Director of Nursing

About the Role

The Director of Nursing (DON) is a registered nurse who oversees and supervises the care of all residents, provides direct resident/patient care, and manages the entire nursing department.

Responsibilities

• Overall management of the nursing department and staffing levels.
• Develop and implement nursing policies and procedures, ensuring compliance.
• Ensure resident safety and that all residents are treated with utmost respect.
• Develop and conduct in-services for clinical staff.
• Recruit, hire, and train nursing staff.
• Coordinate pharmacy services and destruction of expired/discontinued medication.
• Serve as a liaison between the facility, physicians, and family members.
• Act as a witness in litigation if required.
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure excellent resident care.
• Manage department budgeting and reporting.
• Stay current on regulation changes and disseminate information appropriately.
• Participate in QA, Utilization Review, and Patient Care conferences.
• Actively assist with state surveys and required follow-up activity.
• Coordinate MDS and care planning.
• Conduct employee appraisals, resolve problems, and handle disciplinary actions and terminations.
• Maintain employee and resident/patient confidentiality.
• Provide direct/hands-on resident/patient care as needed.

Supervisory Responsibilities

The Director of Nursing supervises and manages the Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) and the entire nursing staff either directly or indirectly.

Requirements

• Graduation from an Accredited School of Nursing; Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) preferred.
• Must be in good standing with the State Board of Nursing and maintain all required continuing education/licensing.
• Minimum of 7 years of nurse management experience preferred.

Skills

• Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to present information and respond to questions effectively.
• Mathematical Skills: Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
• Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and interpret instructions in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite products and Point Click Care (PCC).

Physical Demands

• Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 75 pounds.
• Prolonged use of desktop or laptop computer.
• Regularly required to sit, stand, walk, talk, read, or hear.
• Frequent use of office equipment such as copier, scanner, fax, telephone, and calculator.
• Travel by auto or airline may be required.

Work Environment

The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.