Director of Nursing

Registered NurseNo nightsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, call expectations and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Vera French is seeking a compassionate Registered Nurse to serve as Director of Nursing (DON) for our Residential Care Facility for Persons with Mental Illness and related residential/outreach programs, including Sheridan Springs, Pine Meadows, and Supported Community Living.

This is a meaningful leadership opportunity for an RN who is passionate about behavioral health, person-centered care, staff development, and helping individuals living with mental illness thrive.

The DON guides nursing services, supports direct care teams, strengthens clinical practices, and partners with leadership to ensure high-quality, compliant, compassionate care. This position reports to the Residential Care Facilities Administrator.

Why This Role Matters

  • Lead nursing services for residential programs serving adults with mental illness.
  • Supervise, coach, and support nursing and direct support staff.
  • Strengthen nursing policies, procedures, staff education, and quality practices.

Promote safe, dignified, recovery-focused care in collaboration with residential, clinical, and community partners.

What You'll Bring

  • Bachelor's degree in Nursing required; Master's degree preferred.
  • Current Iowa RN license and CPR certification required.
  • Psychiatric nursing and leadership/administrative experience strongly preferred.
  • Commitment to trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, person-centered care.
  • SCHEDULE: Generally first shift; may vary based on staffing needs and program coverage.

Who Thrives in This Role

  • Mission-driven leaders who value accessible, respectful behavioral health care.
  • Supportive supervisors who enjoy mentoring staff and helping teams succeed.
  • Collaborative problem-solvers who balance compliance, quality, operations, and compassionate care.

Share Our Values: We are guided by community service, compassion, empowerment, respect, resourcefulness, and professionalism.

Make a Meaningful Impact: Our mission is to enhance the mental health of all in our community through quality, accessible, comprehensive care. As DON, you will help shape the care, culture, and support provided in our residential programs.

Lead, Learn, and Grow: Vera French supports professional development through in-house training, our learning management system, Tuition Reimbursement, and a Loan Repayment Program for eligible employees after one year.

If you are an RN ready to step into a leadership role where your clinical judgment, compassion, and commitment to behavioral health can make a lasting difference, we would love to hear from you.

What We Offer

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Employer-paid life, AD&D, and long-term disability insurance
  • 401(k) with employer contribution and match
  • Tuition reimbursement and loan repayment program for eligible employees
  • Supplemental critical illness, accident, life, and short-term disability options
  • Paid time off, including holidays, sick time, and vacation

Key Responsibilities

The Director of Nursing leads nursing services for residential programs, supervising staff and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, compliant, and compassionate care. They are responsible for strengthening clinical practices, developing policies, and fostering a recovery-focused environment for individuals with mental illness.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Bachelor's degree in Nursing and a current Iowa RN license, with CPR certification required. Experience in psychiatric nursing and leadership or administrative roles is strongly preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree
Experience
5+ years of experience

Key Skills

Nursing leadershipStaff supervisionClinical practice managementPolicy developmentTrauma-informed careRecovery-oriented careQuality assuranceCompliance managementProblem-solving

Nursing Administration — Registered Nurse Career Context

Of the 50 active Registered Nurse listings this role was benchmarked against, 38% are remote, 60% have no call, 76% require no weekends.

Registered Nurse pay on WeekdayDoc is up 6.1% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Iowa is 87.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 59.8% of Iowa clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Registered Nurse Jobs

42 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution41 jobs · 34 employers

14
<$90k
11
$90k-110k
7
$110k-130k
5
$130k-150k
4
$150k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks30 jobs

401k / retirement match
97% this job
Sign-on bonus
20%
CME allowance
17%
Loan repayment
10% this job
Relocation assistance
3%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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+ 40 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 1.5this job 5.1
Better work-life than 80% of Nursing Leadership listings

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

  • No nights

Living in Davenport

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$200k
Typical market rent
$971/mo
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
89.1
State income tax
Up to 6%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Vera French Community Mental Health Center logo

About Vera French Community Mental Health Center

Mental Health Care
Davenport, Iowa
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Employer-paid life, AD&D, and long-term disability insurance
401(k) with employer contribution and match
Tuition reimbursement
Loan repayment program
Supplemental critical illness, accident, life, and short-term disability options
Paid time off, including holidays, sick time, and vacation