Director of Nursing (DON)

Director of Nursing Services (DON) to provide leadership and oversight of nursing operations. The Director of Nursing will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of high-quality resident care while maintaining compliance with federal, state, and facility regulations and standards.

This position requires a strong clinical leader with extensive skilled nursing/long-term care experience, excellent staff management skills, and a thorough understanding of regulatory compliance, survey readiness, quality improvement, and nursing operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and direction for the facility's nursing department and clinical operations.
• Oversee and supervise nursing leadership, Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), and other clinical staff.
• Ensure residents receive high-quality, compassionate, and individualized nursing care.
• Maintain compliance with New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), CMS, federal and state regulations, and facility policies and procedures.
• Lead ongoing survey readiness initiatives and participate in regulatory surveys, audits, plans of correction, and follow-up activities.
• Monitor resident outcomes, clinical documentation, care plans, medication management, infection prevention, and overall quality of care.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate nursing policies, procedures, clinical programs, and standards of practice.
• Partner with the Administrator and interdisciplinary leadership team regarding facility operations, resident care, staffing, and quality initiatives.
• Oversee nursing staffing levels, scheduling, productivity, and appropriate staff coverage.
• Participate in the recruitment, hiring, orientation, training, development, and retention of nursing personnel.
• Provide coaching, counseling, performance management, and ongoing education to nursing staff.
• Monitor quality indicators and implement Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) initiatives.
• Review incidents, accidents, changes in condition, hospital transfers, infections, wounds, falls, and other clinical concerns to identify trends and implement corrective measures.
• Ensure accurate and timely clinical documentation and adherence to resident care plans.
• Promote effective communication between nursing staff, physicians, residents, families, rehabilitation, social services, dietary, and other interdisciplinary departments.
• Foster a positive, collaborative work environment focused on resident safety, quality care, staff accountability, and employee engagement.
• Qualifications
• Current and unrestricted New York State Registered Nurse (RN) license required.
• Previous Director of Nursing, Assistant Director of Nursing, or senior nursing leadership experience within a skilled nursing or long-term care facility strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of skilled nursing, long-term care, CMS regulations, NYS DOH requirements, survey preparation, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience managing and developing nursing teams in a high-volume healthcare environment.
• Knowledge of QAPI, infection prevention, MDS/care planning, clinical documentation, staffing, and quality measures.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple priorities while maintaining a strong focus on resident care and regulatory compliance.
• Bachelor's degree in Nursing (BSN) preferred; advanced nursing or healthcare leadership education is a plus.

The ideal candidate is an experienced long-term care nursing leader who understands both the clinical and operational responsibilities of running a skilled nursing department. The successful candidate will be highly visible within the facility, comfortable leading large nursing teams, knowledgeable regarding regulatory surveys and compliance, and committed to maintaining excellent standards of resident care.

Key experience: Director of Nursing • DON • Nursing Administration • Skilled Nursing Facility • SNF • Long-Term Care • LTC • Nursing Leadership • NYS DOH • CMS • Survey Readiness • Regulatory Compliance • QAPI • Infection Control • MDS • Care Planning • Staff Management • Quality Improvement

About RSC Healthcare

Launched in 2018, RSC Healthcare is an RSC Solutions company created to focus on recruiting and staffing across all positions in the healthcare industry. Our knowledgeable staff brings multiple decades of experience within the healthcare industry to assist clients in attaining the highest quality talent in the marketplace.

By leveraging RSC Healthcare’s extensive database and experienced recruiting team for candidate healthcare positions, our clients realize both substantial cost-savings and a streamlined, efficient process. We provide staffing for all levels and positions across your organization, including:

Registered Nurses
Physical/Occupational Therapists
Certified Nursing Assistants
Radiology Technicians
All skilled medical and allied health professionals

As a leader in the healthcare staffing industry, it is our goal is to connect patients with quality caregivers. Our experienced team and industry knowledge allow RSC Healthcare to deliver the qualified healthcare professionals our clients need.