Director of Nursing (DON)

Registered NurseNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$140k-$160k

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

A Director of Nursing will lead our nursing team. The Director of Nursing plays a pivotal role in ensuring the delivery of high-quality nursing care to our residents, promoting clinical excellence, and fostering a culture of compassion, professionalism, and continuous improvement.

Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, After Hours

Primary Responsibilities and Duties

Provide leadership and direction to the nursing department, including Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), and other nursing staff, to ensure the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate care of the residents.

Oversee the development and implementation of nursing policies, procedures, and standards of practice, in accordance with regulatory requirements, evidence-based guidelines, and best practices in nursing care.

Collaborate with team members, including physicians, therapists, social workers, and administrators, to coordinate resident care, address complex medical needs, and optimize outcomes.

Monitor and evaluate nursing services and resident care outcomes, including resident assessments, care planning, medication management, and infection control practices, to identify areas for improvement and ensure compliance with regulatory standards.

Provide clinical supervision, mentorship, and support to nursing staff, including ongoing education, training, and performance feedback, to promote professional growth and development.

Oversee the recruitment, hiring, orientation, and retention of nursing staff, ensuring adequate staffing levels and skill mix to meet resident needs and maintain quality of care.

Educate employees on job expectations, all applicable and current company procedures, polices, and federal, state and local regulations.

  • Assign tasks and ensure quality work and exceptional resident care is being done.
  • Provide feedback to employees on their performance.
  • Establish working hours, schedules, time off, and vacations while ensuring each shift has proper coverage.
  • Set an example by maintaining professionalism and a positive demeanor in the workplace.

Participate in quality assurance and performance improvement activities, including root cause analysis, incident reporting, and regulatory survey readiness to identify trends, implement corrective actions, and drive quality outcomes.

Act as a liaison with residents, families, and responsible parties to address concerns, provide support, and ensure open communication regarding resident care and service delivery.

Manage nursing department budget, resources, and equipment, in collaboration with facility administration, to optimize operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Stay informed about current trends, regulations, and best practices, in nursing care, participating in professional organizations, continuing education, and networking opportunities to maintain clinical expertise and leadership skills.

Perform all other duties assigned.

Job Qualifications

Registered Nurse (RN) license in the state where work is performed.

Minimum of 1 year of nursing experience, with progressive leadership responsibilities in a healthcare or long-term care setting.

Strong clinical knowledge and expertise in nursing, including assessment, care planning, medication management, and regulatory compliance.

Excellent leadership and management skills, with the ability to inspire, motivate, and empower nursing staff to achieve clinical excellence and resident satisfaction.

Effective communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate with team members, residents, families, and external stakeholders.

Knowledge of federal, state and local regulations governing nursing practice and long-term care facilities, including Medicare and Medicaid requirements.

Commitment to resident-centered care, quality improvement, and continuous professional development.

Ability to build rapport with residents through a compassionate and caring demeanor.

Physical Requirements

  • Work performed in a medical setting due to the need to work directly with residents and staff.
  • Must be able to sit, stand, bend, reach, talk, hear, stoop, kneel, crouch, stretch, and twist.
  • Required vision includes close, vision, distance, peripheral, and the ability to adjust focus.
  • Capability to lift and transfer residents safely, with proper body mechanics and assistance as needed.
  • Maintain regular attendance and timeliness as set forth within the work schedule designated by the department supervisor/manager.
  • Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.

The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Proficiency in performing tasks that require manual dexterity, such as using medical equipment, writing reports, and typing on a computer keyboard.

The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.

#RNLPNSAC

Key Responsibilities

The Director of Nursing leads the nursing department to ensure the delivery of safe, effective, and compassionate care to residents. They oversee nursing policies, staff performance, regulatory compliance, and budget management to optimize operational efficiency and clinical outcomes.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Nursing leadershipStaff managementResident assessmentConflict resolution

Nursing Administration — Registered Nurse Career Context

Of the 50 active Nursing Leadership listings this role was benchmarked against, 24% are remote, 50% have no call, 74% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$150k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $136k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Nursing Leadership by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score3.9 / 10 · above average in nursing leadershipranked against 1,187 Nursing Leadership listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$140k–$160kNursing Leadership median $130k (middle half $110k–$155k)18 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$136k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Nursing Administration listings in California20 active—live on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
All nursing leadership listings in California396 active5,684 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 24% remote · 50% no call · 74% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia registered nurse listings (all specialties): 10% state a sign-on bonus (median $8k) · 4% offer loan repayment396 active listings, Nov 2026
New Nursing Administration RN listings121 in the last 30 days140 the 30 days before (−14%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (1,187 Nursing Leadership listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page. California figures use all nursing leaderships: too few California Nursing Administration postings state pay.

Top Registered Nurse Jobs

27 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

27 jobs · 23 employers
10
<$100k
6
$100k-120k
5
$120k-140k
5
$140k-160k
1
$238k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

21 jobs
401k / retirement match
100%
Sign-on bonus
24%
Loan repayment
10%
CME allowance
10%
Relocation assistance
5%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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$132k-$238k
#2

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#3

Assistant Director of Nursing - Mental Health 616

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+ 25 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 1.5this job 3.9
Better work-life than 70% of Nursing Leadership listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,187 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends

Living in Sacramento

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$452k≈ 3.2× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,045/mo≈ 18% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
106.7
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.