Director Of Nursing 1(Office/On-site)

Introduction

Looking for an exciting opportunity to make a real impact?

Join us and be part of a revolutionary team shaping the future!

The Greater Bridgeport Community Mental Health Center, under the umbrella of the State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), Southwest Connecticut Mental Health System (SWCMHS) is seeking a qualified individual for the position of Director of Nursing 1 (PCN 144767) to join our team. This position will lead nursing services having key responsibility for maintaining a safe treatment environment though ongoing assessment and implementation of appropriate psychiatric interventions and treatment. Find out more information on this great opportunity below!

POSITION HIGHLIGHTS:

• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday
• Work Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week
• Work Shift: First shift, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., with an on-call rotation
• Location: 1635 Central Avenue, Bridgeport, CT

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU:

• Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!
• The opportunity to work for a Forbes top company: 'Forbes' State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule.
• Professional growth and development opportunities.
• A healthy work/life balance to all employees.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING:

• Managing and leading all nursing personnel operations.
• Developing short and long-term goals for the entire nursing unit/department.
• Collaborates with physicians and administrators across departments and seniority levels.
• Establishing new policies and updating existing policies to improve the standard of care for patient care.
• Planning and overseeing admission, discharge, nursing documentation, and patient care processes.
• Maintaining department budgets and recording all expenses.
• Responding to any nursing-related issues in a timely manner.
• Develops strong relationships with patients and their families and has an excellent bedside manner.
• Develops productive work teams; intervenes in crisis situations and investigates all unusual incidents.
• Overseeing all record-keeping processes and ensuring all necessary documents are accurate and up-to-date.
• Hiring and coordinating training of new nursing staff members.
• Evaluating staff performance and preparing accurate reports detailing your findings.

MORE ABOUT THE AGENCY AND FACILITIES:

The State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), is a health care agency whose mission is to promote the overall health and wellness of persons with behavioral health needs through an integrated network of holistic, comprehensive, effective, and efficient services and supports that foster dignity, respect, and self-sufficiency in those we serve.

The vision of the Southwest Connecticut Mental Health System is to provide high quality, compassionate and culturally competent mental health and substance abuse services to adults with behavioral health disorders who are indigent.

Start with us! Stay with us! Grow with us!

Please note:

• A comprehensive medical examination, including a drug screening, will be required of all applicants upon a conditional offer of employment.
• All state employees must adhere to Connecticut's Policy for a Drug Free Workplace.

Selection Plan

FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:

Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply!

FOR THOSE WHO HOLD AN RN LICENSE IN A STATE OTHER THAN CONNECTICUT AND WISH TO APPLY FOR A CONNECTICUT LICENSE, PLEASE:

• Review the eligibility and documentation requirements for CT license by endorsement of an out-of-state license;
• Complete a CT DPH online application online (expand the ‘Public Health Practitioners’ grouping, select ‘Registered Nurse’ and then ‘Start’;
• Request verification of your out-of-state license(s) electronically through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s: Nursys® System. To send verification of your license(s) to CT, read and agree to the terms, enter your biographic information, select your license type and select ‘SEARCH’. Review the results and select the ‘Next’ button. Check the box next to ‘Connecticut’ and complete the transaction. Once the transaction is completed, you will receive a confirmation email from Nursys and the verification will be available to the DPH. Note that PA and MI verifications are not provided through Nursys. Please contact those state boards for information on obtaining verification.

To Apply:

• In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
• In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the recruiter listed on this job posting.
• You must specify your qualifications on your application. You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application for this posting to the JobAps system.
• In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.
• All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
• This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules.

Important Next Step Information for After You Apply:

• Although applicants will receive correspondence via email and/or phone, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
• This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
• Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
• Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position. Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.
• Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees which is available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
• For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.

Connect With Us:

• Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process.
• Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment please contact Joseph K. Fried at Joseph.Fried@ct.gov, 860-924-7053.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Departments of Children and Families, Developmental Services, Mental Health and Addiction Services and Veterans Affairs this class is accountable for directing nursing services or other clinical services.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Directs or assists with direction of staff and operation of nursing/clinical department; 
• Directs or assists with planning and managing of nursing/clinical activities;
• Develops or assists with formulation of program goals and objectives;
• Develops or assists in development of related policy incorporating current nursing/clinical research and professionally recognized standards;
• Develops or assists in development and implementation of plans for care;
• Interprets and administers pertinent laws;
• Evaluates staff;
• Prepares or assists in preparation of budget;
• Maintains contacts with individuals both within and outside of department who might impact on program activities;
• Makes rounds to determine quality of nursing care;
• Assures optimal quality of care is provided in a safe environment;
• Develops and/or implements effective ongoing programs to measure, assess and improve quality of nursing care, treatment and services delivered to patients;
• Oversees programming for facility personnel to improve knowledge and practices of infection control;
• Develops productive work teams; intervenes in crisis situations and investigates all unusual incidents;
• Protects human and civil rights of patients and/or clients and staff;
• Compiles data and prepares periodic reports;
• Leads and participates in meetings;
• Responsible for coordinating and providing twenty-four hour nursing coverage for facility or assigned unit(s);
• Participates in the recruitment and hiring of staff, including outreach, interview and selection;
• May provide direct patient and/or client care;
• May speak on behalf of nursing/clinical services;
• May oversee other disciplines including but not limited to pharmacy, respiratory therapy or social work;
• May participate in strategic planning;
• Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

• Considerable knowledge of nursing principles and practices in appropriate specialty;
• Knowledge of
  • and ability to apply management principles and practices;
  • and ability to develop strategic plans;
  • behavioral health nursing;
  • nursing administration;
  • interviewing and counseling techniques;
  • principles and practices of infection control related to infections and preventable diseases;
  • current developments in field of nursing including current complexities of the healthcare industry;
  • trend variance analysis;
  • governmental accounting and budgeting;
  • marketing;
• Considerable
  • interpersonal skills;
  • oral and written communication skills.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Two (2) years of experience in an administrative or supervisory capacity in a health care organization and/or facility or hospital nursing.

Note:  For state employees, this experience is interpreted at the level of a Supervising Nurse.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with both inpatient and outpatient behavioral health programs/units.
• Experience with team building/team management and the ability to demonstrate leadership skills.
• Experience with staffing and scheduling in a congregate care environment.
• Experience with the joint commission, CMS standards and other regulatory bodies.
• Experience using effective written and verbal communication.
• Experience working in a high-pressure environment, utilizing problem solving and critical thinking skills.
• Experience using an Electronic Medical Record

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a license as a registered professional nurse in Connecticut.
• Incumbents in this class serving in the capacity of the Nurse Executive are required to possess a master's degree in nursing, social or behavioral science, public health administration, health care administration, hospital administration or a related field.
• Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator’s license.
• Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes.  As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.