Director of Nursing

Job Summary The Director of Nursing (DON) provides operational leadership for all hospital-based nursing services, ensuring safe, high-quality, compliant, and financially responsible patient care across the continuum. This role has direct management responsibility for the Medical/Surgical (M/S) Department and oversight of Emergency Department (ED), OB Services, Perioperative Services, Outpatient Infusion Therapy, and Utilization Review (UR) Nursing through their respective leaders. The DON reports directly to the Chief Quality & Nursing Officer (CQNO) and partners closely with providers, ancillary departments, and administrative leaders to meet Syringa Hospital's goals for quality, access, staffing, patient experience, and regulatory compliance. Essential Job Functions Sets direction and aligns departmental goals with CNO priorities and hospital strategic plan. Ensures consistent nursing practice standards across ED, M/S, OB, Perioperative Services, Infusion Therapy, and UR.

Leads daily operational readiness:

staffing coverage, surge planning, throughput coordination, and interdepartmental handoffs. Establishes on-call/after-hours escalation pathways and ensures leader coverage appropriate to Syringa hospital staffing operational needs. Directly oversees staffing, scheduling, competencies, workflow, and daily clinical operations in

MS/OB, & ED

nursing departments Monitors patient acuity, bed management coordination, admissions/discharges, and nurse-sensitive indicators. Leads performance management, coaching, corrective action, and recognition for M/S nursing staff. Partners with providers to support care patient care, nurse/physician rounding practices, discharge planning, and patient experience. Works in partnership with the Surgical Services Coordinator to provide cross training and support for OR. Provides leadership support and accountability to department leads; ensures alignment in: o Staffing models and skill mix o Policies/procedures and clinical protocols o Competency management and annual education o Quality dashboards, incident review, and corrective action plans o Ensures ED readiness (trauma/stabilization processes as applicable), OB safety standards, infusion safety and medication handling practices, and UR documentation/utilization integrity. Leads nursing performance improvement initiatives and supports hospital Quality & Safety activities. Ensures compliance with applicable federal/state regulations and accreditation standards.

Reviews and trends:

o Safety events/near misses, falls, pressure injuries, medication events o Infection prevention practices and nursing contributions to HAI reduction o Patient complaints/grievances involving nursing services Leads or co-leads root cause analyses (RCA), corrective action plans, and competency remediation as needed. Develops staffing plans consistent with CAH realities: cross-training, float expectations, call, weekend/holiday coverage. Partners with HR on recruitment pipelines (local/regional), interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and retention strategies. Ensures orientation, precepting, and competency validation across units (including cross-training where appropriate). Supports professional development, succession planning, and leadership growth for nurse leaders. Builds and manages nursing department budgets (labor, supplies, education) in collaboration with the CNO. Monitors labor metrics (overtime, premium pay, agency utilization) and implements mitigation plans. Standardizes supplies/equipment where feasible; participates in capital planning for nursing services. Ensures evidence-based policies/protocols are current and implemented reliably.

Supports clinical education initiatives:

annual competencies, new equipment rollouts, high-risk skills, and mock drills. Promotes interdisciplinary collaboration and consistent documentation standards. Oversee UR nursing functions to support medical necessity documentation, payer requirements, and denial prevention. Collaborates with providers, HIM/coding, and case management (if separate) to improve documentation quality and appropriate status/level-of-care determinations. Supports efficient patient flow, length-of-stay management, and discharge planning processes. Performs other duties as assigned. Minimum Requirements Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an ACEN or CCNE accredited school is required. Master's degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, or related field preferred. Current, unencumbered Idaho Registered Nurse license 5-8 years progressive acute care nursing experience 3-5 years nursing leadership experience (manager/director level preferred) Demonstrated oversight of multi-department nursing operations (ED and inpatient strongly preferred) Certifications in BLS, ACLS, PALS, NRP and TNCC or equivalent are preferred. Experience in a rural hospital or Critical Access Hospital strongly preferred Demonstrated experience with regulatory compliance, quality improvement, and staff management Skills/Competencies Strong knowledge of CAH regulations and rural healthcare delivery models Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities Financial and operational acumen Apply today at www.syringahospital.org

Benefits:

Sign on Bonus/Relocation $10,000 Medical/Dental/Vision Employer Paid Retirement Paid Time Off Long Term Sick Leave