Director of Nursing

CALDWELL MEDICAL CENTER

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE:                           Director of Nursing          

DEPARTMENT:                  Nursing 

REPORTS TO:                     CEO

SUPERVISES:                      Medical/Surgical and Emergency Departments

POSITION SUMMARY:   

Responsible for establishing a culture of clinical excellence, zero-harm patient safety, and professional accountability. Works in close partnership with the Medical Staff and Executive Leadership to elevate bedside clinical standards and drive continuous quality improvement across the Medical Surgical and Emergency Departments. The Director of Nursing will participate as a member of the hospital's Leadership team in planning, policy formulation, and administrative decision making with attention to the role, functions, and operations of the hospital's nursing services. The position is responsible for patient care, management, resource management, and fiscal management.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Initiates the development of policies and procedures that govern nursing services and other services under his or her supervision.
2. Verifies employee credentials under his or her position supervision.
3. Collaborates with other departments and agencies regarding resources and services for improved patient care and staff development.
4. Plans, develops, and implements a budget process for staffing and services rendered.
5. Actively participates, and leads nursing services, in the hospital’s Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program. Designs, monitors, and analyzer key clinical quality indicators.
6. Champions a culture of safety by establishing non-punitive event reporting mechanisms; assists with the conduction of Root Cause Analyses (RCA) and Failure Mode and Effects Analyses (FMEA) for all sentinel events, near-misses, and adverse clinical occurrences, ensuring immediate corrective action plans are executed.
7. Ensures continuous survey readiness and strict compliance with CMS Critical Access Hospital Conditions of Participation (CoPs), State Department for Public Health regulations, and applicable accrediting bodies.
8. Ensures, in coordination with the Education Coordinators, rigorous annual clinical competency assessments and skills fairs tailored to rural acute and emergency care (e.g., rapid triage, trauma stabilization, pediatric emergencies, critical drip titration, and pre-transfer stabilization).
9. Ensure effective implementation of objective clinical auditing tools (such as chart audits, bedside shift-report compliance, and direct-observation care rounds); conducts timely performance evaluations and executes progressive coaching or disciplinary actions when standards of practice or safety protocols are breached.
10. Identifies clinical skill gaps across Med/Surg and ED nursing staff; designs and implements structured specialty training, onboarding pathways, preceptor programs, and continuing education initiatives to elevate nursing critical-thinking and scope of practice.
11. Partners closely with the Chief of Staff, Medical Director, and attending medical providers to establish, update, and standardize evidence-based clinical protocols, order sets, and transfer criteria.
12. Participates actively in Medical Staff Committees as necessary, including but not limited to, Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T), and interdisciplinary clinical review meetings; serves as the nursing liaison to resolve operational, communication, or clinical practice issues between medical providers and nursing staff.
13. Facilitates seamless bedside communication (such as standardized SBAR handoffs and interdisciplinary patient rounds) between nursing personnel, hospitalists, emergency physicians, Advanced Practice Providers (NPs/PAs), and swing-bed coordinators.
14. Oversees emergency department clinical readiness, ensuring robust EMTALA compliance, streamlined inter-facility transfer processes and agreements as necessary, and rapid stabilization protocols for high-acuity patients requiring transfer to tertiary centers.
15. Coordinates nursing care models for acute inpatient and Swing Bed rehabilitation programs, ensuring patient progression, documentation compliance, and safe discharge planning.
16. Serves as a spokesperson for nursing matters and represents the hospital with professional nursing and related organizations.
17. Actively participates and leads meetings and committees as required.
18. Performs other duties as assigned. 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

Subject to temperature changes from hot to cold.  Subject to hazardous conditions where there is a danger to life, body and/or health.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• May be exposed to infectious and contagious diseases.  
• Regularly exposed to the risk of bloodborne diseases.  
• Occasionally exposed to radiation hazards.  
• Exposed to a variety of electro-mechanical hazards.  
• Exposed to odorous chemicals, specimens and patient related odors.  
• Exposed to housekeeping/cleaning agents/chemicals.  
• May be exposed to toxic chemicals.  
• Subject to hazards of flammable/explosive gases.  
• Subject to burns and ‘sharps’ related injuries.  
• Subject to injury from moving parts of equipment.  
• Occasional exposure to unpleasant elements.  
• Contact with patients and patient families under a wide variety of circumstances.  
• Subject to varying and unpredictable situations.  
• Handles emergency or crisis situations.  
• Performs emergency care.  
• Subject to many interruptions.  
• Occasionally subject to long irregular hours.  
• Frequent pressure due to multiple calls, inquiries, questions and requests. 
•  Requires judgment and action which could result in death of a patient.  
• Performs both standardized and non-standardized duties that require independent judgment and initiative on an ongoing basis.  

REQUIRED PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

Eye protection, face protection, gown, lab coat or apron, mask, sterile and non-sterile medical gloves, utility gloves at times.  Respiratory protective-type device on occasion (N-95; Purified Air filtration System).

EXPECTATIONS

• Proficiency in this position should be reached in 3-5 months.  
• Must maintain CEUS as established by the KBN.  
• Must be willing to take specialty courses and other educational offerings as indicated.  
• Must be honest and trustworthy
• Must be skillful in written and oral communication.  
• Demonstrates moderate to advanced problem solving and time management skills.
• Demonstrates moderate to advanced critical thinking skills.  
• Must have knowledge and skills required to deliver high-quality nursing care utilizing sound nursing judgment.  
• Must demonstrate the ability to direct personnel in a positive/professional/constructive fashion.  
• Must demonstrate the ability to work independently and to appropriately delegate tasks to other members of the nursing staff. 
• Demonstrates the ability to deal with issues and personnel in an unbiased/objective/professional manner without favoritism or bias  
• Must be able to recognize deficiencies/short comings in self and others and to take construction action toward correction.
• Effectively respond to challenges in a positive and professional manner to maintain morale and a high degree of cooperation.  Must have the ability to interact appropriately with others in a number of settings including those that may be highly stressful, emotional and intense.  
• Must be able to define problems, collect data/information, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
• Must maintain certification in BLS, ACLS and PALS.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Prolonged, extensive standing, walking.  Occasional sitting
• Lifts, positions and transfers patients as needed
• Lifts supplies and equipment with weight requirements of approximately 50lbs*
• Manual dexterity and mobility, reach with hands and arms, stooping, bending, kneeling and crouching, push/pull, use hands and fingers to touch & feel

*Seek assistance if the weight requirement for the performance of a job or task requires greater than 50lbs of effort/force

LANGUAGE SKILLS/READING SKILLS/HEARING

• Ability to talk/converse with and be understood by others. 
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret written information (journal articles, financial reports, records, data, etc)
• Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, etc
• Ability to effectively present information to others (individually or in groups) 
• Ability to hear alarms on equipment, patient call bell, instructions from physicians and conversations with others 

VISION 

•  Far acuity:  ability to see clearly at 20 feet or more

Must be able to visually identify, assess, and complete job-related tasks safely and accurately, with or without reasonable accommodation.  

SKILLS – ADMINISTRATIVE LISTING

• Answers and converses on the telephone
• Balances figures
• Compile Statistics
• Compose Letters & Memorandums
• Plan, Coordinate & Conduct Events
• Plan, Coordinate and Conduct Meetings (Staff Meetings, New employee Orientation, etc)
• Establish & Maintain Filing Systems
• Input Data into and Extract Date from Computer Programs
• Interviews and Hires New Employees
• Plan, Document & Conduct Employee Performance & Disciplinary Actions
• Create and maintain various reports, records and logs – both electronically and in paper format

SKILLS – MACHINE LISTING

•  Computers (Desktop, Portable and Handheld Devices)
• Printers
• Copy Machine
• Fax Machine
• Telephones – Desk and Portable
• Calculators
• Pulse Oximetry Devices
• IV Pumps
• Enteral Feeding Pumps
• Thermometers
• Vital Sign Machines
• Defibrillators
• Cardiac Monitors (Central Stations, Portable Units, Telemetry Units)
• Fetal/Vascular Doppler
• Patient Beds
• Fingerstick glucose monitors
• K-Pad
• Bed scales
• Chair Scales
• Standing Scales
• PCA Pumps
• SCD Machines
• Blood Warmer
• Nurse Call System
• Patient lifts
• Other patient safety/patient related equipment

COMPLIANCE

Acts in accordance with the compliance policies set forth in the compliance plan and to report violations of these policies.

DISCLAIMER STATEMENT

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

MINIMUM EDUCATION

Bachelor Science of Nursing licensed to practice in the State of Kentucky with an unencumbered nursing license

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE

Five years of nursing management experience

Certified Nurse Leader (CNL), Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), or Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) preferred.