Director of Nursing

The Director of Nursing collaborates with members of the Senior Leadership Team and program leadership to provide organization-wide leadership, coordination, and oversight of nursing services across all Center programs. They ensure nursing services are delivered safely, effectively, and in accordance with professional standards of nursing practice, organizational policies, regulatory requirements, and applicable accreditation and CCBHC standards.

Duties & Responsibilities

Provide leadership and support to nursing staff to promote high-quality, client-centered care that maximizes recovery, rehabilitation, health, wellness, and community integration. Serve as a clinical and operational resource to nursing staff, providing consultation, supervision, coaching, education, competency evaluation, and support with complex clinical and operational issues.

Assess nursing staffing needs across programs and ensure adequate nursing coverage to meet client and program needs. Provide direct nursing coverage and/or coordinate nursing resources when necessary to address vacancies, callouts, leaves, or other nursing shortages and to maintain continuity and safety of care.

Provide oversight of Nurse Educator role including training, supervision, and preceptorship to novice and newly hired nurses. Work collaboratively to identify nursing education and competency needs throughout the Center and develop, coordinate, and/or provide necessary training.

Direct and oversee day-to-day nursing practices across the Center. Collaborate with Program Managers, Directors, Team Leaders, and other leadership to ensure nursing services meet client and program needs and comply with Center policies, professional nursing standards, BHDDH requirements, CCBHC requirements, accreditation standards, and other applicable regulatory requirements.

Provide organization-wide leadership to promote safe, effective, and compliant nursing practice, including medication management, medication administration and supervision, clinical documentation, infection prevention, nursing assessment, care coordination, and other nursing functions.

Monitor nursing staffing and coverage across programs and work collaboratively with program leadership to address staffing gaps. Provide direct nursing coverage or deploy available nursing resources when needed to address nursing shortages and ensure safe staffing, continuity of care, and essential nursing and medication-related services.

Serve as a primary clinical and operational resource for nursing staff. Support nurses in addressing clinical concerns, medication-related issues, client crises, workflow challenges, regulatory requirements, and other issues affecting the safe delivery of nursing care.

Provide ongoing individual and group supervision, consultation, coaching, and professional development to nursing staff. Promote a supportive environment that strengthens clinical judgment, accountability, professional growth, and nursing practice.

Lead the clinical and therapeutic orientation of nursing services in a manner that supports a holistic, client-centered approach emphasizing recovery, rehabilitation, health, wellness, and community integration. Develop and implement criteria and measures to evaluate nursing services and provide outcomes and feedback.

Maintain effective communication and productive interdisciplinary collaboration through regularly scheduled meetings, supervision, peer review, and consultation with Program Directors, Managers, Team Leaders, Supervisors, prescribers, and other clinical disciplines.

Provide ongoing evaluation and assessment of the quality, safety, and effectiveness of psychiatric and behavioral health nursing practice. Develop and implement corrective actions, education, or performance improvement initiatives when opportunities for improvement are identified.

Oversee medication management practices across programs to ensure medications are stored, handled, administered, supervised, documented, reconciled, and managed safely and in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, organizational policies, and professional standards.

Develop, implement, review, and maintain nursing and medication management policies and procedures designed to promote safety, accuracy, efficiency, consistency, and regulatory compliance.

Provide oversight to the Quality Improvement Nurse (QIRN) in monitoring medication errors, adverse medication events, infection rates, and other nursing quality and safety indicators. In conjunction with QIRN, identify trends, conduct or participate in reviews as appropriate, and develop corrective action and performance improvement plans.

Assess and evaluate client health care data through available reports, interviews, observations, record reviews, and interdisciplinary input. Apply sound clinical judgment to the development, coordination, and delivery of services and provide appropriate clinical input to treatment teams.

Provide individual and group supervision to nurses to identify education and training needs, ensure prescribed interventions are implemented appropriately, address program needs, manage client crises, and support nurses in the day-to-day operations of their teams.

Demonstrate knowledge of current issues, evidence-informed practices, and intervention and support strategies related to behavioral health, substance use disorders, and co-occurring medical conditions. Develop collaborative relationships within and across service systems and coordinate appropriate staff training.

Promote a multidisciplinary, client-centered, and holistic approach to care that addresses behavioral health, substance use, medical and physical health, vocational needs, community integration, and psychotherapeutic treatment.

Provide and/or coordinate clinical backup to nursing and other team members when necessary to maintain safe and effective services.

Orient newly hired nurses to their roles, responsibilities, clinical expectations, nursing policies and procedures, medication practices, documentation requirements, and applicable regulatory and accreditation standards.

Assess nursing competencies and provide education, remediation, coaching, or additional supervision when indicated to ensure safe and effective nursing practice.

Collaborate with Workforce Development to develop and maintain orientation, competency-based education, and ongoing professional development opportunities for nursing staff.

Assess needs and organize education and training opportunities for residential assistants, case managers, and other appropriate staff regarding medication supervision, medication room practices, health and safety, and other nursing-related responsibilities.

Oversee the placement and coordination of student nurses and support educational partnerships as appropriate.

Assist Team Leaders, Managers, Directors, and Human Resources with interviewing and evaluating prospective nursing candidates.

Provide ongoing maintenance, education, and leadership related to the Clinical Nursing Ladder and other nursing professional development initiatives.

Directly supervise the Nurse Float Team, MHPRR Nurse, Float Clinician, Hospital Liaisons, and other positions as assigned.

Serve as a liaison to Care New England and other appropriate partners regarding infection prevention, communicable disease management, vaccination, and other nursing and health-related initiatives.

Serve as a nursing quality champion by monitoring nursing quality and safety indicators, including infection rates and medication errors, and identifying trends and areas of risk. Oversee QIRN in developing and implementing appropriate management and performance improvement plans.

Participate in quality, risk, compliance, incident, and medication-related reviews involving nursing practice and implement appropriate follow-up, education, or corrective action in conjunction with QIRN.

Promote a culture of safety in which nursing staff are encouraged and supported in identifying, reporting, and addressing medication errors, near misses, clinical risks, and other safety concerns.

Treat clients with respect and dignity; recognize and respect individual values and lifestyles; and maintain confidentiality in accordance with Center policy and applicable legal requirements.

Maintain clinical and administrative records in accordance with Health Information Services, Center policies, BHDDH requirements, and other applicable standards.

Complete required reports, evaluations, audits, and other documentation accurately and within established timeframes.

Attend and participate in trainings, case presentations, conferences, leadership meetings, and other professional development activities.

Maintain cooperative and collaborative relationships with Center staff, clients, community agencies, health care providers, and the public.

Communicate and collaborate with community agencies, health care organizations, regulatory entities, and departments and teams throughout the Center as necessary.

• Serve on appropriate Center and system-level committees, workgroups, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Participate in emergency preparedness and response activities as appropriate to the nursing leadership role.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Nursing or actively pursuing Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 3 to 5 Years of experience in behavioral health with 2+ years of leadership experience.
• Rhode Island Registered Nurse licensure required.
• Knowledge of regulatory and accreditation requirements affecting behavioral health and nursing services.
• Knowledge and skill in using a multi-disciplinary approach in order to address the needs of clients with substance use and psychiatric disorders.
• Skilled in staff supervision, conflict resolution, and team development.
• Strong communication, partnership building, and organizational leadership skills.

About Us

Care New England Health System (CNE) and its member institutions, Butler Hosp