What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Nursing Services position at Southwest Community Health Center?
Summary:
Responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of nursing care and services across all Southwest Community Health Center sites. The Director of Nursing Services (DNS) works in close partnership with the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) to ensure that high-quality, evidence-based, and culturally responsive care is delivered in alignment with organizational goals and regulatory standards. This role provides strategic leadership and operational oversight to nurse managers, registered nurses, and medical assistants. The DNS champions staff development, efficient clinical workflows, and patient-centered care delivery.
Specific Duties and Responsibilities : All duties are subject to accommodation in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Leadership & Strategic Oversight
Leadership & Strategic Oversight
- Partners with the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) to lead, develop, and implement the overall vision for nursing and clinical support services.
- Participates in organizational strategic planning and leads initiatives that improve clinical operations, access, and care quality.
- Develops and maintains clear objectives, performance goals, and a department operational plan.
- Facilitates the integration of nursing services with other clinical and administrative departments.
Staff Supervision & Development
- Provides direct supervision to nurse managers and clinical support teams (RNs, LPNs, MAs).
- Oversees recruitment, onboarding, retention, and ongoing training efforts.
- Conducts performance evaluations and implements development plans.
- Leads regular clinical team meetings to promote communication, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Coordinates clinical staffing models and ensures coverage aligns with patient safety and productivity benchmarks.
Quality, Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensures nursing services comply with all federal, state, and local regulations and supports accreditation activities (e.g., The Joint Commission, DPH, HRSA).
- Collaborates with the Infection Control Nurse to assist in developing, implementing, and maintaining infection prevention policies and procedures.
- Partners with the Quality Improvement (QI) Director to support performance improvement initiatives, ensuring effective nursing participation in QI projects and committee work.
- Provides nursing leadership during quality audits, Joint Commission preparedness activities, and internal/external reviews.
- Oversees the annual completion of clinical competency assessments in accordance with standards and organizational policy.
- Facilitates data collection and reporting for grants and clinical quality metrics specific to nursing performance and clinical operations.
- Actively engages in QI Committee and relevant subcommittees, ensuring that nursing perspectives and priorities are represented and addressed.
Clinical Operations
- Collaborates with the CNO to ensure operational effectiveness in areas such as immunizations, referrals, and lab diagnostics.
- Supports EMR utilization and documentation best practices.
- Participates in and responds to internal audits and performance data reviews.
- Provides direct patient care when needed, including medication administration and nursing assessments.
Education & Student Coordination
- Coordinates placement and oversight of nursing and medical assistant students from accredited institutions.
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications and Education:
- Hold Connecticut State Registered Nursing License
- Graduate of an accredited nursing program, BSN or MSN is highly preferred
- Minimum 3–5 years of experience in ambulatory or community health, preferably in an FQHC setting.
- Previous leadership experience (e.g., Nurse Manager or above) required.
- Strong leadership and team development skills.
- Familiarity with primary care, population health, and care coordination.
- Familiarity with QI methodologies such as PDSA, and RCA.
- Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
- CPR and BLS certification required.
Preferred Skills
- Epic EMR experience.
- Additional coursework in leadership or management.
Physical Requirements and Work Environment:
The physical requirements and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This position requires the manual dexterity sufficient to operate phones, computers and other office equipment. The position requires the physical ability to kneel, bend and perform light lifting. This person must have the ability to write and speak clearly using the English language to convey information and be able to hear at normal speaking levels both in person and over the telephone. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. Generally, the working conditions are good with little or no exposure to extremes in health, safety hazards and/or hazardous materials. This person must have the ability to travel as required to work with staff.
SWCHC is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees as protected by applicable federal and/or state law
