Director of Nursing (DON) - RN

About the role

Stratford Specialty Care, a 53-bed long-term care skilled nursing community located in Stratford, IA, is hiring a Director of Nursing (DON - RN). This role offers the opportunity to apply your skills and demonstrate your compassion, positively influencing the lives of residents and team members.

What You'll Do & Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee all nursing operations, ensuring regulatory compliance and high clinical standards of the nursing department.
• Champion a person-centered, home-like care model that honors resident choice, dignity, and independence.
• Coach, mentor, and inspire nursing leaders and staff to deliver exceptional, relationship-based care.
• Ensure residents and families receive the right level of care through strong care coordination and smooth service transitions.
• Drive staffing effectiveness, team member safety, budget accountability, and operational efficiency.
• Prepare, educate, and guide the team to achieve deficiency-free surveys while maintaining a non-institutional approach to care.
• Partner with interdisciplinary teams on pre-admission reviews, discharge planning, and occupancy support.
• Ensure nursing staff conduct regular rounds to monitor care delivery concerns and progress; acknowledge the progress while proposing and helping implement solutions to address concerns.
• Enforce policies and guide the team, fostering both personal and team growth.
• Manage administrative functions to enhance department efficiency and pave the way for future growth.
• Participate in an on-call rotation with other members of the leadership team.

Qualifications

• Prior leadership experience within long-term care as an ADON/DON.
• Valid RN license in good standing. License must be valid within the state of Iowa, or ability to activate.
• Current, valid CPR Certification.
• Knowledge of federal and state long-term care regulations and laws.
• A desire to learn and grow as part of a quality focused clinical team.
• A strong commitment to helping others and consistently treating them with empathy, respect, patience, and discretion.

Why Join Care Initiatives?

• Competitive Compensation: Earn a highly competitive wage.
• Unlimited Paid Time Off: Enjoy healthy work life balance.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Eligible employees enjoy robust benefit options including medical, dental, vision, 403(b) retirement savings plan, unlimited PTO, and more.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Develop your skills with company paid training and education to take your career to the next level.
• Digital Wallet Access: Get paid as you earn—no more waiting for payday!