Director of Nursing

Northbrook Behavioral Health Hospital.; Gloucester City (NJ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Northbrook Behavioral Health Hospital in Blackwood, NJ is seeking a decisive Director of Nursing (DON) to join the executive team, overseeing 24/7 nursing operations, quality, safety, and regulatory compliance in a behavioral health setting.

The DON will lead staffing, clinical standards, and performance improvement, collaborate with hospital leadership, and drive patient-centered care and clinical excellence across all units.

Qualifications

• Current, unrestricted RN license in New Jersey.
• MSN preferred; BSN with a Master's in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or related field qualifies.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive leadership experience in psychiatric/behavioral health nursing.
• Current BLS certification.
• Handle With Care certification or ability to obtain within 7 days of hire.
• Proven success leading inpatient nursing operations in behavioral health settings.
• Strong knowledge of behavioral health regulations, accreditation standards, quality improvement, workforce management, and healthcare operations.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive oversight for all nursing operations across the hospital.
• Lead nursing initiatives aligned with mission, vision, values and strategic goals.
• Champion clinical excellence, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Ensure standards of nursing practice, safety, and quality outcomes; support accreditation readiness.
• Oversee workforce planning, recruitment, retention, and leadership development.
• Manage staffing, budgets, and resource allocation for 24/7 patient care.

Skills

RN license NJ

Leadership 5+ yrs

BLS certification

Handle With Care

Behavioral health leadership

Strategic leadership

Education

MSN

BSN + Master’s in Admin/Healthcare

Job description

Lead Excellence in Behavioral Healthcare

Northbrook Behavioral Health Hospital

Blackwood, New Jersey - Full-Time | On-Site

Northbrook Behavioral Health Hospital is seeking an experienced and visionary Director of Nursing (DON) to join our executive leadership team. This is a unique opportunity for a nursing leader who is passionate about advancing clinical excellence, driving operational performance, and fostering a culture of compassionate, patient-centered psychiatric care.

The Director of Nursing provides strategic, clinical, operational, and administrative leadership for all Nursing Services throughout the patient care units. Reporting as a key member of the executive leadership team, the DON is responsible for nursing practice standards, quality outcomes, patient safety, regulatory compliance, workforce development, and resource management.

This role carries 24/7 accountability for nursing operations and plays a critical part in ensuring exceptional outcomes for patients, staff, and the organization.

What You'll Do

Strategic & Executive Leadership

• Provide executive oversight for all nursing operations across the hospital.
• Serve as an active member of the hospital leadership team, contributing to organizational strategy and decision-making.
• Lead nursing initiatives that align with the hospital's mission, vision, values, and strategic goals.
• Champion a culture of clinical excellence, professional accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Represent Nursing Services on leadership councils, committees, and organizational initiatives.

Clinical & Quality Leadership

• Establish and maintain standards of nursing practice that promote safe, high-quality behavioral healthcare.
• Monitor patient outcomes, quality indicators, and performance metrics to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure implementation of evidence-based nursing practices and patient safety initiatives.
• Partner with leadership teams to advance quality improvement, risk management, and performance improvement efforts.
• Support survey readiness and ensure ongoing compliance with all accreditation and regulatory requirements.

Nursing Workforce Development

• Lead nursing workforce planning, recruitment, retention, and succession strategies.
• Foster professional development, mentorship, leadership growth, and clinical competency among nursing staff.
• Promote a highly engaged nursing culture through visibility, accessibility, and regular clinical rounding.
• Support nursing leadership development programs and organizational effectiveness initiatives.
• Build a culture of collaboration, accountability, and professional practice excellence.

Operational Management

• Ensure appropriate staffing models and nursing resource allocation to support safe, effective 24/7 patient care.
• Collaborate in developing and managing departmental budgets and operational goals.
• Drive operational excellence through data-driven decision-making and process improvement.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, productivity, patient experience, and clinical outcomes.

Regulatory & Emergency Preparedness

• Maintain compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations as well as accreditation standards.
• Develop and implement policies, procedures, and clinical standards that support best practices.
• Serve as a liaison with regulatory and accrediting agencies.
• Respond to medical and behavioral emergencies and provide leadership during crisis situations.
• Participate in the Administrator-On-Call rotation and support hospital-wide emergency response efforts.

Qualifications

Required

• Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of New Jersey.
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), or Bachelor's degree in Nursing (BSN) with a Master's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or a related healthcare field.
• 5+ years of progressive leadership experience in psychiatric or behavioral health nursing.
• Current BLS certification through the American Heart Association.
• Current Handle With Care behavior management certification, or ability to obtain within 7 days of being hired.
• Demonstrated success leading nursing operations in an inpatient psychiatric or behavioral health setting.
• Strong knowledge of behavioral health regulations, accreditation standards, quality improvement methodologies, workforce management, and healthcare operations.

Preferred

• Experience leading large-scale clinical, operational, and strategic initiatives.
• Executive-level leadership experience within an inpatient psychiatric hospital.

Schedule & Work Environment

• Full-time, on-site leadership position.
• Accountability for nursing operations on a 24/7 basis - must be available outside of normal business hours to address urgent operational, clinical, or emergency situations.
• Participation in Administrator-On-Call rotation required.
• Regular weekday and occasional weekend rounding expected.

Why Northbrook Behavioral Health Hospital?

At Northbrook Behavioral Health Hospital, we are committed to providing safe, compassionate, and evidence-based behavioral healthcare. As Director of Nursing, you will have the opportunity to influence patient outcomes, develop future nursing leaders, strengthen clinical excellence, and drive meaningful organizational success.