The Director of Nursing (DON) provides clinical leadership, oversight, and cultural stewardship for nursing services in Assisted Living and Memory Care service lines. The DON ensures care is delivered with compassion, integrity, and respect for individuality-supporting not only health and safety, but purpose, connection, and joy in daily living.
Living Life Together, the DON leads teams to create an engaging, supportive, and enriching environment where residents are empowered to live fully and team members feel valued, supported, and accountable to shared excellence.
The DON is a guardian of both care quality and community culture. By blending compassionate clinical leadership with purpose driven living, the DON ensures every resident feels respected, connected, and truly at home-while empowering teams to deliver care that celebrates life, legacy, and integrity every day.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:Clinical Leadership & Whole-Person Care:
- Oversee all nursing services to ensure safe, ethical, and high-quality care aligned with resident preferences, life stories, and evolving needs.
- Direct comprehensive assessments, individualized service plans, medication management, and ongoing clinical monitoring.
- Integrate physical, emotional, cognitive, and social well-being into all care planning and care delivery.
- Support memory care best practices that preserve dignity, reduce distress, and promote meaningful engagement.
- Ensure clinical practices align with current standards of care, regulatory requirements, and organizational values.
- Implement evidence-based practices and innovative approaches to dementia care and aging services.
- Honor each resident's individuality, choices, and voice in all clinical decisions.
- Ensure care is relational, respectful, and rooted in understanding the whole person.
- Oversees the wellness budget, ensuring effective allocation of resources and fiscal responsibility, while collaborating with leadership to support marketing initiatives that promote health and wellness services within the community.
Resident Experience & Purposeful Living:
- Actively partner with Life Enrichment, Culinary Services, and Operations teams to support a vibrant, purpose driven community culture.
- Require and model clinical team engagement in fostering meaningful daily experiences-not only task based care.
- Ensure nursing staff support resident participation in activities, social connection, routines, and dining experiences.
- Champion dining as an essential component of wellness, dignity, and enjoyment; collaborate to ensure nutritional needs and resident preferences are met.
- Encourage moments of curiosity, joy, adventure, and connection as part of everyday life.
- Create an environment where residents feel connected, engaged, and part of a true community.
- Reinforce that excellent clinical care and exceptional resident experience are inseparable.
Team Leadership & Culture Building:
- Lead, coach, and inspire nursing and care team members through visible presence, support, and accountability.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, trust, compassion, and continuous improvement.
- Ensure team members are trained and competent in person-centered care, memory support, and hospitality focused service.
- Promote staff engagement, retention, and professional growth.
- Build a workplace where team members feel valued, connected, and inspired by shared purpose.
Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management:
- Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations governing Assisted Living and Memory Care.
- Maintain readiness for surveys and inspections; lead corrective actions when needed.
- Oversee infection prevention, incident reporting, and quality assurance initiatives.
- Develop, review, and enforce accurate, timely documentation and policy compliance.
- Monitor quality metrics, incident reports, and risk trends to drive improvement.
- Lead with honesty, ethical decision-making, and accountability.
- Uphold regulatory standards while finding thoughtful, resident centered solutions.
Family & Community Partnership:
- Serve as a clinical liaison for residents, families, providers, and community partners.
- Participate in care conferences and address concerns with empathy, clarity, and professionalism.
- Build trust through transparent communication and collaborative problem-solving.
- Recognize families as partners in honoring residents' stories and life journeys.
Operational & Strategic Support:
- Collaborate with executive and community leadership to align nursing operations with organizational goals.
- Participate in staffing, scheduling, budgeting, and resource planning.
- Support community reputation, census growth, and quality outcomes through clinical excellence.
- Champion innovation and best practices to elevate resident experience and care delivery.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:- Must submit to a TB test in accordance with state regulations.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:- Previous experience in a nursing leadership role within an Assisted Living community.
- Active and unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license.
- Minimum of two (2) years' experience as an RN in a healthcare facility.
- Experience supporting memory care residents strongly preferred.
KEY COMPETENCIES:- Person-centered and whole-person care leadership.
- Ability to integrate clinical excellence with hospitality and engagement.
- Ethical judgment and integrity.
- Strong communication, emotional intelligence, and team development skills.
- Commitment to mission driven culture and resident experience.
Must be able to pass background check
