What Does an Emergency Department Director Do?

Working as an emergency department director revolves around overseeing the day to day operations of an emergency room within a hospital or other medical facility. Essentially, these individuals are responsible for maintaining a clean department and ensuring quality patient care. Someone with excellent leadership skills, effective organizational habits and sound interpersonal skills may find success in this type of position. Generally speaking, a person must have a bachelor's degree in emergency medical services or a related field to obtain a position. Some common duties of an emergency department director include overseeing employee orientation, implementing facility policies, supervising staff members, monitoring facility maintenance and communicating with patients and family members.

One of the most important responsibilities of an emergency department director is overseeing the employee orientation process. This typically includes developing a program that acclimates new employees to the environment of a medical facility and getting employees up-to-date on standards and guidelines. Providing initial training is important for keep staff members on the same page and optimizing patient care. In addition, he will often perform scheduling and coordinate doctors and nurses so that a facility is adequately staffed at all times.

Another large part of this job revolves around developing and implementing facility policies. For example, an emergency department director might create a set of rules for employees to follow so that a facility complies with all government safety regulations. When there are changes in policies, he will usually hold meetings with other leaders within an emergency department to discuss the details. This aspect of the job requires a person who is able to effectively lead.

Along with this, an emergency department director will be responsible for supervising staff members like doctors, nurses and nursing assistants. To ensure smooth operations and avoid complications, he will often work as a liaison between different individuals and monitor employee performance. If he finds an individual who isn't staying on task or who exhibits unsatisfactory job performance, it is often up to an emergency department director to address the situation and provide disciplinary measures.

Monitoring facility maintenance on an ongoing basis is also important. For example, he might perform routine inspections of examination rooms and supply storage areas to ensure cleanliness and organization. He will also need to make sure that medical supplies are adequately stocked and order new supplies when necessary.

In addition, an emergency department director is often required to communicate with patients and family members. To ensure that the needs of patients are being met, he will routinely converse with these individuals. If he notices a pattern of complaints, he can use that information to make adjustments within a facility.