Director of Critical Care Inpatient Services

Position Summary:

The Director of Critical Care Services is a key nursing executive responsible for providing visionary, strategic, and operational leadership for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Stepdown/Progressive Care Unit (PCU), Cardiac Observation Unit (COU), and Telemetry Unit. This role ensures safe, high‑quality, evidence‑based care for high‑acuity patient populations through expert oversight of clinical practice, regulatory compliance, staffing, budget management, and quality outcomes.The Director leads the development and execution of organizational strategies that strengthen clinical excellence, elevate patient experience, and enhance staff engagement across all critical care areas. Serving as a primary driver of performance improvement, this leader analyzes complex data, implements best-practice care models, and ensures alignment with system-wide goals and accreditation standards.The Director fosters a culture of collaboration, accountability, and professional growth by mentoring frontline staff, charge nurses, and nurse managers. The role partners closely with physicians, interdisciplinary teams, and senior leadership to support seamless transitions of care, optimize resource utilization, and improve clinical outcomes such as mortality, length of stay, throughput, and hospital‑acquired conditions. As a highly visible and engaged leader, the Director champions innovation, supports provider relationships, leads readiness for emergent clinical events, and ensures the department remains responsive to evolving patient care needs and healthcare trends.

Qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree (BSN) in Nursing required.
• Master’s degree in nursing, Healthcare Administration, or related field.

Experience

• Minimum 5–7 years of progressive nursing leadership experience, ICU experience required.
• Demonstrated experience managing high-acuity nursing units such as ICU, PCU, or Telemetry.
• Proven track record in quality improvement, staff development, and fiscal management.

Licensure/Certification/Registration

• Current South Carolina (or compact state) licensure as RN (SCLLR) in good standing required
• Preferred: CCRN, CNML, NE-BC/NEA-BC, or equivalent leadership certification
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required.
• Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification required.

Key Competencies

• Strong leadership and team-building skills
• Advanced critical thinking and clinical knowledge
• Excellent communication and relationship-building
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment
• Commitment to patient-centered, evidence-based care
• Data-driven decision-making and performance improvement expertise

Duties & Responsibilities:

Operational Leadership

• Provides 24/7 administrative and clinical oversight for Critical Care Inpatient Services: ICU, PCU, COU, Telemetry, Cardiac Monitoring.
• Ensure departments operate in compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards (CMS, DNV, state regulations).
• Develops, implements, and evaluates policies, procedures, and standards of care based on evidence-based practice.
• Leads throughput and capacity management efforts to ensure timely and safe patient flow.

Quality & Patient Safety

• Drives quality improvement initiatives across all critical care units, focusing on reducing hospital-acquired conditions, improving sepsis outcomes, and supporting early mobility and other best-practice bundles.
• Monitors and analyzes unit performance metrics; develops action plans to achieve organizational quality goals.
• Ensures a culture of safety emphasizing event reporting, accountability, and learning.

People Leadership & Development

• Directs recruitment, retention, onboarding, and professional development of nursing and support staff.
• Leads nurse managers, educators, and clinical teams to meet staffing and competency standards for high-acuity care.
• Promotes an inclusive, collaborative, and supportive work environment, with emphasis on shared governance and staff engagement.
• Conducts performance evaluations and mentors leaders and staff to achieve excellence.

Financial & Resource Stewardship

• Develops and manages operating and capital budgets for all critical care areas.
• Analyzes financial trends and implements strategies to optimize productivity, reduce overtime/traveler reliance, and manage supply utilization.
• Ensures appropriate staffing models, skill mix, and resource allocation to meet patient care needs.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

• Partners with physicians, respiratory therapy, pharmacy, and ancillary departments to support coordinated, high-quality patient care.
• Participates in organizational committees related to critical care, quality, safety, and nursing leadership.
• Serves as a liaison with medical staff leadership to support alignment of goals and performance expectations