Head Nurse - Pediatrics Dept

MSCCN; Amarillo (TX); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

MSCCN is seeking a Head Nurse to plan, organize, direct, and evaluate patient care services within pediatrics. You will supervise RNs, LVNs, and CMAs, coordinate staffing, and ensure safe, efficient operations in a busy ambulatory setting.

The role requires an RN license in Texas, four years of nursing experience with two in a supervisory capacity, and a commitment to staff development and patient-centered care.

Qualifications

• Graduate from an approved accredited nursing program and hold an RN license in Texas.
• At least four years of nursing experience with at least two years in a supervisory capacity.

Responsibilities

• Provides nursing leadership and operational oversight for the Pediatrics department, supervising RNs, LVNs, and CMAs.
• Develops and manages staff schedules to ensure coverage across General Pediatrics and pediatric specialty clinics.
• Coordinates onboarding, training, competency assessment, and ongoing education for nursing staff.
• Ensures compliance with nursing standards, infection prevention, and patient safety requirements.
• Leads recruitment, staffing, and workforce planning for nursing and clinical support positions.
• Represents Pediatrics on nursing, clinical operations, quality, safety, and institutional workgroups.

Skills

Nursing leadership

Staff management

Clinical workflow optimization

Staff scheduling

Pediatrics experience

Education

RN license (Texas)

Nursing degree

Job description

The Head Nurse is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating patient care services (primarily nursing services) within an assigned specialty or sub-specialty area of a clinic. Persons in this position provide supervision and coordination of service to subordinate nursing personnel and may provide various levels of direct patient care. Work is performed under usual clinic conditions.

Required Experience

Graduate from an approved accredited nursing program. Current RN license in the State of Texas or ability to obtain a Texas license. At least four years in nursing, with at least two of those years in a supervisory capacity.

Preferred Experience

• Progressive nursing leadership or supervisory experience in an ambulatory, academic medical center, multispecialty practice, pediatric practice, or similarly complex healthcare environment.
• Experience supervising RNs, LVNs, CMAs, or other clinical support staff.
• Experience developing staff schedules, managing clinical coverage, and responding to staffing shortages or unexpected operational needs.
• Pediatric clinical experience strongly preferred.

Additional Qualifications/Responsibilities

• Provides nursing leadership and operational oversight for the Department of Pediatrics, including General Pediatrics and pediatric specialty clinics. Supervises and coordinates the work of RNs, LVNs, and CMAs to ensure safe, efficient, consistent, and patient-centered clinical operations.
• Provides direct supervision, leadership, coaching, and performance management for nursing and clinical support staff, including RNs, LVNs, and CMAs. Establishes clear expectations, promotes accountability, and supports a professional and collaborative work environment.
• Develops and manages nursing and clinical support staff schedules to ensure appropriate coverage across General Pediatrics and pediatric specialty clinics. Coordinates coverage for vacancies, leave, call-outs, provider schedule changes, and fluctuations in patient volume.
• Assesses daily staffing needs and reallocates clinical support resources as needed to maintain patient care operations, clinic flow, and provider support.
• Leads orientation, onboarding, training, competency assessment, and ongoing education for nursing and clinical support staff. Coordinates in-services, skills validation, regulatory education, and training related to new workflows, equipment, medications, procedures, and clinical programs.
• Develops, implements, and monitors standardized nursing workflows, clinical protocols, policies, and procedures in collaboration with faculty, APPs, clinic leadership, and department administration.
• Supports efficient patient flow, rooming, triage, medication administration, vaccine processes, telephone and electronic message workflows, prescription support, referrals, prior authorizations, clinical documentation, and other nursing functions.
• Serves as the primary nursing escalation point for clinical staffing, workflow, patient care, and operational concerns. Resolves issues within delegated authority and escalates matters requiring physician, administrative, compliance, or executive review.
• Partners with faculty physicians, APPs, nursing staff, clinic leadership, and departmental administration to identify workflow barriers, improve team-based care, and ensure appropriate clinical support for providers.
• Monitors compliance with TTUHSC policies, nursing standards, scope-of-practice requirements, infection prevention, medication safety, vaccine management, patient safety, documentation requirements, and applicable regulatory standards.
• Supports quality improvement activities, incident review, patient safety initiatives, and development of corrective action or process-improvement plans when nursing or clinical workflow concerns are identified.
• Participates in recruitment, interviewing, selection, onboarding, retention, and workforce planning for nursing and clinical support positions.
• Monitors staffing levels, vacancies, overtime, productivity, workload distribution, and other workforce indicators; provides recommendations to departmental leadership regarding staffing needs and resource allocation.
• Conducts staff meetings and nursing huddles and ensures timely communication of operational changes, policy updates, clinical expectations, and departmental priorities.
• Supports implementation of new clinical services, specialty programs, practice changes, equipment, and workflows affecting nursing or clinical support teams.
• Maintains appropriate records related to staffing, competencies, training, performance, and clinical operations.
• Represents Pediatrics on nursing, clinical operations, quality, safety, and institutional workgroups as assigned.
• Performs other duties and special projects as assigned by departmental leadership.