The Director of Nursing – Critical Care provides strategic, clinical, and operational leadership for nursing services within assigned critical care areas. This role is accountable for advancing high-quality, safe, patient-centered care while ensuring operational excellence, strong team engagement, and effective stewardship of resources.

The Director leads and partners with nursing leaders, physicians, and interdisciplinary teams to drive clinical outcomes, patient safety, service excellence, workforce effectiveness, and continuous improvement. The Director is responsible for patient care outcomes, nursing practice, talent and performance management, fiscal oversight, regulatory compliance, quality improvement, and collaboration with the medical staff.

Given the complexity of the patient population and service line, leadership experience within critical care is required, with Cardiovascular Operating Room (CVOR) experience highly preferred. The ideal candidate brings a strong understanding of high-acuity clinical environments and the ability to effectively partner with physicians, nursing leadership, and multidisciplinary teams.

Job Requirements

Master’s Degree in Nursing, or a related field with a BSN required

Active Registered Nurse (RN) license required

3–4 years of progressive nursing experience required

Leadership experience within critical care, cardiovascular, surgical, or other high-acuity nursing environments strongly preferred

CVOR experience highly preferred

Working knowledge of CMS, The Joint Commission, and other regulatory requirements applicable to nursing and assigned areas of responsibility

Membership in a related professional organization required

Job Responsibilities

Strategic & Operational Leadership

Provides strategic and operational leadership for assigned critical care nursing services. Establishes priorities and performance expectations that support quality, patient safety, service, workforce, and financial goals. Monitors operational performance and partners with the Site CNO to implement systems, policies, and practices that support organizational objectives.

Quality, Patient Safety & Patient Experience

Partners with the Site CNO, physicians, nursing leaders, and interdisciplinary teams to establish goals and implement initiatives that improve patient outcomes, patient safety, and the overall patient experience. Ensures consistent standards of care across assigned areas and promotes accountability for clinical performance.

Clinical & Physician Partnership

Builds strong collaborative relationships with physicians and other clinical leaders to advance critical care services and ensure effective coordination of care. Serves as a key nursing leadership partner in addressing clinical, operational, and patient care priorities within high-acuity environments.

Evidence-Based Nursing Practice

Promotes the integration of evidence-based practices, clinical guidelines, and research into nursing care. Identifies opportunities for clinical and administrative inquiry and supports continuous improvement and nursing excellence.

Accreditation & Regulatory Compliance

Ensures compliance with applicable regulatory and accreditation standards, including The Joint Commission, CMS, ODH, OSHA, the Ohio Board of Nursing, and other state and federal requirements. Maintains readiness and accountability within assigned areas.

Culture, Engagement & Relationship Building

Creates an environment that supports collaboration, accountability, inclusion, and professional nursing practice. Promotes organizational models of care, policies, and cultural expectations that enhance patient care while supporting nurse recruitment, engagement, and retention.

Talent & Leadership Development

Sets clear expectations for nursing leaders and direct reports, provides ongoing coaching and performance feedback, and supports leadership and professional development. Partners with nurse managers, physicians, and other leaders to identify workforce and skill-development needs and build a strong leadership pipeline.

Financial & Resource Management

Provides oversight of assigned cost centers and effectively manages staffing, productivity, budgets, and other resources. Balances clinical needs with operational and financial priorities to support sustainable delivery of high-quality care.

Other Related Information:

Direct Report FTEs = 3-9 Indirect Report FTEs = 150-299

Working Conditions:

Bending - Climbing - Rarely Concentrating - Consistently Continuous Learning - Consistently Hearing: Conversation - Consistently Hearing: Other Sounds - Frequently Interpersonal Communication - Consistently Kneeling - Rarely Lifting <10 Lbs. - Frequently Lifting 50+ Lbs. - Rarely Lifting <50 Lbs. - Occasionally Pulling - Rarely Pushing - Rarely Reaching - Rarely Reading - Consistently Sitting - Frequently Standing - Frequently Stooping - Rarely Talking - Consistently Thinking/Reasoning - Consistently Use of Hands - Consistently Color Vision - Frequently Visual Acuity: Far - Frequently Visual Acuity: Near - Consistently Walking - Frequently

Leadership Performance Standards

TriHealth leaders create a culture of engagement, safety & reliability and high performance by consistently modeling and utilizing the following TriHealth Way leadership competencies, tactics and ALWAYS Behaviors to drive strategic pillar results:

Achievement of Annual Pillar Goals: 1) Safety/Quality, 2) Service, 3) Growth, 4) Culture/People, 5) Finance

Leadership Competencies: TriHealth Way of Leading TriHealth Way of Serving Transformation Change Drive for Results Build Organizational Talent

Leadership Tactics: Conduct department huddles. Generally, clinical departments hold daily huddles, non-clinical hold weekly huddles. Regularly Round on Team Members, using questions from the rounding log. - 25 or fewer team members = monthly - 26-50 team members = every other month - 51+ (and optional team members) = quarterly

Lead monthly team meetings using meeting agenda template; review stoplight report; cascade key leadership messages.

Model, coach and validate team members use of TriHealth Way behaviors (AIDET + Promise, Always Behaviors and Always HEARD).

Recognize team members for safety wins, positive performance and demonstrating SERVE and ALWAYS behaviors, TriHealth Way of Leading, Serving and Delivering Care.