Director of Nursing

Director Of Nursing

The Director of Nursing (DON) provides strategic and operational leadership for nursing services and is accountable for resident-centered clinical care, regulatory compliance, workforce performance, and continuous improvement. In partnership with the Executive Director and interdisciplinary leadership team, the DON ensures nursing resources, competencies, systems, and practices support each resident in attaining or maintaining the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being.

Essential Job Functions

• Direct nursing practice and care-delivery systems to ensure assessments, care plans, clinical interventions, medication management, documentation, and changes in condition are timely, accurate, individualized, and consistent with professional standards.
• Monitor resident outcomes and high-risk clinical indicators—including falls, pressure injuries, infections, weight change, hospital transfers, behavioral health needs, medication events, and other adverse events—and implement effective corrective action.
• Conduct clinical rounds and collaborate with residents, families, physicians, pharmacy, therapy, social services, and other partners to coordinate care, resolve concerns, and promote dignity, choice, safety, and quality of life.
• Maintain nursing services in compliance with applicable federal and state requirements, professional standards, licensure rules, organizational policies, resident rights, and reporting obligations.
• Oversee timely identification, escalation, investigation, documentation, and reporting of incidents, allegations of abuse or neglect, misappropriation, injuries of unknown origin, complaints, and other reportable events in collaboration with the Executive Director and Human Resources, as applicable.
• Maintain continuous survey readiness; lead nursing preparation and response during inspections; support plans of correction; and verify that corrective actions are implemented, monitored, and sustained by nursing team members.
• Build and retain a competent nursing team through workforce planning, interviewing and selection, onboarding, orientation, competency validation, education, coaching, performance management, recognition, and succession planning in partnership with Human Resources.
• Develop and monitor staffing plans and schedules based on resident acuity, census, the community assessment, required competencies, regulatory expectations, and budgeted resources; respond promptly to coverage gaps and emerging clinical needs.
• Set clear expectations, provide consistent accountability, and cultivate psychological safety, teamwork, respectful communication, and professional practice across all shifts and levels of nursing.
• Provide nursing leadership for the community's QAPI program by using data, audits, root-cause analysis, performance improvement projects, and follow-up monitoring to improve care outcomes and prevent recurrence of adverse events.
• Partner with the Infection Preventionist, medical leadership, pharmacy, and interdisciplinary team to maintain an effective infection prevention and control program, surveillance system, outbreak response, and antibiotic stewardship practices.
• Establish nursing metrics and goals; review trends and variances; communicate results to appropriate committees and leaders; and translate findings into measurable, sustainable improvements.
• Develop and manage nursing operating and capital budgets; monitor labor, agency utilization, overtime, supplies, ancillary charges, and clinical resources; and take action to balance quality, staffing, stability, and financial stewardship.
• Evaluate perspective admissions and changes in resident needs in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team to confirm the community can safely and competently meet identified care requirements.
• Maintain effective nursing policies, procedures, records, equipment, supply systems, emergency preparedness practices, and contracted clinical services; participate in drills and respond to requirements.
• Serve as a visible member of the community leadership team, contribute clinical expertise to organizational decisions, communicate priorities clearly, and…