Head Nurse (part-time)

State of Connecticut - Department of Children & Families; Middletown (CT); On-site; USD 59,000 - 72,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental insurance

Paid leave

Tuition reimbursement

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Professional development opportunities

Work/life balance

Job summary

The Connecticut Department of Children and Families is hiring a Head Nurse for a part-time role in Middletown, CT. This position involves leading care planning and delivering high-quality support to children and families.

The ideal candidate will bring strong clinical skills and commitment to child well-being. Working with a collaborative team, the Head Nurse will engage in therapeutic treatments and maintain nursing standards.

Qualifications

• Two years of experience as a Registered Nurse.
• Must possess a Registered Nurse license in Connecticut or a Compact Registered Nurse license.
• Experience in a hospital, regional, or psychiatric setting preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provides high-quality care and support to children and families.
• Leads the planning of care and implementation of the nursing process.
• Independently develops, implements, and evaluates nursing and health care plans.

Skills

Clinical skills

Interpersonal skills

Nursing principles

Communication skills

Therapeutic treatment

Supervisory ability

Education

Bachelor's degree in nursing

Job description

Introduction

Are you an experienced Registered Nurse interested in a career that provides personal fulfillment? Come be a part of our team!

The Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF), John Dempsey Hospital, is recruiting qualified individuals for a Head Nurse position located in Middletown, CT.

Position Highlights

PCN: 44573

• Part‑time, 32 hours per week
• Second (2nd) shift (2:45 pm - 11:15 pm)
• Days OffWeek 1: Friday, Tuesday, & Wednesday
• Days OffWeek 2: Saturday, Sunday, & Thursday
• Acadia, Middletown, CT

What We Can Offer You

Please note that benefits may be pro‑rated for part‑time positions.

• Visit our State Employee Benefits Overview page to learn about our medical and dental insurance plans, sick/vacation/personal leave accruals, state holidays, tuition reimbursement and more!
• Professional growth and development opportunities.
• A healthy work/life balance to all employees.
• State of Connecticut is an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loan forgiveness after 10 years of service. Click here for more information.

In addition to the base annual salary, you may be approved for an additional compensation bonus:

• Each Registered Nurse who is permanently assigned to the second or third shift shall receive a “recruitment and retention” yearly bonus of three thousand dollars ($3,000.00). This bonus shall be prorated for part‑time.
• In order to be eligible for this bonus, the employee must have completed one year of service in the registered nurse classification.

New! We’re excited that Connecticut has joined the Nurse Licensure Compact effective October 1, 2025. Visit Nurse Licensure Compact for more details.

Your Role as a Nurse

This role is essential in providing high‑quality care and support to children and families during working hours. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to the well‑being of children, possess excellent clinical skills, and thrive in a dynamic environment. Check out what a career as a Nurse with DCF could look like for you!

Discover the opportunity to:

• Engage in a rewarding career
• Make a difference in the public sector
• Work together in a collaborative team environment

About Us

Working together with families and communities to improve child safety, ensure that more children have permanent families, and advance the overall well‑being of children is the central focus of DCF. DCF protects children who are being abused or neglected, strengthens families through support and advocacy, and builds on existing family and community strengths to help children who are facing emotional and behavioral challenges, including those committed to the Department by the juvenile justice system.

John Dempsey Hospital (JDH) – Middletown, CT is widely recognized as a center of excellence for family‑centered treatment of children and youth with serious emotional disturbances. This state‑administered Psychiatric facility and hospital provides comprehensive care to children and adolescents under the age of eighteen, with severe mental illness and related behavioral and emotional problems who cannot be safely assessed or treated in a less restrictive setting.

Selection Plan

FOR SECOND AND THIRD SHIFT POSITIONS – YOU MAY BE APPROVED FOR AN ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION BONUS: Each Registered Nurse who is permanently assigned to the second or third shift may receive a “recruitment and retention” yearly bonus of three thousand dollars ($3,000.00). This bonus shall be pro‑rated for part‑time Registered Nurses. In order to be eligible for this bonus, the Employee must have completed one year of service in the registered nurse classification.

Purpose of Job Class (Nature of Work)

In a state agency this class is accountable for administrative and clinical supervision of professional nurses, paraprofessionals and other staff involving direct nursing care of individuals or performing specialized professional nursing work in the areas of community or therapeutic nursing. At the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities or Connecticut Technical Education and Career System this class is accountable for providing primary nursing care for students and facility staff.

Examples of Duties

• WORKING LEAD:
  • Leads the planning of care and implementation of the nursing process;
  • Plans unit workflow and determines priorities;
  • Schedules, assigns, oversees and reviews work;
  • Make recommendations for personnel actions such as selection, discipline and performance;
  • Conducts or assist in conducting performance evaluations;
  • Leads professional and paraprofessional nursing staff in provision of individual care;
  • Maintains and promotes standards of nursing;
  • Ensures controlled drugs are properly stored, administered and ordered;
  • Identifies staff development needs;
  • Provides staff training and assistance;
  • Instructs staff regarding policies and procedures;
  • Participates in interdisciplinary meetings to promote and ensure adjustment and continuity of individual care programs;
  • Responds to emergencies;
  • May make recommendations on policies and standards;
  • May prepare reports or correspondence;
  • May serve as Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP);
  • Performs related duties as required.
• DIRECT CARE:
  • Independently develops, implements and evaluates nursing and/or health care plans;
  • Provides nursing consultation in the assigned specialty program;
  • Conducts nursing assessments;
  • Provides admission and discharge nursing assessments including plans for continuing care;
  • Maintains records and makes reports;
  • Provides for nursing services to comply with intermediate care facility (ICF) regulations and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standards;
  • Maintains records of stored and secured medications;
  • Ensures controlled drugs are properly stored, administered and ordered;
  • Independently manages and provides direct care to individuals;
  • Participates in individual, group or family therapy;
  • Participates as a member of an interdisciplinary team in the assessment, development, implementation and evaluation of individual treatment or health care plans;
  • Manages an assigned caseload of other appropriate clinical activities;
  • Provides clinical direction and/or training to staff in individual, group and family service delivery programs;
  • May participate in home visits and crisis intervention;
  • May provide in‑service training to nursing and paraprofessional staff with regard to signs and symptoms of illness, dysfunction, injury and prevention of same;
  • May conduct individual‑centered conferences with nursing personnel;
  • May consult with and make recommendations to physicians concerning health needs;
  • May make recommendations on policies or standards;
  • May prepare reports or correspondence;
  • May serve as Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP);
  • Performs related duties as required.

Knowledge, Skill and Ability

Considerable knowledge of and ability to independently apply nursing principles, techniques and standards; specialized individual care applicable to nursing assignment; medications, their actions, interactions, uses and side effects;

Knowledge of general and mental health conditions and treatment interventions through utilization of assessment, nursing diagnosis, outcome identification, health planning, implementation and re‑evaluation;

Adult learning and family systems theory; and sensitivity to cultural and socio‑economic differences;

Considerable interpersonal skills; oral and written communication skills;

Ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with other professionals, community resources and providers; act as a role model to health care staff; Supervisory ability.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NURSING POSITIONS: Considerable knowledge of behavioral health of individuals; Skill working with individuals, groups and families; Ability to provide therapeutic treatment with a variety of individuals.

Minimum Qualifications – General Experience

Two (2) years of experience as a Registered Nurse.

Minimum Qualifications – Substitutions Allowed

A Bachelor’s degree in nursing may be substituted for one (1) year of the General Experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a hospital, regional, institutional, or psychiatric setting.
• Experience working with children in a hospital, regional, institutional, or psychiatric setting.

Special Requirements

• Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a license or temporary permit as a Registered Nurse in Connecticut OR hold a Multistate or Compact Registered Nurse license.
• Incumbents in this class may be required to be fluent in a foreign language or proficient in the use of the American Sign Language in certain designated positions.
• Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

Character Requirements

In addition to the checking of references and of facts stated in the application, a thorough background investigation of each candidate may be made before persons are certified for permanent appointment.

Working Conditions

Incumbents in this class may be required to lift and restrain individuals; may have exposure to communicable/infectious diseases and risk of injury from assaultive/abusive individuals; may be exposed to disagreeable conditions.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.