Director of Nursing (DON)

Company Overview

Shriners Children’s is an organization that respects, supports, and values each other. Named as the 2025 best mid-sized employer by Forbes, we are engaged in providing excellence in patient care, embracing multi-disciplinary education, and research with global impact. We foster a learning environment that values evidenced based practice, experience, innovation, and critical thinking. Our compassion, integrity, accountability, and resilience define us as leaders in pediatric specialty care for our children and their families.

With 20+ hospitals, outpatient clinics, ambulatory care centers and outreach locations across the globe, we provide excellent care to children up to age 18 regardless of their family’s ability to pay or insurance status. Please click here to learn more about our locations.

Job Description

The Director of Nursing has administrative authority and responsibility for patient care services, policies and procedures, evidence-based nursing standards of patient care, and compliance with the Nurse Practice Act. Reports directly to the site administrator and has indirect reporting relationship to the Regional Nurse Executive and the System Chief Nursing Officer. Maintains sound organizational relationships and shared decision making with the Board of Governors, Site leadership, (Administrator, Chief of Staff and Director Fiscal Services), physicians, department leaders, and all stakeholders. Develops, implements, and evaluates long and short-term goals for nursing as well as for assigned departments; responsible for directing, planning, and facilitating process improvements in patient care in a safe, consistent environment that promotes quality care and optimal patient outcomes within the constraints of available resources. On an ongoing basis, evaluates and initiates revisions as necessary to ensure nursing care is implemented via the Nursing Process and Nursing Philosophy which is derived from FOCUSED the Shriners Hospitals for Children (SHC) Professional Practice Model.

Maintains effective communication with all nursing, patient care services, and other personnel; physicians, board members, and stakeholders; strives for the advancement of the nursing profession within the community and on the local, state, and national level. Maintains awareness of legislation affecting nursing practice and implements practice or process changes as needed; acts as a resource person for the ambulatory center related to nursing standards and practices.

Key Responsibilities:

• As a member of the Senior Leadership team, participates in the development, monitoring and execution of the site’s strategic plan demonstrating systems thinking and change management skills. In collaboration with unit/department leaders, contributes to planning, decision making, and policy formulation.

• Attends/holds membership on site and medical staff committees as appropriate. Attends Board of Governors and physician meetings to report on activities of nursing and assigned departments. Provides administrative coverage in the absence of the administrator. Participates in community educational programs and meetings as the site’s representative.

• Demonstrates ability to lead/direct Patient Care Services (PCS) team by providing leadership, mentoring and guidance to patient care leaders and staff using principles of management. Identifies needed changes, facilitates/directs the change and role models positive attitude toward change. Role models professional nursing practice and behaviors. Coaches (PCS) leadership team in leadership principles. Collaborate with members of the site’s leadership team.

• Identifies, develops, and facilitates patient safety initiatives, quality improvement strategies, nursing and employee satisfaction initiatives and other programs to maintain and improve the patient-focused culture of assigned departments and services. Embraces shared decision making by energizing staff and others in decision making that is patient and family centered in an environment that is conducive to discussion and opinion sharing.

• Maintains positive verbal / nonverbal communication in interactions with staff, other departments, physicians, patients, and families. Maintains patient and employee confidentiality in all communication interactions written, verbal, and electronic. Builds and maintains a trusting collaborative relationship with staff, peers, other disciplines and ancillary services, physicians, vendors, community leaders, nursing, and other education programs. Accomplishing objectives through persuasion, celebrating successes and accomplishments, and communicating a shared vision.

• Communicates effectively as evidenced by delivering “difficult news” in such a way as to maintain credibility and respect for those involved. Demonstrates ability to initiate and manage crucial conversations and coach leadership team in same; resolves and manages conflict expertly. Follows through on commitments and addresses concerns. Show recognition of customer concerns and apologize for any inconveniences. Take an active role in improving the situation by continually using the L.A.S.T. technique (listen, apologize, solve, and thank). Asserting views in a non-threatening, nonjudgmental way.

• Makes unit/department and patient rounds frequently to keep channels of communication open. Gives appropriate feedback in a timely manner to questions and concerns. Promotes and facilitates harmonious relationships among assigned personnel, the Medical Staff, patient and public, and acts as liaison between assigned departments and other departments of the ambulatory surgery center.

• Responsible for oversight, development, allocation, and administration of the budget for assigned departments, based on past requirements, forecasted patient care needs, best practice, available resources and for quality management outcomes. Read, analyze, and interpret the most complex data documents.

• Develops, implements, and assures the organization's plan for providing nursing care and other assigned patient care services in accordance with the mission / vision of the organization. Evaluates problems and concerns in the patient care services areas and overall site in terms of ensuring safe, effective, quality patient care, and staffing.

• Manages human resources via workforce planning, employment decisions, reward & recognition for exemplary performance, performance issue management, identification of current/future needs and skill sets. Participates in the interview process of key leadership positions. Assists in the selection, implementation and evaluation of information technology assuring optimal support of patient care function in collaboration with system and other site leaders.

• Meets or exceeds patient and family, employee, and physician expectations by achieving and maintaining leadership in quality service through communication and teamwork. Maintains an environment that shows pride and ownership. Exhibits an informed and professional attitude by being prompt, efficient, and competent. All customers are greeted in a friendly and courteous manner, and situations are managed with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Expertly resolves conflict with patients, staff, department leaders, senior leaders, physicians, and other stakeholders in situations where customer needs have not been met to determine a positive, and mutually agreeable resolution.

• Sets the tone and expectation for positive customer service in all Patient Care Services departments. Role models positive attitude. Treats others with honesty and respect. Speaks positively in all customer interactions internal and external. Optimizing the patient’s experience by reducing the patient’s and family’s anxiety and increasing the patient’s compliance.

• Assess customer/staff satisfaction when rounding in departments/units, facilitates use of appropriate chain of command for unresolved issues or problems. Developing positive relationships with other departments to foster patient satisfaction. Provides service recovery to dissatisfied customers.

• Creating an environment that facilitates the team to initiate actions that produce results and professional and personal growth is an expectation. Coach others in developing their own career plans and establishing succession plans. Holds self and others accountable for actions and outcomes. Set expectations and hold each other accountable. Hires, coaches, disciplines, and terminates staff as appropriate. Performs annual appraisals.

• As necessary files complaints to professional licensing regulatory agencies. Articulates the application of ethical principles to operations. Integrates high ethical standards and core values into everyday activities. Creates an environment that has a reputation for high ethical standards.

• Advocates the use of documented best practices. Teaches and mentors others to routinely utilize evidence-based data and research. Role modeling the perspective that patient care is the core of the organization’s work. Assure that the clinical perspective is included in organization decisions. Ensure that nurses are actively involved in decisions that affect their practice.

• Is a member of at least one professional organization. Supports and encourages others to participate in professional organizations. Answers for the results of one’s own behaviors and actions. Develop own career plan and measure progress according to that.

• Assessment of departments for processes to measure and improve. Assures alignment of these processes with the SHC mission. Collection and analysis of data on processes identified. Prioritization of the improvement opportunities from the data collection and analysis. Planning, implementation, and evaluation of process improvements using Plan-Do-Study-Act methodology. Communication of all steps of the PI process with affected staff and stakeholders. Demonstrates support for employee involvement in PI education and in PI teams both on department and site level.

• Works with others to design, facilitate and maintain an effective PI program based on standards consistent with the latest innovations in assigned departments. Coordinates/facilitates/participates in LEAN projects.

• Plans, conducts, and participates in problem-solving conferences and discussions with administrative and professional staff to encourage participation in formulating department policies and procedures and interprets same to achieve the organization's mission. Maintain awareness of The Joint Commission (TJC), Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) and other required quality and safety measures and provide Patient Care Services Leadership team with the information needed to maintain compliance with standards.

Required Qualifications:

• Masters in related field

• CA RN Licensure

• 5 years Pediatric/Ambulatory Care/Surgery Center

• 4 years Nursing Leadership

• Certified Administrator Surgery Center (CASC) required within 2 years of hire - dependent on state

Preferred Qualifications:

• Nursing Leadership Certification  

The pay range for this position is $121,792 - $208,786/annually.