Director Medical Surgical Services at Nicklaus Children's Health System in Miami, Florida

Job Description:

Job Summary

Oversees and directs departmental activities to ensure quality services for both internal and external customers. Supports and upholds the Hospital Mission, Vision, Values and Guiding Behaviors, Patient Bill of Rights, and the Code of Business and Ethical Conduct.

Job Specific Duties

• Responsible and accountable for all nursing functions within area(s) of oversight. 


• Continually seeks, analyzes, and enhances the quality of patient care and services to ensure high quality integrated care. Ensures care-delivery processes are at the cutting edge of clinical quality and safety; supports safety culture initiatives; ensures high level of compliance with regulatory standards, CMS, and public-reporting indicators of clinical practice. 


• Leads and directs process improvement initiatives and other safety programs; ensures applications and concepts are standardized and reliable processes and sustained in the department. Supports process improvement and incorporates science principles into quality/process improvement activities while working with leadership ensuring application of evidenced based practice in the departments. 


• Communicates timely and effectively to ensure nursing leadership team is well informed concerning hospital plans, opportunities, and business results. Reviews and analyzes statistical data to enhance productivity, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. 


• Creates an environment of shared decision-making, promotes multidisciplinary collaboration on patient care, and related issues. Collaborates with nursing, medical staff, various administrative staff, and leaders in planning for and providing quality and consistent patient care services based on best practice and ensuring patient and family centered principles and decision-making. Facilitates communication and cooperation across departments to ensure the standardization and continuum of care. 


• Accountable for patient satisfaction and employee engagement scores. Supports patient/family experience, initiatives, and leading practices. Rounds in departments with medical and business leaders to solicit input from staff, families, and patients; collects data, supports improvements and tracks results. Ensures updates on opportunities and outcomes are shared with clinical staff during meetings or huddles. Recognizes staff members who are identified by families and helps embed a culture of service excellence with all staff. Guides establishment of standards, provides training, and enforces compliance with departmental customer service and employee engagement programs and initiatives. 


• Fosters the Magnet culture, supports Nursing Excellence programs and strategies, and ensures clinical staff engagement in shared leadership activities. 


• Remains current with state and federal associations, professional trends, and by participating in community activities. Actively involved in a professional organization. Shares best practices with nursing leadership. Develops reviews and revises departmental policies and procedures and assures the department's compliance with DNV, state, and federal regulations, as well as, current evidence-based guidelines. 


• Ensures highest integrity for the business operations of the departments. Oversees the development of nursing capital and operating budgets through collaboration with Chief Nursing Officer/Vice-President and other Vice Presidents making changes as necessary. Presents department budgets to senior leadership staff. Strategically positions the departments to react effectively to unplanned circumstances, demands, and challenges facing the industry while creating revenue enhancements and cost reduction practices. Ensure sufficient staffing to meet patient care needs while monitoring and ensuring compliance with department budgets. 


• Oversees and supports talent development of the leadership team to ensure succession planning, mentorship, and coaching within departments leading to strategic goal accomplishment. Provides ongoing performance feedback, coaching, and mentoring to leaders and staff.  Builds a high performance environment by fostering staff empowerment, holding team members accountable, utilizes the department engagement champions to increase staff communication, recognition, and talent retention. 


• Author articles and stories for the Magnet accreditation and Beacon Awards and collaborates with the Magnet Program Manager & Nursing Leaders to fulfill the requirements of the Magnet Certification. 

Minimum Job Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Science in Nursing (BSN) 


• CPR - American Heart Association BLS - maintain active and in good standing throughout employment


• Registered Nurse Licensure within the State of Florida or Multi-State Enhanced Nursing License Compact (eNLC) – maintain active and in good standing throughout employment


• 3-5 years of managerial experience in an acute care environment


• 2-4 years of pediatric experience


• Clinical and management experience in clinical areas of oversight

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Master’s Degree – MSN, MHA, or MBA preferred


• NE-BC or NEA-BC preferred.


• Certification after two years is preferred.


• Ability to communicate effectively both verbal and written when representing the Nursing department.


• Analytical and fiscal abilities in order to administer complex budgets and short/long range goals.


• Support for professional and interdisciplinary research and educational activities through collaboration and leadership.


• Excellent analytical, critical thinking skills to resolve complex administrative issues, demonstrates sound judgment in making decisions related to patient care and employee issues, and able to effectively deal with physicians, peers, superiors, and subordinates.


• Builds effective working relationships throughout the organization with directors, managers, staff, physicians, patients/families, and suppliers.


• Possess consultative, collaborative, and effective communication skills necessary to partner with teams in the organization.


• Demonstrated contributions to department/patient care enhancement and growth, as well as, growth of employees under their direction.


• Actively seeks out self-development and education opportunities.