Director Nursing, Acute Care Services

Providence Health & Services; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Providence seeks a Director of Nursing for Acute Care Services to lead a large portfolio including Med/Surg, Telemetry, Wound Care, EEG, and Acute Rehabilitation. You will drive clinical excellence, operational performance, and regulatory compliance with strong leadership and data‑driven decision making.

You will mentor leaders, shape budgets, improve workflows, and partner with hospital leadership to advance patient care and safety across inpatient and outpatient services.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Nursing or related field required; Nursing degree preferred.
• California Registered Nurse License required upon hire.
• Minimum 5 years of administrative leadership experience in a hospital setting.
• Demonstrated excellence in human relations and communication.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands‑on leadership across Med/Surg, Telemetry, Wound Care, EEG, Acute Rehabilitation and other acute‑care services.
• Establish clear standards and leadership structure across a large, complex portfolio.
• Coach and develop managers and leaders across departments.
• Use data and metrics to drive clinical and operational improvement.
• Communicate rationale for changes and engage stakeholders in implementation.
• Develop and manage budgets, staffing models, and resource stewardship.
• Collaborate across departments to optimize workflows affecting patient care.
• Monitor quality, regulatory, financial, and operational outcomes and report to executives.
• Advise senior leaders on operational issues and implement policy changes.
• Identify strategic issues and present actionable improvement plans.
• Ensure regulatory compliance and Providence initiatives across inpatient and outpatient services.
• Maintain effective relationships with medical staff, caregivers, leaders, and community partners.
• Develop and revise department and service area policies and standards of care.
• Lead special projects involving financial, regulatory, HR, ethics, marketing, and community needs.
• Support professional growth and stay current with trends and practices through affiliations and training.
• Participate in hospital, medical staff, and nursing committees as required.
• Build connections with community agencies and professional groups.
• Serve as a coach and mentor to direct reports.
• Develop relationships with community organizations as appropriate.

Skills

Leadership

Human relations

Education

Master's Degree in Nursing or related field

California RN License

Job description

Description

The Role

The Director, Nursing - Acute Care Services provides strategic, clinical, and operational leadership for a large and highly complex portfolio that includes Med/Surg, Telemetry, Wound Care, EEG, and Acute Rehabilitation. Additional services may be incorporated as the reporting structure evolves. This role is accountable for high-quality, evidence-based nursing care, operational performance, regulatory compliance, and appropriate resource stewardship across assigned areas.

Working closely with hospital leadership, the Director establishes clear expectations, strengthens leadership systems, mentors developing leaders, evaluates processes, and uses data to guide decisions and improve patient care, caregiver engagement, and operational performance.

What You'll Do

• Provide hands‑on leadership across Med/Surg, Telemetry, Wound Care, EEG, Acute Rehabilitation, and other designated acute‑care services.


• Establish clear standards, accountability, and leadership structure across a large, complex operational portfolio.


• Coach, mentor, and develop managers and other leaders, working alongside teams rather than relying solely on directives.


• Evaluate clinical and operational processes, use data and performance metrics to guide decisions, and translate findings into sustainable improvement.


• Communicate the rationale behind change, engage caregivers and leaders in implementation, and successfully navigate a wide range of personalities and perspectives.


• Develop goals, policies, and procedures that support effective operations, patient safety, environmental and infection‑control standards, and organizational performance.


• Develop and manage budgets for assigned areas, including capital planning, staffing models, productivity, and responsible resource stewardship.


• Work across departments to improve workflows affecting clinical teams and assigned patient‑care services.


• Monitor quality, regulatory, financial, workforce, and operational outcomes and provide periodic reports to executive leadership.


• Advise senior leaders on operational issues and implement process or policy changes that advance organizational objectives.


• Identify strategic issues affecting the organization, assess operational implications, and present clear approaches for improvement.


• Ensure assigned departments comply with regulatory requirements and Providence initiatives while advancing high-quality inpatient and outpatient services.


• Maintain effective communication and collaborative relationships with medical staff, frontline caregivers, leaders, community partners, and other stakeholders.


• Facilitate the development, implementation, review, and revision of department, hospital, and service‑area policies, procedures, and standards of care.


• Lead special projects and program development involving financial, regulatory, human‑resource, ethics, marketing, and community needs.


• Support professional growth and remain current on trends and leading practices through professional affiliations, seminars, and workshops.


• Advise, chair, or participate in hospital, medical staff, and nursing committees and meetings as required.


• Build productive relationships with community agencies, groups, and professional affiliations as appropriate.


• Facilitates development, implementation, review, and revision of department, hospital, and service area policies, procedures, and standards of care related to areas of expertise.


• Serves as a coach and mentor to direct reports.


• Develops relationships with community agencies, groups, and professional affiliations as appropriate.

What You'll Bring

Education & Credentials

• Master's Degree in Nursing or related field (Health Administration, Business, Public Health, or Management). Master's Degree must be in Nursing if the candidate does not have a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing.


• Required upon hire: California Registered Nurse License (Vendor Managed).

Experience & Expertise

• Management experience in a hospital/healthcare environment.


• 5 years of administrative experience in hospital administration or specialty area.

Professional & Leadership Capabilities

• Excellent human relations and oral/written