Director, Clinical Nursing - Surgical Services

The mission of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is to eliminate cancer in Texas, the nation, and the world through outstanding programs that integrate patient care, research and prevention, and through education for undergraduate and graduate students, trainees, professionals, employees and the public.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer with the primary purpose of Director, Clinical Nursing, is to provide strategic leadership directing overall clinical operations, personnel, and administration of the nursing inpatient environment for the surgical cohort. The surgery cohort consists of six inpatient units: Thoracic and telemetry, Rehab and neuro, urology and ortho, short stay unit, Head & Neck and Breast, Gyn and Radiation as well as the Central Cardiac Monitoring room. Responsibilities include all aspects of patient safety clinical operations, education, customer service, human resources, finance, quality outcome management and regulatory compliance. The Director will also develop and maintain collegial and collaborative partnerships with key stakeholders across the institution to positively impact patient care outcomes. 

KEY FUNCTIONS

1.    Clinical Operations

•    Develops, implements, and directs processes and systems to ensure effective and efficient operations in collaboration with all members of the healthcare team.
•    Anticipates operational/service barriers; develops strategies to minimize obstacles. Recognizes and takes advantage of opportunities.
•    Oversees patient care operations including issues related to scheduling and customer service.
•    Ensures appropriate physical resource utilization including space management and planning, asset and facilities management, and inventory control.
•    Ensures compliance with institutional and Joint Commission and other regulatory agency standards.
•    Builds trust and collaborative relationships with Physicians, nursing colleagues, staff, peers, and other disciplines.
•    Through data analysis, collaboration and negotiation creates efficient, user friendly and cost-effective systems and approaches to patient care.

2.    Nursing Leadership

•    Directs the professional practice of nursing care within the surgical cohort to ensure optimal, safe, effective patient care and ensure compliance with professional standards.
•    Develops and implements refined Standards of Nursing Practice for the surgical cohort.
•    Serves in a nursing leadership role within the institution and the health care community.

3.    Personnel Management

•    Directs all facets of human resource activity within surgical cohort.
•    Ensures the appropriate utilization of all personnel.
•    Establishes and implements plans to promote the professional development of employees.
•    Through successful management of resources, assures that the orientation, education, certification and retention needs of staff are met.

4.    Financial Management

•    Prepares, administers, and justifies the surgical cohort budgets within institutional guidelines and implements the nursing strategic plan in collaboration with members of the   management team.
•    Prepares, reviews and reconciles financial information.
•    Oversees expenditures to ensure cost-effective allocation of resources.

5.    Other duties as assigned