Director of Nursing

About the Role

The Director of Nursing (Acute Care) is a critical leadership role responsible for overseeing and coordinating clinical operations across all 24/7 Acute Care Services programs. This includes guidance and support for all nursing staff across multiple units, including the Adult Behavioral Health Hospital, Youth Behavioral Health Hospital, Adult Crisis Stabilization Unit, Youth Crisis Stabilization Unit, Lakeside Recovery, and Crisis Center. The Director of Nursing ensures safe, effective, and compassionate care delivery in alignment with North Central Health Care policies, regulatory standards, and patient-centered care values.

What You Bring

Required:

• Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse license issued by the Wisconsin Board of Nursing.
• Associate's Degree in Nursing (AND) from an accredited institution.
• Demonstrated nursing leadership experience, including responsibility for supervising, directing, developing, or evaluating nursing staff.
• Current BLS (CPR) Certification.
• Must possess a valid Wisconsin driver's license and maintain unrestricted driving privileges throughout employment and have use of a personal vehicle.

Preferred:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Master's Degree in Nursing, Leadership, or Healthcare Administration.
• Clinical or leadership experience serving patients with behavioral health, mental health, psychiatric, and/or substance use treatment needs.
• Experience in inpatient, crisis stabilization, residential treatment, or other 24-hour healthcare settings.
• Familiarity with Joint Commission and applicable DHS regulatory standards.

In evaluating candidates for this position, North Central Health Care may consider a combination of education, training, and experience which provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position.

What a Director of Nursing (Acute Care) does at NCHC

• Oversee the day-to-day nursing services and compliance of all Acute Care Services programs.
• Maintains quality standards of nursing care consistent with legal and accrediting requirements.
• Ensures development, revision, maintenance, and adherence of written policies/procedures for all nursing services.
• Collaborates in establishing nursing departmental goals and objectives.
• Ensure that all nursing personnel practice within established standards, practices, and regulations.
• Establishes staffing requirements for recruitment, selection, and placement of personnel.
• Ensures in-service training and education to all nursing department personnel.
• Assists in planning the nursing sections of the program budgets.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure efficient operations, exceptional patient care, and abide by state requirements.
• Ensures the delivery of high-quality services that adhere to all regulatory requirements and standards of care in collaboration with program management including auditing patient records.
• Develop clinical program benchmarks based on research and evidence-based practice standards.
• Establishes systems to monitor adherence to budget and initiates action as appropriate to correct budget variances.
• QA/ PI education, participation, and understanding of integration into HSO operations and culture.
• Direct supervision of 25 nursing, agency and contract staff.
• Assign, delegate, and evaluate work to ensure efficiency and quality standards are met.
• Provide ongoing performance management, including feedback, coaching, and mentorship.
• Conduct formal performance evaluations in accordance with organizational policies.
• Implement corrective action and disciplinary measures when necessary.
• Support employee development through training, guidance, and professional growth opportunities.
• Make recommendations regarding employee promotion or termination, in collaboration with HR and leadership.
• Provide training support for new staff, including flexibility in scheduling to align with onboarding needs.
• Address immediate scheduling needs during shifts, including responding to call-ins.
• Promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, and psychological safety.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Direct supervision of 25 nursing, agency and contract staff.
• Assign, delegate, and evaluate work to ensure efficiency and quality standards are met.
• Provide ongoing performance management, including feedback, coaching, and mentorship.
• Conduct formal performance evaluations in accordance with organizational policies.
• Implement corrective action and disciplinary measures when necessary.
• Support employee development through training, guidance, and professional growth opportunities.
• Make recommendations regarding employee promotion or termination, in collaboration with HR and leadership.
• Provide training support for new staff, including flexibility in scheduling to align with onboarding needs.
• Address immediate scheduling needs during shifts, including responding to call-ins.
• Promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, and psychological safety.

Pay & Benefits

• Starting pay range: $111,925 - $121,664 based on experience.
• $10,000 signing bonus paid out over 6 months.
• Generous relocation assistance available for qualified candidates.
• Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) — hybrid defined benefit plan with elements of both a 401(k) and a defined benefit plan. Participating staff contribute 7.2% and NCHC matches 100% each pay period.
• Full-time, in-person position, usually working weekday business hours.
• PTO, paid holidays, health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, on-site bistro and cafeteria, employee assistance program, newly updated facility, and more.

Who We Are

Nestled in the heart of Central Wisconsin, North Central Health Care (NCHC) is a healthcare organization formed over fifty years ago as a partnership between three Central Wisconsin counties - Langlade, Lincoln, and Marathon. NCHC employs more than 600 professionals in diverse roles across a variety of care and work environments. We provide passionate and high-quality care for individuals and families within the fields of mental health treatment, addiction services, long term care, short term care, physical therapy, crisis stabilization and so much more. We have amazing employees who provide exceptional care and want to add to our team. You can visit our website at www.norcen.org/careers to learn more.