Director of Nursing

Job Description

Job Description

POSITION PURPOSE

The Director of Nursing (DON) provides strategic and operational leadership for nursing services at Catalina Island Health (CIH), including the Emergency Department, Acute Care Unit, Long-Term Care, Swing Bed Program, and other nursing departments as assigned. The DON is responsible for ensuring the delivery of safe, evidence-based, patient-centered nursing care while promoting excellence in clinical quality, patient safety, regulatory compliance, workforce development, and professional nursing practice.

As the organization's senior nursing leader, the Director of Nursing establishes nursing standards, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, supports continuous quality improvement, and ensures compliance with all applicable federal, state, and accreditation requirements. The DON fosters a culture of accountability, compassion, teamwork, and clinical excellence while supporting CIH's mission to provide exceptional healthcare to Catalina Island residents and visitors.

The Director of Nursing reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and collaborates closely with the Administrative Leadership Team. 

SUMMARY

The Director of Nursing is accountable for the leadership, direction, and administration of nursing services throughout Catalina Island Health. This position ensures that nursing practice reflects current standards of care, regulatory requirements, evidence-based practice, and organizational goals.

The DON serves as the organization's nursing leader, promoting quality outcomes, patient safety, employee engagement, regulatory readiness, and professional nursing excellence.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Provides leadership and oversight of all nursing services, including the Emergency Department, Acute Care, Swing Bed Program, Long-Term Care, and other nursing units as assigned.

2. Establishes and maintains standards of nursing practice consistent with the California Nursing Practice Act, CMS Conditions of Participation, Critical Access Hospital regulations, and evidence-based clinical guidelines.

3. Provides leadership for nursing workforce planning, recruitment, retention, employee engagement, succession planning, and professional development.

4. Directs nursing staffing plans to ensure safe staffing levels while maintaining fiscal responsibility and quality patient care.

5. Oversees nursing orientation, competency assessment, annual skills validation, continuing education, and leadership development programs.

6. Promotes a culture of patient safety by leading initiatives focused on high reliability, error prevention, just culture, and continuous quality improvement.

7. Oversees the Infection Prevention and Control Program, ensuring compliance with CDC, CMS, California Department of Public Health (CDPH), OSHA, and other applicable regulatory requirements.

8. Partners with Quality, Risk Management, and Medical Staff leadership to monitor quality indicators, patient outcomes, infection rates, falls, medication safety, readmissions, patient satisfaction, and other clinical performance measures.

9. Leads nursing participation in performance improvement initiatives utilizing evidence-based practice and quality improvement methodologies.

10. Ensures nursing compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements, accreditation standards, organizational policies, and clinical documentation standards.

11. Maintains survey readiness for CMS, CDPH, OSHA, and other regulatory agencies.

12. Collaborates with physicians and interdisciplinary leaders to improve clinical outcomes, patient experience, care coordination, and operational effectiveness.

13. Participates in emergency preparedness planning and serves in an Incident Command leadership role during disasters, mass casualty incidents, wildfires, or community emergencies.

14. Oversees nursing budget development, labor management, productivity, supply utilization, and resource allocation.

15. Supports implementation of new clinical programs, nursing technology, evidence-based practices, and patient care initiatives.

16. Investigates patient safety events, clinical concerns, and nursing-related incidents, ensuring timely follow-up, corrective action, and organizational learning.

17. Ensures compliance with California labor laws, nursing regulations, wage and hour requirements, and healthcare workforce standards while maintaining compliance with CMS, CDPH, OSHA, HIPAA, and all applicable regulatory and accrediting agencies.

18. Represents nursing services on leadership committees, quality committees, medical staff committees, and community initiatives.

19. Performs other duties as assigned.

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

The Director of Nursing must demonstrate the ability to:

1. Exercise sound clinical judgment and independent decision-making in complex, rapidly changing healthcare environments.

2. Inspire, coach, and develop leaders while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, professionalism, and continuous improvement.

3. Analyze operational, financial, and clinical data to identify trends, evaluate performance, and develop strategies that improve organizational outcomes.

4. Effectively prioritize competing demands while maintaining attention to quality, patient safety, regulatory compliance, and organizational goals.

5. Build collaborative relationships with physicians, executive leadership, department directors, employees, regulatory agencies, community partners, patients, and families.

6. Lead organizational change initiatives by effectively communicating expectations, gaining stakeholder engagement, and facilitating successful implementation of new programs and processes.

7. Interpret and apply federal, state, and local healthcare regulations, professional practice standards, and organizational policies in daily decision-making.

8. Demonstrate financial acumen by understanding departmental budgets, labor productivity, resource allocation, and cost-effective utilization of clinical resources.

9. Communicate effectively in both written and verbal formats with individuals at all levels of the organization, including presenting information to leadership, governing bodies, and external agencies.

10. Utilize critical thinking, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills to address complex operational and clinical challenges while promoting positive outcomes.

11. Maintain proficiency in Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems, Microsoft Office applications, quality reporting tools, and healthcare technology necessary to support clinical operations.

12. Demonstrate flexibility and resilience while responding to emergencies, staffing challenges, changing priorities, and the unique operational needs of a rural Critical Access Hospital.

13. Promote a culture of patient-centered care by modeling professionalism, integrity, respect, accountability, and service excellence.

14. Maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion when handling sensitive patient, employee, organizational, and regulatory information.

15. Demonstrate exceptional organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and achieve strategic objectives.

16. Thorough Knowledge of principles and practices of nursing that optimize patient care.

17. Thorough Knowledge of principles of nursing administration and organization.

18. Thorough Knowledge of patient care standards mandated by regulatory agencies.

19. Thorough Knowledge of acute care hospital policies, procedures, and routines.

20. Plan, organize, develop, and direct nursing and clinical services for a critical access hospital.

21. An extensive base of knowledge and skills that includes a variety of patient populations ranging from neonatal to geriatric, and from acute care to long-term rehabilitation.

22. Thorough Knowledge of laws and regulations governing hospital operations, nursing practices, administering, and accounting for medication, consents for treatment and related matters, such as Title 22 of the General Acute Care Hospital Regulations and the Nurse Practice Act.

23. Other duties as assigned. 

Attitude

1. Maintain a positive and caring atmosphere for patients, families, and co-workers. Perform job responsibilities in a manner that promotes our mission and vision. 

2. Demonstrate the willingness and ability to work cooperatively and effectively with others. Be flexible and demonstrate teamwork.

3. Exhibit sound work ethics.

4. Present and promote a positive public image of Catalina Island Medical Center. Exhibit a sense of integrity, pride, and loyalty. 

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work is performed in a Critical Access/ Rural Health Clinic environment. It involves frequent contact with patients, physicians, and other CIMC staff. The employee could be exposed to communicable disease, toxic substances, medicinal preparations, and other conditions that are common to the clinical environment. Safety policies and good health practices are expected to be understood and observed. 

Physical / Mental Demands

1. Work closely with patients in all age categories. Patients are treated with care and compassion and with special regard for age-specific considerations.

2. Varied activities including standing, walking, reaching, bending, lifting. Requires full range of body motion including lifting, manual and finger dexterity, and eye-hand coordination. 

3. Occasionally lift and carry items weighing up to 20 pounds. 

4. Manual dexterity to operate a computer, telephone, copier, fax, and other such office equipment and medical equipment, as necessary. 

5. Corrected vision and hearing to normal range. 

6. Ability to work in stressful situations. 

7. Fast and continuous work pace with variable workload.

8. Interactions are subject to many interruptions from multiple calls and inquiries and potentially emotional situations involving accidents, injuries and/or death.

9. Handle emergency/crisis situations in accordance with policy.

10. Potential risk of exposure to hazards from blood borne pathogens and infectious diseases.

11. Potential risk of exposure to hazards from chemicals (toxic and non-toxic, flammable materials gas and electrical or radiant energy or equipment with or without moving parts).

EDUCATION 

• Current California Registered Nurse (RN) license in good standing, or ability to obtain California licensure prior to start date.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (BSN) required.

• Masters in a related field preferred.

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of three years’ experience in nursing management as a director or assistant director in acute or SNF hospital setting with completion of some nursing administrative duties.

• Experience in critical access hospital in a senior management position preferred.

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS

• Possession of a Professional CPR, ACLS and PALS certification (or willingness to obtain within six months of hire).