Position Title: Director of Nursing & Quality
Department: Nursing Administration
Reports To: Chief Executive Officer
Status: FTE 1.0, Exempt
Position Summary
The Executive Director of Nursing & Quality (EDON/Q) is the senior most accountable clinical nursing leader overseeing all operations of the med/surg floor, the ER, and all clinical nursing functions. In addition to being the leader of clinical nursing functions, the EDON/Q will also serve as the accountable leader for ensuring all HADH departments provide the safest and best quality care consistent with our Mission and regulatory requirements. The EDON/Q must serve as a visible leader who promotes accountability, fosters a positive culture, and collaborates with all interdisciplinary partners to uphold the mission and standards of the Critical Access Hospital.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Leadership & Supervision
- Serves as a mentor for those clinical leaders that report directly – including but not limited to: nursing, patient care techs, director of surgery, quality coordinator, and house supervisors.
- Support a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and open communication.
- Conduct routine unit rounds to ensure patient safety, staff engagement, and operational awareness. Models teamwork by helping with task if needed during rounding and hearing concerns of coworkers in the moment.
- Contributes to and assists with all performance evaluations, staff coaching, education, and disciplinary actions.
Staffing, Scheduling & Workforce Management
- Establishes and assigns nurse leadership on-call schedule providing after-hours support and decision-making.
- Establishes Productive Standards and sets staffing index; establishes a staffing grid for house supervisors and charge nurses to adhere to. Sets the staffing metrics and variances that nursing leaders should track and staff to.
- Ensure staff competencies align with unit needs and regulatory standards. Establishes an adequate plan to satisfy those competencies that have been established.
Operational Oversight
- Oversee day-to-day operations of the ER and Med-Surg units, including patient assignments, throughput, admissions, discharges, and transfers.
- Works with Care Management to appropriately vet incoming referrals.
- Serves as the primary liaison between clinical operations and leadership, and hospital-based providers. Provides ample and regular venues (formal and informal) for communication with providers and leadership as it relates to clinical process improvement.
- Regularly reviews, edits, and implements hospital policies and procedures related to nursing and clinical excellence ensuring HADH provides the best quality care while meeting or exceeding all CAH regulatory requirements.
- Periodically lead and/or support daily huddles. Regularly plan huddle information.
Quality, Safety & Compliance
- Develops a comprehensive quality improvement plan for HADH and works with all levels of the organization to achieve goals.
- Sets all nursing quality measures and ensures that all audits, chart reviews, and improvement plans as carried out to meet goals.
- Leads ongoing survey readiness (CMS, State, CAH standards).
- Ensure compliance with infection control, medication safety, documentation standards, and patient safety protocols.
- Establishes framework for hospital quality program. Sets agenda and runs all quality meetings ensuring that each department comes prepared with quality improvement work is completed in a timely manner (departmental scorecards, Performance Excellence Council Scorecards, etc). Is the leader of all quality initiatives including but not limited to:
· Performance Excellence Council
· Quality Meeting
· Safety Meeting
· Quality Score Cards
· PEC Dashboard
· Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) Plan
Education & Staff Development
- Identify training needs and coordinate education to meet departmental requirements.
- Champion evidence-based practice and continuous improvement.
- Sets Annual Nursing Competency and initial training and onboarding program.
- Schedules ongoing training opportunities/requirements as needed by each different clinical nursing area.
Communication & Collaboration
- Maintain strong working relationships with providers, ancillary departments, and administrative leadership.
- Participate in committees, department meetings, and hospital initiatives as assigned.
Qualifications
Education & Licensure
- RN license in the State of Missouri (required).
- BSN (preferred).
- BLS & ACLS certifications (required).
- Additional certifications (PALS, TNCC, ENPC, NIHSS, NRP) preferred.
Experience
- 2–3 years of nursing experience in Critical care, ER, or Med-Surg.
- 2-3 years of prior leadership experience (Manager level or above) strongly preferred.
- Prior experience leading quality improvement (hospital and/or unit-based)
- CAH experience highly valued.
Skills & Abilities
- Strong leadership, communication, and conflict-resolution skills.
- Ability to handle staffing challenges and prioritize in a fast-paced environment.
- Proficiency with EMR systems (Cerner community works preferred).
- Knowledge of CAH regulatory and nursing practice standards.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and assist with patient movement as needed.
- Frequent walking, standing, bending, and reaching throughout shifts.
Work Environment
- Fast-paced clinical setting with varied patient acuity.
- Requires flexibility in workload and the ability to support bedside care as needed.
Pay: $85,000.00 - $120,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Relocation assistance
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
