well with others and works to develop people and teams. Positions ideas and proposals in ways that get support from others by influence and communication, and leading talent.

- Personal leadership: Keeps a positive outlook and deals with the stress and challenge in all types of situations. Responds resourcefully to new challenges and demands. Resolves problems and overcomes obstacles to keep commitments. Models’ high levels of ethics and integrity and treats others with fairness and respect with an approach to of adaptability and personal responsibility.

Outcomes

- Patient Outcomes: Theatre occupancy:  Measure the percentage of theatre cases done per month. Track the major and minor cases for patients in operating theatre per month and year to date. Track doctors’ utilization of operating theatre.

- Clinical Quality and Compliance: Adherence to Clinical Protocols: Assess the unit manager's ability to ensure compliance with evidence-based clinical protocols and guidelines in patient care delivery.  Theatre Infection Rates: Monitor the incidence of hospital-acquired infections within operating theatre. Lower infection rates indicate better infection control practices and patient safety.

- Staff Performance and Engagement: Staff Turnover Rate: Measure the percentage of turnover among nursing staff and support personnel in the theatre department. Lower turnover rates indicate higher staff satisfaction and retention. Employee Satisfaction Scores: Conduct regular surveys to assess staff satisfaction levels with leadership, teamwork, workload, and professional development opportunities within the theatre.

- Resource Utilization and Efficiency: Nurse-to-Patient Ratio: Monitor the nurse-to-patient ratio in the operating theatre to ensure safe staffing levels and optimal patient care. Budget Variance: Track the unit manager's ability to manage the operating theatre budget effectively, minimizing variances between budgeted and actual expenses.

- Quality Improvement and Patient Safety: Patient Safety Incidents: Track the number of advert events reported within the operating theatre, falls, pressure ulcers, incorrect limb. Implement corrective actions to reduce the incidence of preventable adverse events. Completion of Quality Improvement Initiatives: Measure the unit manager's success in implementing and completing quality improvement projects aimed at enhancing patient outcomes, safety, and satisfaction.

- Interdepartmental Collaboration: Interdepartmental Communication Effectiveness: Assess the effectiveness of communication and collaboration between the operating theatre and other hospital departments, such as emergency services, surgery, and laboratory services. Timeliness of Patient Transfers: Monitor the timeliness of patient transfers between the units/operating theatre  and other units or departments, ensuring efficient patient flow.

Responsibilities

Clinical Leadership:

- Provide clinical leadership and supervision to nursing staff, respiratory therapists, and other healthcare professionals in the operating theatre.

- Ensure adherence to evidence-based practices, clinical protocols, and quality standards in patient care delivery.

- Enforce patient check procedures.  Enforce that legal requirements are met for anaesthetic consent/identification/vital signs/blood transfusion regulations/ allergies/X-rays/site of operation/drug therapy.

- Manage delegate duties at times of crisis/disaster situation/simulated practices.  Enforce stipulated procedures.

- Administer and supervise that standards for quality nursing care/emotional/social/ psychological/cultural and religious are met in the unit / evaluate on an on-going basis.  Hold informal meetings on problematic areas.

- Investigate all untoward activities/irregularities and policy violations. Take corrective action and follow up action.  Negate any cause for litigation/ medico-legal hazards as far as possible.  Prevent theft: Institute/ evaluate new ideas. Maintain standards and conduct to the South African Nursing Act and South African Nursing Council Regulations (re-Scope of Practice).

- Maintain/implement/update hospital ward procedure manual/South African Nursing Council regulation file.

- Adhere to all requirements relating to deaths/notifiable diseases.

- Complete maintenance requisitions.  Monitor work completed to required standards.  Supervise care, handling of in use equipment.  Evaluate breakdowns/dysfunction.

- PROVIDE Nursing Manager on an annual basis proof of all staff in the department’s registration/enrolment with the South African Council.

Staff Management and Development:

- Allocate staff, based on workload and to level of competence.  Delegate special duties.  Gain optimal staff usage.  Meet each doctor’s needs and requirements. Enforce staff dress code within and on leaving the unit.

- Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate nursing staff and support personnel in the operating theatre.

- Conduct regular performance evaluations, provide feedback, and mentor staff members to promote professional growth and development.

- Foster a culture of teamwork, collaboration, and excellence in patient care among operating theatre staff.

- Active involvement in own professional development to maintain a satisfactory level of skill and knowledge.

- Evaluate nursing quality indicators and clinical outcomes.

- Monitor staff attendance.  Complete duty record books in accordance with the Employment Act.  Record abnormalities.  South African Nursing Council leave/sick leave requests always ensuring coverage of Unit.  Complete staff weekly duty roster incorporates staff requests.

- Monitor unit standards/procedures and staff performance.  Enforce job standards of performance.  Review and update job description/standards of performance and complete staff performance evaluations with each member of staff.  Ensure job competence.

- Be responsible for unit personnel matters pertaining to the grievances of the staff.  Deal with disciplinary and grievance problems in accordance with the Grievance and Disciplinary Procedure and in conjunction with the Nursing Manager.

- Be responsible for the basic hospital orientation of all new staff in the unit, in accordance with the hospital induction programme.

- Aim for optimal staff utilisation.  Allocate competent staff.

Resource Management:

- Rationalise and control unit stock where applicable.  Set stock standard levels. Perform other unit related duties as designated by the Nursing Manager.  Be available for other extra duties.  Perform rostered week-end duties/emergency relief on-call duties and associated tasks.

- Maintain the units annual nursing budget in conjunction with the Nursing Manager, justify all motivations.

- Allocate staffing resources effectively to meet patient care needs and maintain safe nurse-to-patient ratios in the operating theatre.

- Manage unit budget, equipment, and supplies to ensure optimal utilization and cost-effectiveness.

- Collaborate with hospital administration and support services to address operational needs and optimize resource allocation.

- Manage skill mix in such a way as to ensure cost effective quality care.

- Manage all costs emanating from the department.

- Ensure correct billing, stock management and purchasing.

- Investigate all adverts events and ensure appropriate capturing on IMS (Incident Management System)

- Monitor safety standards in accordance with the Occupational Safety Act (Act 6 of 1983). Report all accidents and incidents to Line Manager.

- Ensure compliance with protocols, policies and acts.

- Ensure that all equipment is in working order and properly maintained.

- Maintain equipment.  Maintain a department equipment inventory in conjunction with the assets.  Justify requests for the purchase of new and replacement equipment.  Maintain emergency equipment.  Ensure emergency equipment is checked daily and in working order.  Keep record of daily checks of emergency equipment.

Quality Improvement and Patient Safety:

- Evaluate and monitor patient care/staff performance standards and procedures.  Communicate with medical and associated personnel such as radiology, pathology, etc. Lead quality improvement initiatives to enhance patient outcomes, safety, and satisfaction in the operating theatre.

- Monitor clinical outcomes, and compliance with regulatory standards to identify areas for improvement.

- Implement evidence-based practices, best practices, and quality improvement measures to mitigate risks and improve care delivery processes.

- Ensure the unit is providing safe, cost-effective quality patient care in line with the Clinical Governance strategy and evidence-based practice.

- Evaluate the patient’s journey through patient experience and stakeholder input.

- Enforce infection control procedures.  Report septic cases located to Infection Control Officer and take all relevant action.

- Control drugs as per regulations of the Pharmacy Act (Act 53 of 1974).  Perform daily checks on drug totals and drug register.  Monitor that procedures for ordering/receiving/storage/administration and recording are adhered to.

- Identify quality improvement opportunities and ensure appropriate strategy and quality improvement initiatives are developed and measured.

- Conduct weekly meetings with Unit staff.  Keep a record of same. Attend meetings with Nursing Manager. Attend formal nursing department and head of department meetings as arranged by the Nursing Manager.  Action matters.  Follow up. Attend management meetings.  Prepare and present reports.

- Maintain safety standards in accordance with the Safety of Machinery of the Health and Safety Act - this act is included in the Labour Act No 66 of 1995.  Report all accidents/incidents to Manager.  Execute Safety of Machinery of the Health and Safety Act documentation requirements on injuries/incidents.  Monitor safety representative’s report-action requirements. Report unsafe conditions.

Interdepartmental Collaboration:

- Collaborate with other departments, including emergency services, surgical services, and laboratory services, to ensure seamless patient flow and continuity of care.

- Serve as a liaison between the operating theatre and hospital administration, representing departmental interests and advocating for resources and support.

- Participate in multidisciplinary committees, task forces, and hospital-wide initiatives to promote organizational goals and objectives

- Work effectively and co-operatively with others to establish and maintain good working relationships that are mutually beneficial.

- Promote and maintain good working and inter-personnel relationships with Management/Patients/Staff/Doctors and colleagues.  Act as mediator.  Manage solutions for inter-personnel problems.  Act as liaison officer between management and staff.  Encourage communication.  Motivate staff working within the Unit.

- Always be confidential i.e. MAY NOT release any information related to the medical conditions or treatment of patients to the press or public.

Training and Development

- Keep abreast of and maintain an up-to-date knowledge of medical/surgical/ supplies/equipment techniques.  Attend and actively participate in nursing conferences and seminars.  Attend in-service lectures.  Read all available literature.

- Meet CPD points requirement as indicated by SANC

- Active participation in the management function could result in a career path development as a Nursing Manager

- Perform clinical instruction/evaluation for all staff levels.  Participate in teaching /evaluation of nurses in training.