Unit Director, Inpatient Behavioral Health

About the role

The Unit Director for Inpatient Behavioral Health at UPMC Western Maryland is responsible for leading and managing the unit to ensure an outstanding experience for patients and employees. This role offers a generous sign-on bonus of $15,000 paid within the first 90 days of hire with a two-year commitment.

Responsibilities

• Collaborates with medical staff to monitor patient outcomes and set clinical quality priorities, recommending and implementing professional improvements and initiatives.
• Maintains accountability for the unit's operations, overseeing clinical and administrative functions, and fostering a culture of continuous performance management.
• Develops and maintains productive working relationships internally and externally, building teams and relationships through mentoring and positive communication.
• Supports and encourages involvement of staff nurses in the development and implementation of evidence-based practice and quality improvement initiatives.
• Monitors dashboard indicators and quality in the unit/department to meet organizational goals and develops action plans to address specific concerns and improve quality.
• Analyzes nurse and patient satisfaction outcome data and develops action plans to address as needed.
• Shares learning from improvements with other units and/or spreads across the business unit or system.
• Resolves and manages conflict effectively and in a timely manner.
• Extends trust by acknowledging the contributions of others; listens first, creates transparency in communications, confronts reality, and clarifies expectations.
• Cares for patients and self by planning a department work schedule in collaboration with team members that supports safety, appropriate working hours, and a healthy lifestyle.
• Conveys information and ideas clearly through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the message.
• Coaches staff on cultural diversity and addresses workplace horizontal violence and impairment.
• Creates an environment that recognizes and values differences in staff, physicians, patients, and communities.
• Ensures that nurses practice in accordance with established Clinical Standards of Performance as defined by organization, system, professional, and regulatory organizations.
• Applies national best practices and uses evidence-based practice to build a culture of excellence in patient care.
• Promotes interdisciplinary partnership and consultation of hospital staff and health care team through participation in committees and related activities to ensure appropriate care and services for patients and families.
• Sets clinical, financial, and human resources priorities for improvement in concert with organizational goals.
• Demonstrates sound fiscal responsibility in the development and management of the department budget and holds staff accountable for the efficient use of resources including but not limited to managing flexible staffing patterns to meet patient care needs.
• Supports shared governance through a unit-based professional practice council and utilizes staff feedback to make changes to improve care, nursing practice, and /or the work.

Qualifications

• BS/BSN required at time of hire and master’s degree/MSN required. If BS degree not in nursing, a master’s or higher degree in Nursing is required. If master’s degree not in nursing, a BSN is required. If the master’s degree/MSN is not present at time of hire, must be enrolled in a master’s or MSN program within one year of hire/transfer date and completed within three years of enrollment.
• Minimum of 4 years of progressive leadership experience required with relevant clinical experience preferred.
• Analytical ability necessary to evaluate staff, address and improve clinical issues and devise solutions to complex problems. Leadership ability to develop staff, establish and maintain standards of performance within a national context for professional nursing practice and comply with administrative requirements. Superior interpersonal and communication skills sufficient to effectively create relationships to support a healing environment with patients, families, staff, physicians and hospital personnel including senior management in both written and verbal communication.
• Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances: Current licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse in practicing state. Current licensure either in the state where the facility is located or, if the facility is in a state covered by the multistate Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) agreement, a multistate license issued by a participating NLC state. Hires and current employees working on an out-of-state NLC license who later change their residency to the state where the facility is also located will have 60 days upon changing their residency to apply for licensure within that state.