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Head of Nursing
The Maples
Position Summary
The Head of Nursing leads nursing services and supports the safe, effective, and compliant operation of The Maples. This role oversees nursing care, supervises nursing staff, supports clinical programming, coordinates with providers and leadership, and helps ensure residents receive high-quality behavioral health care.
This position must be held by a Registered Nurse licensed in the state of Louisiana with the education, experience, and leadership ability needed to oversee nursing services in an adolescent behavioral health setting.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree from an accredited school of nursing
- Current valid Registered Nurse license in the state of Louisiana
- At least 5 years of full-time clinical nursing experience
- At least 3 years of experience providing care to individuals with mental health needs
- Basic Life Support certification
- Non-violent crisis intervention certification
- Prior leadership experience preferred
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Strong understanding of behavioral health practices, adolescent development, mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and behavioral health challenges
- Knowledge of applicable regulatory, licensing, privacy, and accreditation requirements, including HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, CARF standards, and Louisiana Department of Health requirements
- Ability to support CARF accreditation and LDH licensing readiness and renewal activities
- Proficiency in crisis intervention, de-escalation, and safety practices
- Strong leadership, supervision, coaching, communication, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to train, support, and hold nursing staff accountable
- Ability to collaborate effectively with clinical, administrative, and leadership teams
- Demonstrates empathy, compassion, cultural competence, professionalism, and ethical practice
- Ability to remain calm and effective in high-stress situations
- Working knowledge of budgeting, staffing, cost management, and operational performance preferred
Key Responsibilities
Nursing Leadership and Resident Care
- Lead the 24-hour nursing care delivery system
- Oversee nursing services to ensure care is delivered safely, consistently, and in alignment with program expectations
- Work with the Clinical Director to support treatment programming, facility operations, and resident care
- Train and support nursing staff to work independently and respond appropriately to high-risk situations
- Ensure nursing staff follow policies, procedures, documentation requirements, and clinical protocols
- Coordinate with therapists, counselors, psychiatrists, and other providers
- Respond to resident inquiries, incidents, grievances, and concerns as appropriate
- Support resident satisfaction, safety, experience, and quality of care
Quality, Compliance, and Risk Management
- Support quality assurance, compliance, and performance improvement activities
- Investigate compliance concerns, identify root causes, and recommend corrective actions
- Develop and implement corrective action plans with leadership
- Use risk management practices to identify, assess, and reduce organizational risk
- Help ensure readiness for audits, accreditation surveys, state licensing reviews, and quality improvement activities
- Stay current on applicable laws, regulations, accreditation standards, and industry requirements
- Support policies and procedures that maintain compliance and reduce risk
Operations and Administration
- Support day-to-day nursing operations, scheduling, recordkeeping, and administrative workflows
- Maintain accurate resident records in compliance with privacy regulations and organizational policies
- Coordinate with other departments to support smooth delivery of services
- Work within budget and staffing guidelines to meet resident needs
- Support budget planning, cost management, productivity, and operational performance as assigned
- Ensure nursing staff and change agents complete required training, licensure, and documentation on time
- Support strategic growth, operational planning, and program improvement initiatives as needed
Staff Supervision and Development
- Recruit, train, supervise, and support nursing staff and assigned team members
- Provide leadership that promotes a positive, supportive, and accountable work environment
- Conduct performance evaluations and provide ongoing feedback and coaching
- Address staff concerns and conflicts in a timely and professional manner
- Support professional development and continued competency for nursing staff
Safety and Environment
- Help ensure a safe environment for residents, staff, and visitors
- Identify and escalate facility, safety, transportation, or environmental concerns as needed
- Support a clean, safe, organized, and therapeutic environment
Success in This Role
- Provides strong and consistent nursing leadership
- Maintains safe and compliant nursing operations
- Builds a capable, accountable, and well-supported nursing team
- Supports high-quality behavioral health care for adolescents
- Partners effectively with clinical, administrative, and executive leadership
- Identifies risks early and drives practical solutions
- Supports quality improvement, accreditation readiness, and strong resident outcomes
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