ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF NURSING

Position Summary

The Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) supports the Director of Nursing (DON) in the leadership, coordination, supervision, and evaluation of nursing services across the hospital. Working within the scope of Registered Nurse licensure, the ADON helps ensure safe, high-quality, patient-centered care; appropriate staffing and clinical oversight; compliance with hospital policies and applicable regulatory and accreditation requirements; and effective communication among nursing staff, providers, and other departments. The ADON serves as the designated nursing leader in the DON’s absence when assigned and may provide direct patient care or shift coverage as operational needs require.

Core Accountabilities

1. Assists the DON in planning, organizing, coordinating, and evaluating nursing services and nursing practice throughout the hospital.

2. Provides day-to-day leadership and supervision to professional and paraprofessional nursing personnel as assigned, including support with staffing, scheduling, workflow, performance expectations, coaching, and conflict resolution.

3. Serves as the designated nursing leader in the DON’s absence when assigned and supports continuity of nursing leadership and operations.

4. Promotes delivery of nursing care consistent with accepted standards of practice, patient needs, staff competency, scope of practice, and hospital policy.

5. Collaborates with physicians, advanced practice providers, nursing staff, and other clinical departments to coordinate patient care and resolve clinical or operational concerns.

6. Assists with nursing orientation, competency validation, education, in-service training, and ongoing staff development.

7. Participates in nursing quality assurance/performance improvement activities, including review of quality indicators, patient safety events, documentation, and opportunities for improvement.

8. Supports infection prevention practices and ensures nursing staff follow established infection prevention and control policies and procedures.

9. Assists with development, implementation, review, and consistent application of nursing policies, procedures, standards, and workflows.

10. Monitors nursing documentation and medical record practices for completeness, accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with applicable standards.

11. Assists with investigation, follow-up, and documentation of patient care concerns, incidents, complaints, and safety events within assigned responsibilities.

12. Supports adequate nursing coverage and may work clinically, provide charge responsibilities, or cover shifts when needed to meet patient-care and operational needs.

13. Participates in hospital committees, meetings, emergency preparedness activities, and interdisciplinary initiatives as assigned.

14. Promotes a culture of professionalism, teamwork, accountability, patient safety, and respectful communication.

15. Maintains confidentiality and compliance with HIPAA, OSHA, infection prevention requirements, and other applicable federal and Nebraska requirements.

16. Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the DON or hospital leadership.

Position Qualifications

Education:

• Graduate of an accredited/approved registered nursing program.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) preferred, or equivalent combination of education and relevant nursing leadership experience.

Licensure and Certification:

• Current license to practice as a Registered Nurse in Nebraska or authority to practice in Nebraska under the Nurse Licensure Compact.
• Current BLS/CPR certification required; additional certifications may be required based on assigned clinical responsibilities.

Experience:

• Minimum of two (2) years of professional nursing experience preferred, including acute care, critical access, emergency, or comparable hospital experience.
• Prior charge nurse, lead, supervisory, or nursing leadership experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of registered nursing theory and practice, accepted standards of care, patient safety principles, infection prevention, and nursing scope-of-practice requirements.
• Working knowledge of hospital nursing operations and applicable federal, state, regulatory, accreditation, and Critical Access Hospital requirements.
• Ability to lead, coach, supervise, and support nursing personnel while promoting accountability and teamwork.
• Ability to assess clinical and operational concerns, establish priorities, make sound decisions, and escalate concerns appropriately.
• Effective written, verbal, electronic, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with patients, families, providers, leaders, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise sound judgment, and manage sensitive employee and patient-care matters professionally.
• Ability to use electronic health records and other computer systems required for the position.