This position is incentive eligible.

Job Summary and Qualifications

The Nursing Unit Director coordinates, plans, directs, implements and manages the administrative, financial and operational responsibilities for the unit. The Nursing Unit Director maintains 24/7 accountability for clinical and operations management for designated units. The incumbent provides transformational leadership that promotes patient centered clinical nursing practice and service excellence standards that are evidence based to achieve quality patient outcomes. The Nursing Unit Director promotes and fosters a culture of professional growth, development, and innovation while encouraging shared governance and staff engagement.

Under the general direction of the Vice President/ CNO, and within established Catholic Medical Center and departmental policies and procedures and all applicable laws, the incumbent performs the following functions:

Contributes to the creation of a compassionate and caring environment for patients, families and colleagues through displays of kindness and active listening (Patient Experience).

Demonstrates excellence in daily work.

Demonstrates effective teamwork by interacting in a positive manner with colleagues creating a collaborative work environment.

Contributes to a safe environment for patients, families, visitors and colleagues by following established procedures and protocols.

Demonstrates stewardship by thoughtful and responsible use of resources including maintaining a clean and hospital environment, starting work on time, and displaying cost consciousness.

Quality of Care/Quality Improvement:

Consistently demonstrates a commitment to the quality care processes as evidenced by the following:

a. Ensures that the department functions in accordance with all regulatory agency standards: NH State Board of Nursing, TJC, OSHA, ANA, AHA, ACC, Catholic Medical Center, and other appropriate standards of care. Monitors departmental compliance with infection control standards, policies and procedures.

b. Maintains 24-hour accountability for unit management with assistance from Clinical Nurse Managers, Nurse Manager and/or charge nurses. Provides direction and patient care as needed in emergent/urgent situations.

c. Cultivates an environment of respect and pride, while upholding organizational service, safety, and ethical standards, and ensuring confidentiality of employee, legal, client/patient, budget and all company matters. Monitors patient satisfaction/experience through rounding and service recovery. Uses patient satisfaction results to improve overall performance related to the patient experience.

d. Monitors patient flow on their unit. Problem solves with their staff to insure their understanding of organizational priorities related to patient flow. Works collaboratively with other departments and nursing units to reduce barriers that impede the appropriate movement of patients.

e. Accountable for the quality of patient care delivered on the unit to ensure competent clinical practice. Demonstrates excellent clinical reasoning skills, and knowledge of state of the art clinical interventions for unit patient population.

f. Evaluates and participates in the annual review and revision of nursing and unit specific policies, procedures, and protocols, guidelines, standards of care and collaborative pathways. Provides leadership to unit in the ongoing development of physician practice guidelines and protocols in concert with collaborative patient management.

g. Develops and/or maintains all Performance Improvement and Risk Management activities including research techniques, data review, problem identification, implementation and evaluation of performance according to established standards. Monitors patient outcomes and facilitates process improvement strategies to ensure quality services. Utilizes evidenced based practice and research to support and advance nursing practice and promote quality patient outcomes. Uses research to revise policies and procedures in collaboration with unit and nursing leadership. Leads performance improvement teams for the department/unit and reports findings to the CNO. Collaborates with colleagues to disseminate successful performance improvement processes throughout the organization.

h. Implements continuous performance improvement in patient care and provides leadership in practice and clinical decision-making through use of information systems and technology resources.

i. Fosters the participation of staff in planning, implementing and evaluating clinical practice to provide safe, efficient and therapeutic patient care. Promotes the nursing philosophy of the Catholic Medical Center Nursing Organization.

j. Promotes the philosophy of service excellence internally and externally.

k. Facilitates the integration of research and theory into nursing practice, while assuring that professional nursing practice at Catholic Medical Center is congruent with the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics. Researches and proposes innovative processes and programs that promote a culture of inquiry and quality patient outcomes, i.e. TCAB, NICHE.

l. Develops and maintains a working knowledge of public reporting initiatives and data; integrates this knowledge into all activities as appropriate with the goal of improving patient outcomes, (i.e. HCAHPS, Press Ganey, Value Based Purchasing, etc.) and shares information with staff.

m. Participates and/or facilitates committees to design and implement change and performance improvement and promotes interdepartmental/intradepartmental communication.

n. Addresses any quality/patient safety issues in the design of safe clinical systems, processes, policies and procedures and implements plan for improvement.

o. Promotes a non-punitive reporting environment and a rewards system for reporting unsafe practices.

p. Displays superior customer relations and proactively identifies and responds to patient and family needs. Promotes excellence in customer service.

Nursing Leadership/Transformational Leadership

Consistently demonstrates professionalism as evidenced by the following:

a. Interacts with staff, patients and members of the public with dignity and respect; behavior is courteous and professional, reflecting sensitivity to the hospital's values and to Ethics and Compliance principles.

Fiscal Accountability:

a. Accountable for the unit operating budget and makes recommendations for changes in collaboration with the Chief Nurse Officer/ACNO. Ensures unit operates within budget.

b. Plans for efficient utilization of supplies and equipment, makes adjustments as appropriate.

c. Participates in new product and value analysis program to evaluate equipment and products making appropriate recommendations.

d. Establishes efficient, cost effective processes for the department. Monitors the efficiency of the department, assesses resource requirements and coordinates the flow of patients making adjustments to the schedule and staffing as needed with assistance from Nurse Manager/Charge.

e. Effectively controls cost through economical utilization of personnel, materials and equipment.

f. Works in conjunction with staff, medical staff and nursing leadership to prepare capital budget requests as well as providing feedback and input into the operational budget. Prepares annual departmental budget including projected census, revenues, staffing plans, operating expenses and capital related requests. Involves staff and medical staff when possible.

g. Monitors monthly financial and cost accounting statements and identifies variances. Submits a report as requested to the Chief Nurse Officer/ACNO outlining corrective strategies for variances. Maintains appropriate inventory and monitors on an ongoing basis. Conducts product evaluations and makes recommendations for purchase decisions in collaboration with physicians. Maintains positive working relationships with vendors.

Operational Management:

a. Develops annual educational, professional and unit strategic plan, nursing research objectives, goals and priorities. Strategizes and implements processes and program to achieve goals for the unit and nursing organization.

b. Fosters staff and physician participation in the development and implementation of annual departmental goals and objectives which are consistent with Catholic Medical Center and the Nursing Strategic Plan.

c. Ensures that appropriate levels and number of staff are available to meet the needs of the patient population. Develops master staffing plan in concert with standards of care for patient populations.

d. Ensures that all instruments, equipment and specialty supplies are available and maintained. Maintains appropriate inventory of all supplies. Ensures compliance with the Safe Medical Device Act.

Human Resource Management:

a. Maintains responsibility for interviews and selection of candidates for employment; orientation, training; directs, schedules, and assigns work to subordinates; outlines scope of authority and job responsibilities of employees under their supervision. Initiates personnel actions including but not limited to assigning rewards, transferring, suspending, discharging, and disciplining assigned personnel.

b. Works closely with educators, unit preceptors and mentors to develop and evaluate comprehensive individual orientation programs for new employees; collaborates to provide corrective educational programs.

c. Oversees the completion of mandatory education and training, ensures staff competency and deadlines are met, takes disciplinary action when staff is non-compliant.

d. Establishes and communicates performance, behavioral expectations, professional and personal goals of staff. Monitors and evaluates staff performance and conducts timely formal/informal annual performance evaluations recommending appropriate merit increases. In association with annual performance appraisal, provides leadership to assist staff in establishing personal and professional goals that are consistent with healthcare trends.

e. Demonstrates sound management skills, including conflict management, and assists staff to resolve related problems. Fosters a respectful and positive work environment. Fosters multidisciplinary collaboration to provide optimal outcomes.

f. Delegate's responsibility and accountability as evidenced by staff involvement and engagement in committees, projects, educational programs and unit goals, in order to provide staff with opportunities for professional growth.

g. Monitors, approves and submits complete and accurate payroll.

Consultation and Resources/Community and Hospital/Interdisciplinary Relationships:

Consistently and proficiently demonstrates communication and collaboration as evidenced by the following:

a. Skilled communicator with senior leadership, department leadership, providers, hospital staff, patients, volunteers, community members and leaders.

b. Foster sense of teamwork & collaboration within department & hospital; deals with conflict discreetly and privately.

c. Serves as liaison to Providers and/or Provider Specialty Groups.

d. Serves as a resource by providing clinical consultation, educational, and analytical expertise in areas of specialization to groups within and outside Catholic Medical Center.

e. Represents unit/department/nursing services on designated department and hospital committees and task forces. Serves a chair/co-chair on committees as designated.

f. Identifies ethical dilemmas involved in the management of patient care and assists the staff in dealing with these issues.

g. Assumes a leadership role and collaborates with nursing management and other health team members in responding to clinical events/practice changes, which require change in nursing knowledge and skills.

Professional Development/Image of Nursing:

Consistently promotes professional development and the image of nursing as evidenced by the following:

a. Is self-motivated a