Director of Nursing

As a key member of the interdisciplinary leadership team, the DON fosters a culture of clinical excellence, manages nursing budgets, and mentors staff to improve resident outcomes.

The Director of Nursing (DON) is responsible for the overall management, leadership, and quality of the nursing department at the Sauk County Health Care Center. The primary goal is to ensure the delivery of high-quality resident care while maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.

• Interview, train, direct, advise, evaluate, coach and discipline nursing personnel, and approve payroll. This includes but is not limited to coordinating ongoing in-service training and competency assessments for clinical staff.
• Develop and update nursing policies and procedures to meet state and federal regulations. Coordinate nursing policies and procedures with other departments.
• Oversee the development and implementation of comprehensive, person-centered care plans for all residents. Monitor care quality consulting with nursing staff regarding resident's condition and nursing staff concerns to ensure residents' needs are met.
• Develop nursing long-term goals and plans facilitating and leading nursing performance improvement plan.
• Develop unit annual budget and recommend equipment purchases. Manage the nursing department budget, including medical supplies and labor costs.
• Review admissions to determine level or care required, approve new admissions, contact referring agency for assessment, assist social services in determining room assignments/transfers, and determine Medicare status.
• Develop and implement infection control policies and procedures, prepare infection control audits, and oversees compliance with infection control program when Assistant Director of Nursing is not present available.
• Coordinate restraint and drug reduction for all residents; review quarterly reviews and minirisk assessments for developing resident problems
• Participate in State and Federal nursing home surveys, recommend and implement deficiencies making sure the facility is always prepared for state and federal surveys in accordance with federal and state regulations; lead the clinical response during inspections/audits.
• Must be prepared to report to the facility in person during emergencies, staffing crises, infection control procedures, infection outbreaks, or significant clinical incidents. Must be reachable by phone during evenings, weekends, and holidays to provide clinical guidance.
• Act as resident advocate and represent the nursing staff to the community.
• Attend, participate, and/or conduct Facility and County committee meetings regarding nursing administration and care.
• Serve as a key liaison between staff, physicians, state surveyors, residents, and families
• And other duties as assigned.

• Maintain all relevant certifications.
• To manage, direct, teach, control, counsel, mediate, convince and persuade others.
• Advisory data and information such as physician's orders, medical charts, drug reference manuals, medical books, lab reports, incident/accident reports, care plans, admission and discharge forms for residents, x-ray reports, various manuals, ordinances, laws, statutes, and routine and non-routine correspondence.
• Communicate verbally and in writing with physicians, residents, residents' families, nursing staff, therapists, psychologists, and social workers.
• Explain, demonstrate, and clarify to others established policies, procedures, and standards.
• Computer skills, such as word processing and spreadsheets.
• Calculating percentages, fractions, decimals, volume, ratios, and spatial relationships, and interpreting basic descriptive statistical reports.
• Analyze data and…