Director of Nursing

Registered NurseIncludes callFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 2h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Build the nursing team. Set the standard. Help open something new. Expected Opening Q1 2027.

We’re preparing to open a new 37-bed facility in Waco focused exclusively on short-term stays, and we’re looking for a Director of Nursing to help bring it to life. This is a rare opportunity to start fresh alongside the Administrator: recruit and develop a nursing team from the ground up, shape how the department works, and create a strong foundation for excellent, compassionate care from the first admission.

The Opportunity

As DON, you’ll lead the nursing department and partner closely with the Administrator as the facility prepares to open and begins serving residents. There will be no established patient census or existing nursing team to inherit. You’ll help build the team, establish day-to-day practices, and create a culture centered on resident dignity, safety, and quality.

What You’ll Do

Build, lead, and support the nursing team, including recruiting, hiring, onboarding, scheduling, coaching, and staff development.

Set clear expectations and foster a culture of professionalism, collaboration, accountability, and compassionate care.

Oversee nursing services, care planning, medication management, admissions and discharges, and coordination with the broader care team.

Promote compliance with applicable nursing standards, regulations, and facility policies; help prepare for regulatory surveys.

Monitor care outcomes, incidents, and trends; lead quality-improvement work and follow through on corrective actions.

Communicate with residents, families, and responsible parties, responding to questions and concerns with care and professionalism.

Manage nursing resources and equipment in partnership with facility administration.

Provide hands-on clinical support as needed and participate in the on-call rotation.

Requirements

  • An active Registered Nurse (RN) license in Texas.
  • Strong clinical judgment and knowledge of nursing practice, assessment, care planning, and medication management.
  • Knowledge of regulations and standards that apply to nursing care in long-term care settings.
  • The ability to build, motivate, and develop a team, and to set a positive example in a new environment.
  • Clear communication and a collaborative, resident-centered approach with staff, residents, families, and external partners.
  • A commitment to quality improvement, accountability, and continuous learning.

Why This Role Is Different

You won’t be stepping into a fully built department. You’ll help create one. If you’re energized by the chance to shape a team and care culture from day one—and to help open a facility designed for short-term stays—we’d like to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

The Director of Nursing will build and lead the nursing department from the ground up, including recruiting staff and establishing operational practices for a new 37-bed facility. They will oversee clinical services, ensure regulatory compliance, and foster a culture of compassionate, high-quality care.

Qualifications

Experience
5+ years of experience

Key Skills

Nursing leadershipStaff recruitmentClinical assessmentTeam developmentStaff schedulingCrisis managementPatient advocacyHealthcare administrationPerformance coachingIncident reporting

Nursing Leadership — Registered Nurse Career Context

Of the 50 active Nursing Leadership listings this role was benchmarked against, 22% are remote, 46% have no call, 76% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Texas is 97.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 57.7% of Texas clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Nursing Leadership RN by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedNursing Leadership RN median $118k (middle half $99k–$135k)124 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingTexas index 97.1US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Nursing Leadership listings in Texas9 active—live on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
All nursing leadership listings in Texas392 active5,868 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 22% remote · 46% no call · 76% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedTexas registered nurse listings (all specialties): 6% state a sign-on bonus (median $10k) · 4% offer loan repayment392 active listings, Nov 2026
New Nursing Leadership RN listings165 in the last 30 days174 the 30 days before (−5%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page. Texas figures use all nursing leaderships: too few Texas Nursing Leadership postings state pay.

Location & Logistics

Texas has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Top Registered Nurse Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

39 jobs · 35 employers
11
<$100k
12
$100k-120k
11
$120k-140k
5
$140k-160k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

23 jobs
401k / retirement match
100%
CME allowance
17%
Sign-on bonus
13%
Loan repayment
13%
PSLF eligible
4%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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$65.7-$75.7/hr
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$125k-$156k
#3

Assistant Director of Nursing - Mental Health 616

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Psychiatric Nurse Manager - Women's Mental Health

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+ 37 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 1.5this job 1.5
Better work-life than 30% of Nursing Leadership listings

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

  • Includes call

Living in Waco

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$200k
Typical market rent
$1,342/mo
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
92.5
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Waco, TX metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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