Director of Nursing Practice and Quality

Full Job Description

The Director of Nursing Practice and Quality leads a team of nursing leaders and others in the development, maintenance, and ongoing improvement of resources and systems that support nursing practice, quality, safety, and regulatory compliance for all sites and entities within the VCU Health System. The Director of Nursing Practice and Quality is responsible for leading and dissemination of quality nursing practice and advancing the systems that support nursing practice, including policy, procedures, and clinical practice guidelines, scope of practice, compliance assurance, and shared governance. The Director of Nursing Practice and Quality supports the VCU Health System in efforts that lead to recognition within the healthcare community for excellence in nursing, maintenance of regulatory accreditation, and designation as a Magnet Hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The Director of Nursing Practice and Quality provides strategic leadership in nursing practice to ensure the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care, promotion of workforce wellness, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and innovation in clinical practice and inquiry.

Performance Expectation: Strategic Leadership in Nursing Practice and Quality

Guide and direct development of a department operational and strategic plan in alignment with the mission, vision, and strategic plan of the VCU Health System. Lead the department through system change, analyze data, identify trends and make data-driven decisions to the enhance nursing practice across the enterprise.

• Scope of Practice Oversight: Ensure adherence to nursing scope of practice regulations and guidelines, and collaborate in ongoing education and training to support nursing competency
• Performance Monitoring and Improvement: Establish and monitor nursing key performance indicators to assess quality of care, patient outcomes, and operational efficiency. Collaborate with key stakeholders and implement strategies for continuous performance improvement based on data analysis and benchmarking.
• Safety Management: Develop and implement strategies to promote a culture of safety within nursing practice, including risk assessment, incident reporting, mitigation of patient safety risks, and corrective action planning.
• Promotion of Shared Governance: Support a culture of shared governance by ongoing improvement to professional governance structures and engaging nursing team members in decision-making processes related to practice, quality improvement, and patient care initiatives. Effectively communicate and promote bi-directional communication.
• Dissemination: Pursues opportunities for active engagement and dissemination of clinical inquiry. Actively support and participate in Magnet recognition and other accreditation processes.

Performance Expectation: Strategic Leadership in Nursing Practice Resources and System Improvements

• Policy, Procedures, and Guideline Development and Maintenance: Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to develop, revise, maintain nursing policies, procedures, and clinical practice guidelines based on evidence-based practice, professional organization guidance, and industry standards.
• Regulatory Compliance Assurance: Monitor and ensure compliance with regulatory standards, accrediting body requirements, and organizational policies related to nursing practice and quality.

Performance Expectation: Relationship Development

• Establish positive and effective working relationships between the department and other divisions, inter-professional groups, and VCU Health entities. Collaborate and partner within the department, among peers, clinical teams, enterprise and organization leaders, academic health partners, and community stakeholders.
• Maintain high visibility as a people leader, colleague, and mentor developing the confidence and capturing the spirit of nursing clinical teams and leaders to achieve a dynamic and positive environment supportive to the professional practice of nursing.
• Promote the growth of the department and individual team members in areas such as healthy work environment, design thinking, change management, and translation of evidence-based processes by identifying strengths and opportunities for professional developing providing formal and informal coaching and performance management. Promote team engagement, retention, and take proactive and/or prompt action to address concerns or issues.

Employment Qualifications

Required Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Nursing

Master’s degree in Nursing

Preferred Education:

Doctorate, Nursing

Licensure/Certification Required:

Current RN licensure in Virginia or eligible compact state

Current Basic Life Support (BLS)

Licensure/Certification Preferred:

Certification in specialty area

Minimum Qualifications

Years and Type of Required Experience

Minimum of ten (10 years of relevant clinical experience with five (5) years of progressive leadership or management experience

Other Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• Ability to manage administrative and leadership tasks
• Ability to work and maintain confidentiality of patient, patient account and personnel information
• Willingness to embrace and lead change when change is necessary, and ability to effectively communicate and work with teams and administration
• Ability to work as a team player
• Customer Service and community engagement
• Excellent organizational, analytical, verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated experience in policy/procedure/guideline development, implementation, and compliance monitoring
• Must possess knowledge of local, federal and state laws and regulations and The Joint Commission (TJC) standards related to position’s chief objective and demonstrate aptitude for compliance with VCUHS policies, procedures, and customer service philosophy.
• Strong knowledge of nursing scope of practice regulations, accreditation standards, and quality improvement methods
• Exceptional patient care and service skills
• Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and implement evidence-based interventions