Director Center for Nursing Excellence

Position Location: Hospital for Special Care

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

40

Work Shift:

First Shift

Department:

Patient Care Services

We are dedicated to creating an environment of care and engagement that makes us one of the most desirable places to work, providing exceptional care to each patient each and every day!

DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR NURSING EXCELLENCE

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director, Center for Nursing Excellence (CNE) is a senior nursing leader responsible for advancing nursing practice and producing high-quality outcomes through an integrated framework for education, staff development, nursing empowerment, quality and patient safety, and shared governance. Reporting to the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), the Director provides strategic and operational leadership for the Center and is accountable for four core pillars: Clinical Practice; Education and Professional Development; Quality and Patient Safety; and Shared Governance. The Director develops the systems, programs, and professional practice infrastructure necessary to support consistent evidence-based care, clinical competency, professional growth, frontline nurse engagement, and continuous improvement.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Required: Current, unrestricted licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Connecticut.
• Required: Master’s degree in Nursing, Nursing Education, Nursing Professional Development, Healthcare Administration, or a related field; at least one degree must be in nursing. DNP preferred.
• Required: Minimum of five years of progressive nursing leadership, professional development, education, clinical practice, or quality experience with demonstrated program and team leadership.
• Preferred: Director-level or comparable organizational leadership experience.
• Preferred: National certification in nursing professional development, nursing leadership/executive practice, specialty nursing, or another role-relevant area.
• Required: Demonstrated knowledge of evidence-based practice, clinical competency, adult learning, orientation, professional development, quality improvement, patient safety, regulatory readiness, and professional/shared governance.
• Required: Strong leadership, coaching, facilitation, relationship-building, written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Required: Ability to analyze clinical, education, workforce, quality, and outcome data and translate findings into sustainable practice improvement.

CENTER FOR NURSING EXCELLENCE CORE PILLARS

I. Clinical Practice

• Leads the development, review, implementation, and evaluation of nursing policies and clinical practice standards.
• Advances evidence-based nursing practice and supports translation of current evidence into standardized clinical care.
• Develops and oversees role- and specialty-specific clinical competency frameworks that validate knowledge, skills, clinical judgment, and performance.
• Partners with Nursing Operations and Clinical Managers to identify practice variation and implement strategies that improve consistency and reliability of care.
• Creates infrastructure to support clinical inquiry, practice innovation, and, as the Center matures, nursing research and development.

II. Education & Professional Development

• Provides strategic oversight for nursing orientation and onboarding pathways across nursing roles and specialty areas.
• Oversees the nurse residency program and other transition-to-practice initiatives and evaluates their impact on competence, confidence, engagement, and retention.
• Leads continuing nursing education and ongoing professional development programs based on organizational priorities, clinical needs, quality trends, and staff learning needs.
• Develops core curricula and structured learning pathways to support specialty practice and progressive professional development.
• Promotes and expands specialty certification and other professional recognition of nursing expertise.
• Leads and develops central and unit-based Nursing Professional Development Specialists and aligns educator resources with clinical priorities.
• Develops preceptors, mentors, clinical coaches, and emerging nurse leaders to strengthen professional development and the nursing leadership pipeline.

III. Quality & Patient Safety

• Partners with the CNO, Nursing Operations, Quality, and Clinical Managers to establish and monitor nursing outcome metrics and nursing-sensitive indicators.
• Uses quality, safety, audit, event, competency, and workforce data to identify practice gaps and prioritize education and improvement initiatives.
• Connects education and competency interventions to measurable clinical outcomes and evaluates effectiveness after implementation.
• Supports organizational regulatory readiness by ensuring nursing practice, education, competencies, and policies remain aligned with applicable requirements and standards.
• Applies improvement-science principles to reduce practice variation, improve reliability, and sustain gains.
• Promotes a culture of safety, professional accountability, psychological safety, and learning from events and near misses.

IV. Shared Governance & Nursing Empowerment

• Develops, implements, and strengthens a nursing shared governance structure that gives frontline nurses a meaningful voice in nursing practice and professional decision-making.
• Provides oversight and support for nursing practice council(s) and ensures council work is connected to nursing strategic priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Supports the nurse staffing committee and collaboration between frontline nurses and nursing leadership on staffing-related practice and workforce matters.
• Develops nursing recognition programs that celebrate professional contribution, clinical excellence, innovation, certification, leadership, and exemplary practice.
• Promotes nurse engagement, professional autonomy, accountability, collaboration, and empowerment.
• Builds structures that encourage nurses to participate in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, professional development, and organizational decision-making.

LEADERSHIP & BUSINESS ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Develops and executes the Center for Nursing Excellence strategic plan in alignment with the nursing and organizational strategic plans.
• Builds the CNE team and organizational infrastructure needed to achieve the Center’s goals and develops clear role expectations and accountability.
• Manages assigned personnel, budget, educational resources, technology, and vendor relationships and evaluates program value and effectiveness.
• Coaches and develops Nursing Professional Development Specialists and other assigned staff through performance management, mentoring, professional development, and succession planning.
• Partners closely with the Director of Nursing Operations so professional practice, education, competency, and quality initiatives are translated into reliable day-to-day care delivery.
• Communicates strategic priorities and outcomes to nursing staff, nursing leadership, executive leadership, and interdisciplinary partners.
• Models ethical leadership, emotional intelligence, professional accountability, inclusion, collaboration, innovation, and commitment to a healthy work environment.

KEY PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Clinical practice: policy implementation, evidence-based practice adoption, competency outcomes, and reduction in unwarranted practice variation.
• Education and professional development: orientation effectiveness, time to independent practice, nurse residency outcomes, continuing education participation, and specialty certification.
• Quality and patient safety: nursing-sensitive indicators, outcome metrics, improvement results, and regulatory readiness.
• Shared governance: council participation and effectiveness, frontline nurse engagement, staffing committee effectiveness, and recognition program participation.
• Workforce development: new-hire retention, professional growth, educator effectiveness, leadership development, and succession pipeline progress.
• Center effectiveness: achievement of annual CNE strategic priorities, resource stewardship, program evaluation, and demonstrated connection between CNE initiatives and nursing outcomes.

AONL NURSE LEADER CORE COMPETENCY ALIGNMENT

The Director demonstrates leadership across the current AONL Nurse Leader Core Competency domains:

AONL Domain: Application to CNE Director

Leader Within : Self-awareness, reflective practice, professional identity, personal development, and sustainable leadership.

Leadership : Systems thinking, change management, innovation, decision-making, transformation, and organizational resilience.

Professionalism : Ethical accountability, advocacy, governance, professional nursing practice, and equitable care.

Communication & Relational Leadership : Communication, influence, relationship management, psychological safety, nursing empowerment, and interprofessional collaboration.

Knowledge of the Health Care Environmen t: Evidence-based practice, practice oversight, quality and safety, improvement science, regulatory readiness, and digital/informatics leadership.

Business Skills & Principles : Strategic management, financial/resource stewardship, program evaluation, and workforce leadership and development.

RELATIONSHIP WITH DIRECTOR OF NURSING OPERATIONS

The two Director roles are complementary. The Director of Nursing Operations holds primary accountability for operational execution, staffing, scheduling, resource deployment, and day-to-day patient care operations. The Director, Center for Nursing Excellence holds primary accountability for the professional practice infrastructure that supports clinical practice, education and professional development, quality-linked learning, and shared governance. Both Directors share accountability for nursing quality, workforce outcomes, regulatory readiness, leader development, and execution of the nursing strategic plan.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The position requires frequent walking, standing, and sitting; carrying documents and work materials; reaching and bending to access work areas; and manual dexterity to use computers and other technology. The role may occasionally require assistance with patient transport or participation in emergency patient-care activities, consistent with organizational policy and role competency.

COGNITIVE DEMANDS

Requires independent problem identification and resolution, systems thinking, rapid prioritization, adaptability, and sound decision-making in complex and changing environments. The position requires the ability to analyze and synthesize clinical, workforce, operational, quality, and financial information; communicate complex concepts; negotiate and resolve conflict; maintain attention in environments with competing demands; and use quantitative information to support operational and financial decisions.

WORK DEMANDS

Work is performed primarily indoors in a healthcare environment and requires frequent interaction with staff, leaders, patients, families, and interdisciplinary partners. The position includes on-call responsibilities and emergency response as assigned. Role also requires frequent interaction with staff on all shifts including staff meetings. Occupational exposure may include bloodborne or airborne pathogens, body fluids, infectious diseases, latex, antineoplastic agents, and other hazardous medications or materials.

Compensation and Benefits

At Hospital for Special Care, we are committed to supporting the health, financial well-being, and professional growth of our team members. The wage range for this position is $ 60.27 to $ 93.41 . Eligible employees may participate in a comprehensive benefits package that includes employer-subsidized medical and dental, vision insurance; a 403(b) retirement savings plan with an employer match of up to 6%; paid time off; employer-paid life insurance; short-term and long-term disability insurance; a Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contributions; Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA); an Employee Assistance Program (EAP); tuition reimbursement and professional development opportunities; voluntary benefits, including pet insurance; employee wellness programs with access to our onsite fitness and aquatics center; an employee referral bonus program; and meaningful employee recognition and appreciation initiatives. Eligibility for certain benefits is based on scheduled hours worked.