Director of Nursing

Director of Nursing (DON) Position Summary

The Director of Nursing (DON) is responsible for the overall leadership, direction, and accountability of the nursing department at White Dove Detox. The DON ensures the delivery of safe, high-quality, evidence-based nursing care while maintaining compliance with Utah state licensing regulations, Joint Commission Behavioral Health standards, and all applicable federal and state laws.

This position is responsible for developing nursing leaders, overseeing regulatory readiness, maintaining clinical excellence, improving quality outcomes, and ensuring the nursing department operates efficiently and collaboratively. The DON works closely with the Executive Director, Medical Director, Day Nurse Manager, Night Nurse Manager, and interdisciplinary team to ensure exceptional patient care and operational excellence.

The Director of Nursing is expected to be a visible leader who communicates effectively, follows through on commitments, proactively identifies problems before they become crises, and builds systems that support long-term success rather than short-term fixes. While responsibilities may be delegated, the DON maintains ultimate accountability for the performance, compliance, and effectiveness of the nursing department.

• Lead, mentor, and develop the nursing department while fostering a culture of accountability, professionalism, and teamwork.
• Provide direct supervision and support to the Night Nurse Manager and Day Nurse Manager.
• Hold nursing leadership accountable for completing assigned responsibilities and following through on projects and initiatives.
• Assist the Executive Director with recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and retaining qualified nurses and technicians.
• Ensure appropriate staffing levels are maintained at all times and proactively address staffing shortages before they affect operations.
• Conduct coaching, performance evaluations, disciplinary actions, and performance improvement plans when necessary.
• Build a positive, solution-oriented culture while maintaining high expectations for performance and patient care.
• Lead by example through professionalism, reliability, organization, and accountability.
• Be available to staff for urgent clinical concerns or ensure appropriate nursing leadership coverage is available.

• Provide oversight of all nursing care delivered within the detox facility.
• Ensure comprehensive nursing assessments are completed accurately and timely.
• Ensure individualized, evidence-based care plans are implemented and updated appropriately.
• Monitor withdrawal management protocols, medication administration, and patient safety throughout each admission.
• Ensure CIWA, COWS, vital signs, assessments, and nursing documentation are completed according to policy.
• Collaborate with providers regarding changes in patient condition and implementation of treatment recommendations.
• Assist with complex clinical situations and provide guidance during medical or behavioral emergencies.
• Ensure patient dignity, compassion, and trauma-informed care remain central to all nursing practices.

• Maintain continuous readiness for Utah state licensing inspections, Joint Commission surveys, and other regulatory reviews.
• Develop, implement, and monitor policies and procedures that meet or exceed regulatory requirements.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including HIPAA, OSHA, CMS requirements (when applicable), DEA requirements, and professional nursing standards.
• Maintain working knowledge of Joint Commission Behavioral Health standards and implement changes as standards evolve.
• Ensure all nursing documentation meets regulatory, legal, and accreditation expectations.
• Review incident reports, medication errors, adverse events, grievances, and patient safety events to identify trends and implement corrective actions.
• Ensure Plans of Correction are completed promptly and monitored until sustained compliance is achieved.
• Verify nursing licenses, CPR certifications, competencies, annual education, and required credentials remain current.
• Coordinate survey preparation, mock surveys, policy review, environmental rounds, and staff education for all regulatory visits.

• Oversee the facility's nursing quality assurance program.
• Review chart audits, medication audits, documentation audits, narcotic audits, infection prevention audits, and environmental audits.
• Collaborate with the Night Nurse Manager, who will conduct routine nursing audits and quality reviews.
• Analyze audit findings to identify trends, implement corrective actions, and ensure ongoing compliance.
• Monitor nursing documentation for completeness, accuracy, and timeliness.
• Develop quality improvement initiatives based on audit findings and patient outcomes.
• Track quality indicators including medication errors, falls, incidents, AMA discharges, documentation compliance,…