Director, Nursing Operations

Westchester Medical Center•Poughkeepsie, NY

About The Position

The Director, Nursing Operations at MidHudson Regional Hospital provides leadership for nursing operations, exercising sound judgment, consistency, and teamwork. The role directs the Nursing Staffing Office and Float Pool, oversees staffing across inpatient units and Behavioral Health, and works with nursing, medical, unit, house supervisor, Education, Human Resources, Finance, and Quality leaders to support safe, high-quality care and compliance with clinical staffing plans and applicable regulations. The Director manages Float Pool workforce processes and assigned budgets, monitors staffing and labor metrics, leads nursing practice standardization and quality initiatives, and serves as an in-hospital resource for patient care services. The role also supports staff development and education, participates in the Administrator-on-Call roster, and performs other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum of 5 years of progressive management experience in patient care services.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing required.
Current New York State Registered Nurse (RN) license.
Strong leadership skills and ability to direct, motivate, and educate others.
Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both written and verbal, and obtain desired results through others.
Excellent organizational skills.
Current knowledge of the area of practice and regulatory requirements pertaining to areas of responsibility.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Nursing, Business, or Healthcare Administration preferred.

Responsibilities

Direct daily operations of the Nursing Staffing Office and Float Pool, including scheduling, staff deployment, coverage, and escalation.
Collaborate with nursing and medical leadership to maintain staffing and a clinical practice environment conducive to quality care.
Oversee staffing across inpatient units and Behavioral Health in partnership with unit leaders and house supervisors.
Align staffing coverage with approved clinical staffing plans, census, acuity, skill mix, staff competency, and patient observation needs; coordinate responses to absences and changes in demand.
Monitor staffing at the shift level, conduct audits, and take timely corrective action to ensure compliance with clinical staffing plans.
Document and escalate staffing variances and unresolved safety concerns; support the Clinical Staffing Committee with data, reviews of staffing concerns, and recommendations for plan updates.
Manage Float Pool recruitment, orientation, competency validation, performance evaluation, and retention.
Partner with Education and unit leaders to prepare staff for assigned patient populations, including Behavioral Health, and ensure practice within validated competencies.
Oversee scheduling practices, staffing records, and workforce systems, ensuring adherence to hospital policies and applicable collective bargaining agreements.
Collaborate with Human Resources and Finance on workforce planning, position needs, and staffing processes.
Manage assigned operating budgets and monitor productivity, vacancies, overtime, agency utilization, and labor costs.
Use staffing and quality data to improve resource allocation while maintaining safe care and compliance with clinical staffing plans.
Lead nursing practice standardization across inpatient units and Behavioral Health in collaboration with nursing leaders, Education, and shared governance.
Develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based nursing policies, standards, documentation, and competency expectations.
Ensure compliance with regulations governing Patient Care Services, including CMS, DNV, and NYS DOH requirements and applicable Behavioral Health requirements.
Anticipate regulatory changes, prepare for inspections and surveys, and follow up on recommendations for improvement.
Lead Nursing Quality Initiatives, auditing, and reporting.
Evaluate nursing-sensitive outcomes, patient experience, and staffing-related events with Quality and unit leaders; implement and monitor improvements in nursing practice and patient safety.
Maintain knowledge of current practices and trends and serve as an in-hospital resource for patient care services.
Identify changing patient and community needs and coordinate multidisciplinary and multi-agency program improvements.
Provide in-hospital and community education; partner with Education to address practice gaps and staff development.
Promote teamwork, accountability, effective communication, and a respectful environment for staff and patients.
Participate in the Administrator-on-Call roster.
Perform other related duties as assigned.