Senior Director Nursing Operations (RN)

MedStar Health; Clinton (MD); On-site; USD 142,000 - 288,000; Full time

Job summary

MedStar Health in Maryland seeks a Senior Director of Nursing Operations & Patient Care Services to lead Surgical Services, Cath Lab, Interventional Radiology, and Women's Services. This executive holds 24-hour accountability for clinical operations, quality, safety, workforce, and financial performance.

The role partners with the CNO and hospital leaders to translate strategy into measurable improvements, develops nursing leaders, and drives growth across assigned areas.

Qualifications

• BSN from a nationally accredited program is required.
• Master's degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Health Services Administration, or related field required.
• Doctoral degree preferred; Nursing leadership focus is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for Surgical Services/OR, Cath Lab, Interventional Radiology, Women's Services and other areas.
• Maintain 24-hour accountability for clinical, operational, workforce, quality, safety, financial, and administrative performance.
• Partner with CNO and executive leadership to develop nursing strategy and growth initiatives.
• Build partnerships with physicians and interdisciplinary teams to advance performance.
• Drive improvements in patient safety, outcomes, experience, and throughput.
• Lead fiscal planning, budgeting, productivity, staffing, and resource allocation.
• Lead workforce planning, recruitment, retention, and leadership development.
• Mentor Directors and nurse leaders; foster accountability and collaboration.

Skills

Executive leadership

Nursing leadership

Budget management

Operational excellence

Change management

Physician partnerships

Staff development

Education

BSN

Master's degree in Nursing/Healthcare Administration

Doctoral degree in Nursing/Health Services

Job description

About the Job

Senior Director, Nursing Operations & Patient Care Services

Surgical Services, Procedural Services & Women's Services

General Summary of Position

MedStar Health is seeking an accomplished nursing executive to serve as Senior Director of Nursing Operations & Patient Care Services, providing strategic and operational leadership across a complex portfolio that includes Surgical Services/Operating Room, Cardiac Catheterization Lab, Interventional Radiology, and Women's Services.

As a key member of the entity's Division of Nursing leadership team, the Senior Director holds 24-hour accountability for clinical operations, quality and safety, workforce performance, patient experience, financial performance, and strategic execution across assigned areas.

Working closely with the Vice President of Nursing/Chief Nursing Officer, hospital executives, physician leaders, and nursing leadership, the Senior Director will translate organizational strategy into measurable improvements in clinical outcomes, operational performance, workforce engagement, patient experience, and growth.

The successful candidate will be a highly visible nursing executive with demonstrated experience leading complex procedural and clinical service lines, developing strong physician partnerships, managing significant operational and financial responsibilities, and developing high-performing nursing leaders and teams.

Key Leadership Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for Surgical Services/OR, Cath Lab, Interventional Radiology, Women's Services, and other assigned patient care areas.
• Maintain 24-hour accountability for clinical, operational, workforce, quality, safety, financial, and administrative performance.
• Partner with the CNO and executive leadership in developing and executing nursing strategy, organizational priorities, and growth initiatives.
• Build strong partnerships with physicians, medical staff leaders, nursing leaders, and interdisciplinary teams to advance clinical and operational performance.
• Drive improvements in patient safety, nursing-sensitive outcomes, patient experience, associate engagement, capacity, throughput, and efficiency.
• Lead fiscal planning, budget management, productivity, staffing, workforce utilization, and allocation of resources.
• Evaluate clinical and operational performance data and translate findings into measurable improvement strategies.
• Lead workforce planning, recruitment, retention, succession planning, and leadership development across assigned areas.
• Develop and mentor Directors, nurse leaders, and emerging leaders while fostering accountability, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Champion evidence-based practice, performance improvement, innovation, change management, and nursing excellence.
• Support Magnet Recognition/Pathway to Excellence standards and a strong professional nursing practice environment.
• Represent Nursing on hospital and system-level strategic initiatives, committees, and performance improvement efforts.
• Provide senior nursing executive leadership and assume administrative responsibilities in the absence of the Vice President of Nursing/Chief Nursing Officer as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from a nationally accredited program required.
• Master's degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Health Services Administration, or related healthcare field from a nationally accredited program required.
• Doctoral degree in Nursing, Nursing Leadership, Health Services Administration, or related discipline preferred.

Experience

• 5-7 years of progressively responsible nursing leadership experience required, including significant leadership experience at the Director of Nursing, Patient Care Services Director, or comparable level or above.
• Minimum of five years of leadership experience within complex clinical and procedural operations required.
• Demonstrated leadership experience across Surgical Services/Operating Room, Cath Lab, Interventional Radiology, and Women's Services required.
• Demonstrated experience leading multiple clinical departments, service lines, or areas of significant operational complexity strongly preferred.
• Experience managing budgets, workforce productivity, staffing, quality and safety outcomes, patient experience, and operational performance required.
• Demonstrated success partnering with physicians and other clinical leaders to improve operational and clinical outcomes required.
• Experience leading significant performance improvement, growth, capacity, throughput, or organizational change initiatives preferred.

Licensure & Certification

• Current Registered Nurse licensure in Maryland and/or appropriate Compact State Licensure required.
• Nursing administration certification from a nationally recognized organization, such as NEA-BC or CENP, required within one year of hire.
• Applicable clinical certifications as required by assigned areas.

Leadership Profile

• Executive-level nursing leadership and sound clinical judgment.
• Strong operational and financial acumen.
• Deep understanding of complex procedural and patient care environments.
• Ability to build credibility and collaborative relationships with physicians and senior leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing operational priorities across multiple service lines.
• Strong understanding of workforce planning, productivity, staffing, and labor management.
• Data-driven decision-making and performance improvement capabilities.
• Ability to lead transformational change and engage teams through change.
• Strong talent development and succession-planning capabilities.
• Exceptional communication, influence, collaboration, and executive presence.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to lead some of the organization's most complex and strategically important clinical operations while serving as a key member of the hospital's senior nursing leadership team.

The Senior Director will have the opportunity to influence not only day-to-day nursing operations, but also clinical quality, procedural capacity, workforce strategy, physician partnerships, service-line growth, financial performance, and the future direction of nursing within the organization.

This position has a hiring range of USD $142,064.00 - USD $287,996.00 /Yr.