Director of Acute Care and Education

Director Acute Care and Education

GENERAL SUMMARY:

The Director of Acute Care and Education provides operational, clinical, and educational leadership for the Acute Care Department while directing organization-wide clinical education and competency programs. This position is responsible for ensuring safe, high-quality patient care through effective staffing, regulatory compliance, professional development, quality improvement, and evidence-based practice. The Director collaborates with the Chief Clinical Officer and interdisciplinary leadership to support organizational goals, workforce development, patient safety, and continuous survey readiness.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES:

· Provide operational, clinical, and educational leadership for the Acute Care Department and hospital-wide clinical education programs.

· Oversee daily operations to ensure safe, efficient, high-quality patient care and regulatory compliance.

· Supervise, mentor, coach, and evaluate nursing personnel, fostering accountability, teamwork, and professional development.

· Assist the Chief Clinical Officer and HR with recruitment, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, retention, and succession planning of nursing staff.

· Coordinate staffing schedules, staffing matrices, productivity, overtime, agency utilization, payroll approval, and staffing contingency plans.

· Provide direct patient care as needed to support departmental operations, mentor staff, maintain clinical competency, and ensure safe patient care during staffing shortages or increased patient volumes.

· Ensure compliance with hospital policies, patient rights, standards of practice, evidence-based care, and all applicable federal, state, and accreditation requirements.

· Maintain continuous survey readiness and coordinate compliance with Joint Commission, CMS Conditions of Participation, Kentucky regulations, OSHA, and other applicable regulatory agencies.

· Lead corrective action plans and performance improvement initiatives resulting from regulatory surveys, audits, and quality reviews.

· Monitor patient care documentation, clinical outcomes, and quality indicators to ensure regulatory compliance and high standards of care.

· Develop, implement, review, and maintain departmental policies, procedures, clinical guidelines, and standards of practice.

· Lead department quality improvement initiatives focused on patient safety, falls prevention, pressure injury prevention, infection prevention, medication safety, documentation improvement, restraint compliance, core measures, and patient satisfaction.

· Establish department goals, monitor key performance indicators, and participate in strategic planning, budgeting, capital equipment planning, and resource management.

· Maintain fiscal responsibility through effective budget management, supply utilization, productivity monitoring, and cost containment.

· Ensure all clinical equipment is appropriately evaluated, validated, maintained, and implemented in accordance with organizational Equipment Management policies; collaborate with Purchasing, Biomedical Services, Infection Prevention, and department leaders to ensure staff competency is completed prior to patient use.

· Coordinate and oversee new employee orientation, departmental onboarding, initial competency validation, annual competency assessments, leadership competencies, and ongoing professional development.

· Plan, coordinate, and maintain mandatory education programs, annual regulatory education, skills days, mock codes, and specialty education programs.

· Administer and assist in maintaining the organization's learning management system and education records, including competency documentation, continuing education records, and mandatory education compliance.

· Coordinate BLS, ACLS, and PALS courses, instructor resources, certification tracking, and educational materials.

· Collaborate with clinical departments to identify educational needs and develop evidence-based educational programs that improve staff competency and patient outcomes.

· Support student clinical experiences, preceptor development, community education initiatives, and partnerships with academic institutions.

· Participate in hospital committees, including Quality, Safety, Infection Prevention, Clinical Leadership, Pharmacy, and other assigned committees.

· Participate in emergency preparedness response activities and organizational emergency operations.

· Maintain current knowledge of nursing practice, regulatory changes, healthcare trends, and evidence-based clinical practice through continuing education and professional development.

· Perform additional duties as assigned by the Chief Clinical Officer.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Required

• Current Kentucky RN license
• Minimum 2 years of leadership or supervisory experience
• BLS Certification

Preferred

· Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible acute care nursing experience

· BLS/ACLS/PALS Instructor status. This can be obtained after hire.

· Experience with quality improvement and regulatory compliance

· Experience with competency management