Nursing Director Surgical Services

Nursing Director – Surgical Services

Location:

Indio, CA

Employment Type:

Full-Time | Direct Hire Salary: $149,760–$210,000 annually (based on years of experience) Sign-On Bonus: available Relocation Assistance: available Work Environment:
Hospital | Acute Care Leadership Responsibility: 24-hour accountability for Surgical Services operations

Wheeler Staffing Partners is seeking an experienced Nursing Director – Surgical Services for a direct-hire opportunity with a hospital in Indio, CA. The Nursing Director will provide strategic, clinical, and operational leadership for the Surgical Services department, ensuring high-quality patient care, regulatory compliance, financial performance, and effective daily operations. This leadership position carries 24-hour accountability for departmental operations, including staff supervision, clinical quality, patient safety, budget management, physician relationships, and continuous process improvement.

The ideal candidate brings 3–5 years of Surgical Services experience in an acute care hospital setting, including at least 3 years of leadership experience, along with a strong clinical background in operating room nursing. This opportunity is ideal for an experienced nursing leader who is passionate about improving surgical outcomes, developing high-performing teams, and delivering exceptional patient care.

Provide overall leadership and operational oversight for the Surgical Services department. Maintain 24-hour accountability for departmental performance, patient care standards, staffing, and operational effectiveness. Establish, implement, and enforce departmental policies, procedures, standards, and performance objectives. Direct daily workflows, staffing assignments, and resource allocation to support safe and efficient surgical operations. Collaborate with hospital leadership, physicians, nursing teams, and interdisciplinary departments to achieve organizational goals.

Lead departmental strategic planning, performance improvement initiatives, and operational decision-making. Ensure appropriate maintenance, repair, and functionality of surgical instrumentation and equipment. Participate in hospital committees and represent Surgical Services in organizational initiatives.

Develop and manage departmental budgets based on patient volumes, staffing needs, and operational requirements. Monitor productivity, labor expenses, and cost per unit of service to ensure financial performance aligns with established goals. Identify budget variances and implement corrective action plans to improve operational efficiency. Oversee supply chain management, purchasing, inventory, and departmental equipment needs. Evaluate staffing models, work assignments, and resource utilization to maintain quality while controlling costs.

Approve departmental supply orders and monitor expenditures.

Recruit, hire, train, supervise, evaluate, and develop nursing and Surgical Services personnel. Conduct employee evaluations, including 30-day stay interviews, 90-day reviews, and annual performance evaluations. Monitor employee turnover, retention trends, and engagement metrics to identify opportunities for improvement. Develop and implement employee retention, professional development, and engagement initiatives. Provide coaching, mentoring, performance feedback, and leadership development for department staff. Promote a collaborative, respectful, and accountable work environment.

Ensure staff compliance with organizational policies, clinical competencies, safety standards, and professional expectations. Oversee employee timekeeping,…