Director of Nursing Inpatient Medical

Job Summary

Director of Nursing, Inpatient Medical is accountable for enterprise-aligned nursing strategy, multi-department operational performance, clinical outcomes, and nursing workforce readiness within an acute care hospital.

Responsibilities

• Translate enterprise nursing strategy into departmental goals, action plans, and measurable outcomes for assigned departments.
• Lead planning and execution of nursing priorities that improve quality, safety, patient experience, and operational reliability.
• Ensure departmental practices align with evidence-based standards, clinical pathways, and organizational policies.
• Establish and monitor performance indicators for safety, quality, infection prevention, falls, medication safety, sepsis/rapid response readiness, and other priority outcomes.
• Lead root‑cause analysis, corrective action planning, and sustained improvement strategies for sentinel events, high‑risk trends, and recurring safety issues.
• Ensure consistent implementation of escalation pathways, interdisciplinary rounding expectations, and clinical documentation standards.
• Ensure consistent and reliable nursing workflow, care delivery processes, and care transitions within assigned areas.
• Oversee preparedness for regulatory surveys, audits, and internal assessments related to nursing practice and patient safety.
• Partner with hospital operations and clinical service lines to reduce barriers to timely, safe care (including throughput support where applicable).
• Direct workforce and resource planning in partnership with HR and staffing leadership to support safe staffing practices and continuity of care.
• Ensure leadership coverage, scheduling effectiveness, and escalation processes are in place.
• Ensure competencies and training plans are current, department‑specific, and sustained through onboarding and annual competency systems.
• Support credentialing/privileging processes and ensure compliance with training and required onboarding elements.
• Provide leadership coaching, performance oversight, and clear expectations for direct reports.
• Conduct leadership performance reviews, support succession planning, and drive retention‑focused leadership practices.
• Hold nursing leaders accountable for results, standard work, and evidence of sustained improvement.
• Ensure patient experience priorities are integrated into clinical operations and reinforced through rounding, communication standards, and service recovery processes.
• Monitor patient experience trends and drive action plans with assigned leaders.
• Promote a culture of professionalism, respect, and collaboration across nursing and interdisciplinary teams.
• Participate in enterprise and service line leadership forums, provide updates on departmental performance, risks, and improvement progress.
• Maintain timely communication with the CNO/leadership team and relevant cross‑functional partners.
• Ensure consistent messaging and leadership presence across assigned departments.

Qualifications

• BSN required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience leading multi‑department performance improvement, regulatory readiness, and workforce transformation in an acute care hospital setting.
• Demonstrated acute care nursing leadership experience with measurable impact on quality, safety, and operational performance.
• Expert knowledge of acute care nursing operations, clinical standards, and safety/quality frameworks.
• Ability to lead performance improvement with measurable outcomes and sustainable change.
• Proven leadership skill in coaching, holding leaders accountable, and developing nurse managers/clinical managers.
• Strong understanding of compliance requirements and regulatory survey readiness processes.
• Advanced communication and collaboration skills with interdisciplinary teams.
• Ability to manage complex staffing and operational challenges while maintaining clinical excellence.
• RN Licensure in South Carolina or Compact Licensure Agreement; board certification required within the first year of employment.
• AHA BLS Certification.

Benefits

• Up to $25,000 Student Loan Repayment for qualifying RNs.
• State Health Benefits and State Pension Plan.
• Up to 6 weeks Paid Parental Leave.
• PTO and Sick Time (ESL) Accruals.
• Free Telehealth Visits for care team members and family.
• Onsite Pharmacy.
• Education Assistance.

Legal and Equal Opportunity

Medical University of South Carolina is an Equal Opportunity Employer. MUSC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, age, sex, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, family or parental status, or any other status protected by state laws and/or federal regulations. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment based upon applicable qualifications, merit and business need. Medical University of South Carolina participates in the federal E‑Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For further information about the E‑Verify program, please visit