Regional Director of Nursing

We need hope-bringers and changemakers - because the work we all do matters. Join a team that shows up for each other as much as we show up for our clients. At Gaudenzia, your purpose fuels progress - for yourself and others.

Gaudenzia's Mission: Gaudenzia's Mission is to promote long-term recovery by providing comprehensive treatment and support to people with substance use disorder, co-occurring mental health disorders, and related conditions, regardless of individual circumstances.

The Regional Director of Nursing (RDN) provides strategic and operational leadership for nursing services across multiple behavioral health facilities, programs, or service lines. This role is responsible for ensuring high-quality, safe, compliant, and patient-centered nursing care in inpatient, residential, outpatient, detox, crisis stabilization, and/or community-based behavioral health settings.


The Regional Director of Nursing partners with executive leadership, site administrators, medical providers, and interdisciplinary teams to standardize nursing practices, support workforce development, improve clinical outcomes, and ensure regulatory compliance across all assigned locations.

Qualifications:

Essential Qualifications:

• Current Registered Nurse (RN) license in good standing
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• 3--5 years of behavioral health nursing experience
• Multi-state licensure or ability to obtain licensure in multiple states preferred, if applicable.
• Specialty certification in Addiction Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, or Nursing Leadership preferred.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with regulatory and accreditation standards (e.g., federal, state, local and regional regulations, CARF, SAMHSA, Nurse Practice Act)
• Prior experience working within a SUD

Essential Functions, Duties & Responsibilities

Clinical Leadership & Nursing Oversight

• Provide regional leadership and oversight for nursing operations across multiple behavioral health programs and sites.

• Develop, implement, and monitor nursing policies, procedures, protocols, and clinical standards consistent with evidence-based behavioral health practices.

• Ensure delivery of safe, effective, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented nursing care.

• Promote consistency in nursing practice, medication administration, infection prevention, and patient safety standards across locations.

• Collaborate with medical, psychiatric, and executive leadership to align nursing services with organizational goals and care models.

• Support nursing leadership in managing acuity, staffing, clinical workflows, and patient care escalation.

Regulatory Compliance & Accreditation

• Ensure nursing operations comply with all federal, state, and local regulatory requirements, including behavioral health and nursing practice standards.

• Support readiness for surveys and inspections by organizations such as The Joint Commission, CARF, CMS, state licensing agencies, and OSHA, as applicable.

• Monitor and address compliance issues related to nursing documentation, medication management, restraint/seclusion, infection control, and clinical competencies.

• Lead corrective action planning and follow-up for nursing-related deficiencies or survey findings.

Quality Improvement & Patient Safety

• Lead regional nursing quality initiatives focused on patient outcomes, safety, and service excellence.

• Monitor key performance indicators such as medication errors, incident reports, falls, infection prevention metrics, documentation compliance, restraint/seclusion utilization, readmissions or transfers, and staffing/overtime trends.

• Conduct audits and reviews to identify performance gaps and implement improvement strategies.

• Participate in root cause analyses, incident reviews, and performance improvement committees.

Staffing, Workforce Development & Retention

• Partner with site nursing leaders to develop staffing models that meet patient care needs and budget expectations.

• Support recruitment, onboarding, orientation, retention, and succession planning for nursing leadership and staff.

• Develop staffing strategies and ensure appropriate OT and/or per diem utilization

• Provide mentoring, coaching, and professional development to Directors of Nursing, Nurse Managers, Charge Nurses, and other nursing leaders.

• Ensure nursing staff maintain required licensure, certifications, competencies, and mandatory education.

• Promote employee engagement, accountability, and a culture of teamwork and professional excellence.

Operational & Financial Management

• Assist in regional planning and management of nursing labor budgets, staffing ratios, agency utilization, and supply/resource allocation.

• Analyze nursing productivity and operational performance to improve efficiency and quality.

• Collaborate with leadership to support census growth, program expansion, and service line development.

• Recommend and implement process improvements that enhance care delivery and operational effectiveness.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

• Work closely with Medical Directors, Psychiatrists/Psychiatric Providers, Clinical Directors, Program Directors, Human Resources, Risk Management, and Quality/Compliance teams.

• Support a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to patient care and clinical operations.

• Assist with communication and coordination between regional and site-level leadership teams.

Leadership Presence & Site Support

• Conduct regular site visits to assess nursing operations, provide leadership support, and ensure adherence to organizational standards.

• Serve as a visible and accessible nursing leader for regional nursing teams.

• Provide guidance and operational support during staffing crises, patient safety concerns, regulatory events, or other urgent situations.

• Participate in on-call leadership support as assigned.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Demonstrates the ability to manage staffing, scheduling, and resource allocation within budgetary expectations, including oversight of medical supplies and labor utilization, to support efficient and cost-effective operations while maintaining safe, high-quality patient care.
• Demonstrates advanced clinical judgment and decision-making, with the ability to oversee patient care delivery, identify risk, and ensure appropriate interventions across the facility.
• Ability to lead, manage, and hold nursing staff accountable for performance, clinical standards, and professional conduct.
• Demonstrates strong operational and systems thinking, including the ability to manage staffing models, workflow, and resource allocation to ensure safe and efficient care delivery.
• Ability to ensure and maintain appropriate staffing coverage, including coordinating resources and resolving staffing challenges to support uninterrupted patient care services.
• Knowledge of substance use disorders, co-occurring mental health conditions, and complex patient care needs, with the ability to ensure care is delivered in alignment with best practices.
• Knowledge of regulatory and accreditation requirements (e.g., COMAR, CARF, SAMHSA, applicable Nurse Practice Act), with the ability to operationalize and enforce compliance across the facility.
• Demonstrates proficiency in clinical documentation systems and EHR oversight, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance across all nursing staff.
• Ability to lead quality improvement initiatives, monitor performance metrics, and implement corrective actions to improve patient outcomes and operational effectiveness.
• Strong communication and leadership presence, with the ability to collaborate across disciplines, influence stakeholders, and serve as a liaison between nursing, program leadership, and external partners.
• Ability to develop, mentor, and retain nursing staff, fostering a culture of accountability, engagement, and professional growth.
• Demonstrates accountability for quality, safety, financial stewardship, and operational performance at the facility level.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, adapt to changing needs, and maintain oversight of operations in a dynamic, 24/7 care environment.

What We Offer: Competitive Pay - Excellent Benefits - On The Job Training - Upward mobility - Educational assistance to help you grow with us in this life saving field!


For more details please visit out website:

Our Operating Principles: We, as members of the Gaudenzia Team, are committed to these principles. They guide the way we perform Gaudenzia business, every day.

• We hold client care as our top priority.
• We assume good intentions.
• We are present, we connect, & we communicate with transparency, dignity, and respect.
• We make data-driven decisions with courage, challenge the status quo, find innovative ways to grow Gaudenzia & each other.
• We support each other publicly & privately in all circumstances.
• We provide & accept constructive, honest, respectful, and timely feedback with an open mind & without personalization.
• We operate with integrity, focus on outcomes, & have a bias for action.
• We follow through on agreements & honor commitments prioritized with a sense of urgency - someone's life may depend on it.

Gaudenzia is proud to be an employer of choice - and a treatment provider of choice - in the substance use and co-occurring disorders treatment field. We work hard to foster an inclusive, supportive environment where our employees and clients always feel safe and welcome.

Come work with us!

Our Agency is committed to the principles of equal employment. We believe in fostering a positive work environment in which every employee is treated with respect. Our staff hiring and recruitment practices are grounded in fairness, transparency, and merit. All employment decisions are based on job-related qualifications, relevant skills, experience, and alignment with our mission and values. We actively recruit from a broad range of educational and professional backgrounds to attract the most qualified candidates, ensuring equal opportunity for all applicants without preference or discrimination. Our process uses consistent and clear evaluation criteria to support objective decision-making. By emphasizing accountability, efficiency, and integrity throughout every stage--from job posting to onboarding--we build a workforce defined by excellence, professionalism, and commitment to our shared purpose. Gaudenzia is dedicated to the fulfillment of this policy regarding all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay, and other compensation, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.