Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) Corrections

Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON)

Location: County Jail / Correctional Healthcare Setting Reports To: Director of Nursing (DON) Classification: Full-Time Leadership Position

Position Summary

The Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) supports the Director of Nursing in the leadership, coordination, and oversight of nursing and clinical operations within the County Jail. The ADON is responsible for promoting safe, timely, and compliant healthcare delivery to the inmate population while ensuring nursing practices align with established medical protocols, facility policies, contractual requirements, and applicable correctional healthcare standards.

The ADON provides direct clinical and operational leadership to nursing staff, assists with daily staffing and workflow management, monitors clinical documentation and compliance, supports employee training and performance management, and works collaboratively with the DON, medical providers, correctional leadership, and other members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team.

The ADON serves as a key clinical leader within the facility and may assume the responsibilities of the DON during periods of absence or as otherwise assigned.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical Leadership & Oversight

• Assist the DON with the daily oversight and coordination of nursing services within the facility.
• Provide clinical guidance, leadership, and support to Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), and other healthcare staff.
• Promote consistent adherence to established nursing standards, medical protocols, policies, procedures, and provider orders.
• Serve as a clinical resource for nursing staff regarding patient care concerns, changes in condition, documentation, medication administration, emergency response, and other clinical matters.
• Assist with identifying, escalating, and resolving clinical concerns that may impact patient safety, continuity of care, or contractual compliance.
• Collaborate with medical providers and interdisciplinary team members to facilitate appropriate and timely healthcare services.
• Assist with oversight of booking/intake medical screenings, health appraisals, sick call, medication administration, chronic care, detoxification protocols, restrictive housing assessments, and other required clinical services.
• Ensure nursing staff appropriately identify and escalate patients requiring emergency evaluation or a higher level of care.
• Assist with coordination of care for inmates requiring outside medical services, hospitalization, specialty care, or follow-up treatment.

Clinical Compliance & HealthSecure Monitoring

• Review designated HealthSecure reports and clinical workflows daily to identify incomplete, overdue, or noncompliant patient care activities.
• Monitor and follow up on clinical compliance areas including, but not limited to: Annual physical examinations and health appraisals, TB screening requirements, Inmate kitchen worker health screenings, Medication delivery and administration, Incomplete non-medication orders, Detoxification assessments and monitoring, Medication renewals, Restrictive housing compliance, Pharmacy receipt reconciliation, Returned medication reconciliation, Clinical documentation and outstanding patient care tasks
• Work directly with nursing staff to correct identified deficiencies and ensure required documentation and patient care activities are completed within established timeframes.
• Conduct routine medical record reviews and audits to evaluate documentation accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and compliance.
• Assist with monitoring medication administration records (MARs), medical forms, clinical logs, and other required healthcare documentation.
• Identify trends in clinical errors or documentation deficiencies and assist the DON with developing corrective action, education, or process improvement plans.

Medication, Narcotic & Medical Equipment Oversight

• Assist with oversight of medication management processes and ensure medications are securely stored, administered, documented, reconciled, and maintained in accordance with applicable policies and protocols.
• Oversee or verify completion of required daily and weekly counts of narcotics, controlled substances, sharps, and other accountable medical items.
• Ensure discrepancies involving narcotics, medications, sharps, or other controlled items are immediately investigated, escalated, and documented according to policy.
• Monitor pharmacy receipt and returned medication reconciliation processes.
• Ensure required checks of medical refrigerators, oxygen tanks, emergency equipment, eye wash stations, radios, and other designated medical equipment are completed and documented.
• Assist with maintaining appropriate medication and medical supply inventory levels and identifying potential shortages.

Staffing & Daily Operations

• Assist the DON with ensuring appropriate nursing coverage and staffing levels are maintained in accordance with the established staffing matrix and contractual requirements.
• Monitor daily staffing and proactively identify potential coverage gaps.
• Assist with scheduling, call-out coverage, shift adjustments, overtime management, and other staffing needs.
• Provide leadership support to nursing staff during assigned shifts and assist with resolving operational or clinical concerns.
• Participate in leadership coverage and on-call responsibilities as assigned.
• Coordinate with facility leadership when staffing, security, or operational concerns may impact healthcare delivery.
• Assume DON responsibilities when designated during the DON's absence.

Quality Improvement & Regulatory Compliance

• Support compliance with applicable American Correctional Association (ACA), Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC), Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), facility, contractual, and correctional healthcare requirements.
• Participate in the facility's Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) program.
• Assist with monthly clinical audits, medical record monitoring, data collection, and identification of trends or opportunities for improvement.
• Participate in development and implementation of corrective action and performance improvement initiatives.
• Monitor progress following corrective action to ensure sustained compliance.
• Assist in preparing clinical information, audit findings, and supporting documentation for leadership and quality improvement meetings.
• Participate in Medical Audit Committee (MAC), CQI, clinical leadership, or other meetings as requested.
• Assist with preparation for regulatory, contractual, accreditation, or client audits and site reviews.

Staff Training, Education & Competency

• Assist with orientation and training of newly hired nursing staff before independent assignment within the facility.
• Provide or coordinate training related to facility workflows, HealthSecure, clinical protocols, documentation requirements, medication administration, emergency procedures, and correctional healthcare practices.
• Serve as a preceptor or designate qualified preceptors for newly hired clinical staff.
• Evaluate staff competency and identify areas requiring additional training or remediation.
• Assist with ensuring nursing staff complete required annual education and competency requirements.
• Support compliance with the requirement for clinical employees to maintain documented continuing education in accordance with ACA standards.
• Provide real-time coaching and education when clinical or documentation deficiencies are identified.

Employee Performance & Accountability

• Monitor employee performance, professionalism, attendance, clinical practice, and compliance with facility and organizational expectations.
• Provide timely coaching and feedback to nursing staff when performance concerns are identified.
• Document performance concerns and communicate significant or recurring issues to the DON.
• Assist the DON with employee counseling, corrective action, and disciplinary processes when appropriate.
• Participate in employee evaluations and competency assessments as assigned.
• Recognize positive employee performance and promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, professionalism, and patient safety.
• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism when addressing employee relations and performance matters.

Correctional Environment & Security

• Maintain awareness of the unique safety and security requirements associated with providing healthcare within a correctional environment.
• Comply with all County Jail security policies, procedures, and directives.
• Work collaboratively with correctional officers and facility leadership while maintaining appropriate clinical independence and patient confidentiality.
• Ensure nursing staff follow security requirements when handling medications, sharps, medical equipment, keys, radios, and other controlled items.
• Immediately communicate safety, security, or patient care concerns through the appropriate chain of command.
• Maintain professional boundaries with inmates at all times.

Required Qualifications

• Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in the state in which services are provided.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• Minimum of three years of professional nursing experience.
• Previous charge nurse, nursing supervisor, clinical leadership, or nursing management experience preferred.
• Correctional healthcare, emergency department, behavioral health, acute care, or other high-acuity nursing experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of nursing standards of practice, medication administration, clinical documentation, infection prevention, emergency response, and patient safety.
• Ability to effectively supervise, coach, and provide clinical direction to nursing staff.
• Strong organizational, communication, critical-thinking