Director of Nursing Job Description Template

The director of nursing (DON), sometimes known as the executive director of nursing or the director of nursing operations, is the highest-ranking nurse at healthcare facilities. Like a linchpin, the DON holds all the various and complex pieces of a facility together to ensure optimal nursing operations provide high-quality patient care.

An intentional and well-written director of nursing job description is the first step in finding the best candidate to fill this important position. Enhance your talent search using the following tips and example language to craft your search-optimized job postings.

Before you begin, referencing our current DON job postings can help you identify key elements to include in your executive director of nursing job description. You can find more information on competitive salaries, benefits packages, and schedule expectations to offer your applicants. Once you’ve identified qualified applicants, you can select your top DON candidate through carefully selected interview questions.

Director of Nursing (DON)

Tips: The introduction of your director of nursing job description, which should be one to two paragraphs long, is a snapshot of who you are as an employer. Share your mission, values, and work culture with your prospective candidates. Highlight special awards, accreditations, and ratings. Grab their attention by providing a few benefits that make your team and organization stand out in a competitive market.

In this section, you’ll also present a high-level overview of your DON position and define your ideal candidate. Describe your facility’s work environment and the patient population you serve. Provide nearby areas of interest, restaurants, and available public transportation.

Template:

At [facility name] we pride ourselves on professionalism and quality. Our patients are at the core of our mission to provide our community with the best care delivered by a compassionate and highly competent healthcare team. Our patients consistently give us the highest ratings and, as a Magnet nursing facility, we’re dedicated to the success of our team. That’s where you come in.

We’re looking for a leader to take us to even higher levels of care. As a Director of Nursing at our facility, you would be helping to manage a hard-working team dedicated to the highest standards of care. Because we have such a collaborative, cross-functional team, we’re able to offer flexible schedules, remote opportunities, and generous PTO options. If you’d like to learn more about what we offer, take a look at more of our benefits below.

Benefits

Tips: Now that the job posting has caught the potential applicant’s attention, they’ll be interested in the perks of working for your organization. Keep them engaged by promoting your benefits with care so as not to exaggerate them. Potential DON applicants will quickly move on to the next job posting if they sense any hint of embellishment.

Template:

• Affordable medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) support
• 10 paid holidays
• Generous PTO
• 401k matching
• Continuing education benefits
• Tuition reimbursement for approved programs

Duties and Responsibilities

Tips: After learning about your organization and its benefits, the potential DON applicant will want specific details about the job. In this section of the director of nursing job description, you’ll list the DON’s day-to-day activities and overall responsibilities. Begin each line with active verbs, be succinct, and place the most important and frequently performed duties at the top of the list.

Template:

Our facility’s Director of Nursing is expected to perform the following duties:

• Ensure the delivery of nursing care to residents according to professional standards
• Manage facility compliance with corporate, regulatory, and accreditation requirements
• Develop and implement facility policies, procedures, and standards of care
• Assign adequate and appropriate staffing for all shifts within state guidelines
• Lead and provide direction to staff in performing their duties
• Hire, supervise, and review the performance of nurse managers, nurses, and support staff, and provide remediation when needed
• Manage facility operations, business planning, and productivity standards
• Meet fiscal responsibilities through budget planning, implementation, and monitoring
• Oversee inventory, order processing, and distribution of nursing and medical supplies
• Serve as a liaison between administration, multidisciplinary healthcare staff, residents, and families, and resolving conflicts as needed

Compensation and Schedule

Tips: Once the applicant has decided they’re a good fit for the director of nursing position, they’ll want to know about the role’s pay and schedule requirements. Some qualified nurse leaders may only consider a posting if the director of nursing job description includes a salary range. Posting this information can save time and resources in cases where salary potential doesn’t meet a candidate’s needs.

The DON works long hours to meet the needs of your residents, staff, and facility. The flexibility to balance work and life responsibilities will help you attract and retain top talent. Highlight whether you offer compensatory (comp) time off, along with other perks and incentives. If there are any mandatory schedule requirements, clearly state that in this section as well.

Template:

• Director of nursing pay range: $104,000 – $160,000
• Key Performance Indicator (KPI) bonus opportunities
• Bi-weekly or weekly pay periods
• Monday through Friday day shift (9a-5p)
• Mandatory on-call during non-business hours

Qualifications and Skills

Tips: You’ll find the right person for your position by clearly identifying the necessary background and abilities in your director of nurses job description. This is also where you’ll list any license, education, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements for director of nursing positions.

Be sure to differentiate between mandatory versus preferred qualifications and skills. While the goal is to draw in the top talent, you don’t want to inadvertently diminish your applicant pool with optional, “nice to have” requests.

Template:

Required Qualifications:

• Active and unrestricted RN License
• Bachelor of Nursing from an accredited school (Master of Nursing preferred)
• Minimum 2 years of experience as a nurse supervisor or manager
• Working knowledge of government regulations and healthcare best practices
• Basic budgeting and financial management skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Current American Heart Association (AHA) CPR certification
• 3 to 5 years of nursing experience in long-term or post-acute care
• Excellent communication, organization, and leadership skills

Call to Action

Tips: The call to action is where all your hard work drafting an effective director of nursing job description pays off. Make it quick and simple for potential candidates to apply immediately with a direct website link or button to your job application site. Before publishing your job description, consider having it reviewed by a human resources (HR) representative.

Template:

Ready for the next best step in your nursing management career? Start today by clicking the “apply now” button and submitting your application with us.

Need to Quickly Fill Your DON Vacancy?

Writing a great director of nursing job description can help you recruit the exceptional candidates your facility desperately needs. If you’re struggling to find qualified nurse leaders for the role, consider posting your position to our nationwide nursing job board. We can help you quickly find specialized nursing professionals when you need them most.