Director of Nursing (DON)

Location: Hopewell, NJ 08560 Work Schedule: Full-Time | 35 hours per week Employment Type: Contract | 100% Onsite Role Overview: The Director of Nursing (DON) provides executive-level nursing leadership and operational oversight for all nursing services within the Mercer County Correction Center. This role ensures delivery of safe, compliant, and high-quality inmate healthcare services in alignment with New Jersey correctional healthcare standards. Key Responsibilities Provide overall leadership and supervision of nursing staff (RNs, LPNs, CNAs).

Establish and enforce clinical nursing standards and best practices. Ensure quality patient care across intake, sick call, chronic care, and emergency services. Operations & Staffing Manage nursing schedules, coverage, and staffing levels.

Oversee hiring, onboarding, training, performance evaluation, and discipline of nursing staff. Ensure adequate coverage for all facility healthcare operations. Compliance & Quality Assurance Ensure compliance with New Jersey Department of Corrections standards, NCCHC / ACA healthcare standards, State and federal healthcare regulations.

Prepare for and participate in audits, inspections, and accreditation reviews. Develop and maintain nursing policies, procedures, and protocols. Care Coordination Collaborate with Medical Director, Nurse Practitioners, Mental Health staff, and custody leadership.

Coordinate continuity of care, medication administration, and specialty referrals. Serve as primary nursing liaison with County administrators. Documentation & Reporting Ensure accurate and timely clinical documentation.

Monitor incident reports, medication errors, and quality metrics. Provide operational and performance reports to County leadership as required. Required Qualifications Education: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) – Required; Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Healthcare Administration – Preferred.

Licensure: Active and unrestricted New Jersey Registered Nurse (RN) License – Required. Experience: Minimum 3‑5 years of nursing leadership experience; Prior experience in correctional healthcare, institutional healthcare, public‑sector or high‑acuity environments strongly preferred. Skills & Competencies: Nursing administration & leadership Correctional healthcare operations Staff supervision & workforce management Regulatory compliance & accreditation readiness Clinical quality improvement Policy development & implementation Interdisciplinary collaboration Strong communication and documentation skills Ability to work in a secure correctional environment Ideal Candidate Profile: Experienced nursing leader with correctional or institutional healthcare background.

Strong understanding of inmate healthcare challenges and compliance requirements. Organized, decisive, and capable of managing complex clinical operations. Comfortable working 100% onsite in a correctional facility. #J-18808-Ljbffr