(Archived) Director of Children's Services

Position Summary:

Must have critical care RN experience in NICU or PICU.

CCS (California Child Services) Certification Required

Oversees NICU/PICU/Peds

• 23 bed NICU II
• 11 bed PICU
• 13 bed Pediatrics
• Pediatric transport team
• Neonatologists available 24/7
• CNS available for NICU and PICU
• Child Life Specialists on staff

The Director has a 24-hour, 7 day a week responsibility to provide leadership for the cost center (s). This includes planning, organizing, staff development, performance management, quality fiscal and information management, regulatory compliance, building and enhancing relationships through customer relations, and appropriate professional involvement. The Director is accountable for the management of the cost center(s) within the established budget. The Director will work closely with medical directors, medical department chairs, physicians, and other disciplines to develop services and ensure quality. Access to all Patient Health Information.

• Obtains information and interpret information in terms of the patient’s needs.
• Demonstrates knowledge of growth and development.
• Understands the range of treatment needed as appropriate to the ages of the patients served.
• Ensures standards of care, policies, and procedures are appropriate and current and that they have been reviewed with all staff members. Reviews and revises policies and procedures as necessary, but not less than every three years.
• Develops short-term goals and objectives consistent with those of the organization. Submits and discusses established goals and objectives with administration at least annually. Assures departmental action plans meet departmental and organizational goals, problem solving effectively within the department and with other departments to achieve these goals.
• Assures regulatory compliance with Title XXII.
• Assures regulatory compliance with TJC
• Regularly attends Nurse Leadership meetings and takes personal responsibility for the quality and integrity of Nursing Administration. Regularly volunteers for and completes special projects.
• Submits sound annual budget plan by negotiation deadline annually.
• Achieves YTD compliance with labor hour benchmark per unit of service. Submits pay period productivity variance reports on time, identifying rationale for substantive variances.
• Controls and monitors supply costs to achieve flexed budgeted costs on a quarterly basis.
• Reviews statistical analysis information and corrects any errors monthly.
• Identifies and implements cost savings through labor and supply utilization efficiencies.
• Promotes sound staffing practice by optimizing the utilization of human resources. Anticipates and forecasts personnel needs of the department with regard to fluctuations in the projected workload.
• Maintains a written staffing plan consistent with department’s productivity benchmark. Maintains an individual patient classification system which predicts nursing care requirements by shift, and maintains documentation to discern trends and patterns of nursing care delivery by shift and staff mix.
• Ensures that current criteria-based job performance standard and applicable competencies exist each member of the staff. Ensures that performance evaluations are completed in a timely fashion for both annual and evaluations.
• Continually monitors the department’s activities and takes appropriate action to ensure efficient and effective operation. Observes ongoing operations and analyzes performance to identify potential problems.
• Assesses and implements staff development and cross-training as needed.
• Coordinates timely attendance at hospital orientation and all mandatory continuing education programs for department employees. Assures current, comprehensive, and timely department specific orientation for all new employees.
• Supports all hospital programs to include, but not limited to, risk management, safety, infection control.
• Maintains personal current knowledge and expertise in the specialty field of the department, and of regulatory requirements of the department.
• Productively criticizes and effectively counsels staff in a timely manner.
• Obtains feedback on a regular basis from other departments. Develops action plans to achieve improvement.
• Maintains a good working rapport with all staff, and other departments which require frequent interactions and coordination of efforts.
• Establishes and maintains a routine mode of communication with staff, e.g., monthly staff meetings and written communications.
• Communicates self and staff concerns and problems through proper written and verbal channels.
• Communicates, cooperates, and performs related duties with other members of the hospital staff and administration in a courteous and efficient manner to actively contribute to overall hospital goals and objectives.
• Assists with the development of and execution of a plan of staff involvement and growth through delegation of appropriate authorities.
• Acts as a team member within the department and within the organization.
• Demonstrates effective and responsible relationships with patients, families, medical director and key physicians, employees, management and administration, and related outside agencies.
• Assures timely follow up of patient, family, staff, and physician concerns.
• Assures effective staff recognition.
• Identifies priority quality improvement and customer satisfaction initiatives.
• Schedules the collection of data for these initiatives, and other ongoing reviews which serve as quality trending. Monitors and reviews the results with department staff on a regular basis.
• Achieves measurable improvement in key quality initiatives, which include both process, e.g., documentation, and outcome measures.
• Achieves measurable improvement in customer service.
• Reports at least annually to the designated hospital quality committee.
• Assures department compliance with TJC and other accrediting body standards as they are updates/revised.
• Works with Medical Staff partners to meet performance metrics.

• Current California RN license
• At least Three (3) years’ experience in a clinical specialty.
• Current knowledge of the field, with evidence of ongoing continuing education in clinical specialty.
• Progressive healthcare experience including at least two (2) years supervisory experience.
• Basic computer competence.
• Demonstrated competence as a leader.
• Master’s Degree (MSN, MHA, MBA) or enrolled in Master’s Degree program with completion within one year of date of hire.

• Recent experience in an educator role
• Recent program management experience