The Nursing Director- Emergency Services coordinates activities and organizational initiatives that enable VCU Health System to be recognized within the healthcare community for excellence in nursing and continued recognition as a Magnet Hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This position is responsible for oversight of emergency services within but not limited to the Main ED, Emergency Center at New Kent, Forensic Nursing, Virginia Poison Center, and the EM Observation Unit.

This Director is responsible for implementing, communicating, monitoring and evaluating professional practices, activities and strategies. This individual is responsible for leading the delivery of outstanding patient care and ensuring operations are safe, effective and aligned with the mission and vision of the VCU Health System. In addition, the Director ensures the competitive delivery of services and guarantees that care is up to date on changes and discoveries in the field of emergency services in terms of patient experience, new procedures, technology and best practices.

This Director is also responsible for ensuring services rendered are aligned and support the concepts of high reliability organizations and accurately comply with internal and external regulatory guidelines.

Job Description

Essential Job Statements

Performance Expectation: Relationship Development

The Director establishes effective working relationships and works effectively with other divisions and departments as evidenced by: Effectively develops relationships with other managers, organizational leadership, medical staff, customers, and employees. Incorporating input from stakeholders during planning and implementation of service delivery changes. Serving as role model to staff in dealing with conflict, providing effective communication and exhibiting professionalism. Providing strong team leadership. Utilizing his/her ability to motivate Managers/Supervisors and respond to individual and team needs. Developing a strong team culture. Effectively communicating with Managers/Supervisors and promoting two way communications. Proactively promoting staff satisfaction and retention and taking prompt action to address concerns or issues. Demonstrating collaboration and partnership skills with physicians, health care team members, colleagues, administrative leaders and others. Effectively leading and facilitating meetings. Understanding hospital wide objectives and priorities; incorporating them into hospital/unit goals. Actively supporting and participating in Magnet Recognition process. Interpreting and relaying hospital policy to Managers and Supervisors. Supporting Managers/Supervisors in managing legal and ethical issues by linking them to needed resources, policies, etc. as needed.

Performance Expectation: Budget

The Director effectively manages department budget demonstrating strong budgeting skills and applies accounting principles in preparing budgets as evidenced by: Achievement of budgetary goals established during budget approval process to include operational and service delivery goals. Participating in preparation of budget projections providing adequate detail to support budget projections. Monitoring operational and salary reports for trends indicating action is necessary to remain within budget projections. Taking effective actions to address variances promptly; deals promptly and effectively with budget variances.

Performance Expectation: Visibility

The Director generates synergy and makes self visible as evidenced by: Visibility among staff, patients, physicians. Being accessible to and approachable by staff to address concerns and develop a team atmosphere. Makings rounds with staff regularly. Periodically attends meetings of employee groups that do not report directly to manager (but are within chain-of-command) to evaluate morale and to keep lines of communication open. If managing 24-hour department, makes efforts to stay in contact and visible to evening, night and weekend shifts. The director will also be responsible for on call duties.

Performance Expectation: Corporate Compliance

The Director demonstrates corporate compliance as evidenced by: Demonstrating compliance with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations, including those related to Medicaid, Medicare, and HIPAA. Monitoring similar compliance by staff. Emphasizing security measures for patient, staff and organization to maintain confidential information. Taking prompt and appropriate actions for violations.

Performance Expectation: Revenue Enhancement/Cost Reduction Initiatives

The Director ensures that all expenditures are in the best interest of the organization as evidenced by: Development of revenue enhancement activities and/or cost reduction initiatives. Demonstrating creativity in managing resources. Maintaining awareness of trends in service, market share, and changing technology that would affect overall revenue. Monitoring achievement of budget and productivity targets on a weekly, monthly basis. Proactively addresses issues and completes budget variance analysis. Evaluating, implementing and maintaining cost effective practices.

Performance Expectation: Performance Improvement/Benchmarking

The Director develops programs to improve the effectiveness of the department and overall operation of the organization as evidenced by: Participating in performance improvement/benchmarking; in combination with staff, develops performance improvement plans for department services. Identifying appropriate benchmarking and analyzes performance against benchmarks. Developing and executing corrective action plans with effective outcomes when data indicates. Establishing balanced scorecard for departments and uses data to evaluate services. Participating in data collection and reviewing for organizational performance improvement. Participating in organizational staffing effectiveness plan as applicable for patient populations.

Performance Expectation: Miscellaneous Responsibilities

Performs other duties as assigned and/or participates in special projects in order to support the mission of VCUHS and department. Provides assistance to team members. Accepts alternate assignments as required; which may include: Participate in emergency preparedness plan, track quarterly progress or business related to each area; Develop procedural cost analysis and correlate to vendor standardization; Create and follow KPIs and use data for process improvement; Address all regulatory concerns, infection control, quality and safety, the policy manual, operational protocols, incidents and grievances.

Supervisory responsibilities (if applicable):

Has full authority and accountability for actions and decisions within the scope of the position description and hospital policies and procedures.

All employees of the nursing unit report to this position; however, supervisory responsibilities may be delegated as appropriate.

Is ultimately accountable for the oversight and evaluation of nursing practice for all RNs within department in line with ANCC Magnet Nurse Leader eligibility criteria.

Additional position requirements:

Required frequent visibility on all shifts and weekends to enhance staff communication and monitor staff effectiveness.

Ensure responsibility and visible commitment of diversity equity and inclusion strategy, programs, and initiatives through collaboration and implementation of initiatives across the health system.

Demonstrate personal ownership and accountability for safety across the area of responsibility by role modeling daily key concepts of a high reliability organization as personal work habits.

Patient Population

Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide equitable care appropriate to the age of the patients served on their assigned unit.

Demonstrates knowledge and related competencies of the principles of growth and development of the life span and possesses the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interprets the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to their age, specific needs and to provide the equitable care needed as described in departmental policies and procedures.

Neonates (0-4 weeks)

Infant (1-12 months)

Pediatrics (1-12 years)

Adolescents (13-17 years)

Adults (18-64 years)

Geriatrics (65 years and older)

Employment Qualifications

Required Education:

Master's Degree in Nursing or a healthcare related field from an accredited program.

If Master's Degree is not in Nursing, then it is a requirement to have a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from an accredited school

Preferred Education:

Master's Degree in Nursing from an accredited program

Certification in specialty area

Licensure/Certification Required:

Current RN license in Virginia or eligible or compact state

Licensure/Certification Preferred:

Nursing specialty certification in pediatrics, administration/leadership, or relevant specialty.

Diversity Equity and Inclusion certification

Minimum Qualifications

Years and Type of Required Experience

Minimum of ten (10) years of relevant clinical experience in Emergency Services with five (5) years of healthcare supervision/management, financial management, and administrative/operational experience in a healthcare setting,

Years and Type of Preferred Experience:

Five (5) years of experience in progressive leadership in an academic medical center setting

Other Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

Cultural Responsiveness

Demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively managing bias.