Director Medical-Surgical

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:  Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization:

VCH Nursing Administration

Job Summary:

Vanderbilt Health - Executive Search Team is conducting a search for Director, Med-Surg in our newly acquired Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital.

This position reports directly to the Chief Nursing Officer of the hospital.

The Director, Med-Surg provides strategic, operational, and clinical leadership for the Medical-Surgical nursing units. This role is responsible for ensuring high-quality patient care, regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, workforce engagement, and financial stewardship across assigned departments. The Director partners with physicians, advanced practice providers, nursing leaders, and interdisciplinary teams to achieve exceptional patient outcomes and support Vanderbilt Health's mission, values, and strategic objectives.

The Director serves as a key member of the hospital leadership team, driving a culture of clinical excellence, patient safety, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.

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Key Responsibilities:

Clinical and Operational Leadership

• Provide leadership and oversight for all Medical-Surgical inpatient units and related services.
• Ensure delivery of safe, effective, patient-centered care that meets evidence-based practice standards.
• Establish and monitor department goals, quality metrics, and performance indicators.
• Lead operational initiatives to improve patient flow, throughput, capacity management, and length-of-stay performance.
• Collaborate with physicians and interdisciplinary teams to optimize care delivery and patient outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, accreditation standards, and regulatory requirements.

Quality, Patient Safety, and Outcomes

• Foster a culture of safety and high reliability throughout assigned departments.
• Monitor quality metrics including falls, pressure injuries, hospital-acquired infections, medication safety, and patient satisfaction.
• Lead quality improvement initiatives utilizing Lean, Six Sigma, or other performance improvement methodologies.
• Analyze trends and implement corrective action plans to improve outcomes and reduce variation in care.
• Ensure readiness for regulatory and accreditation surveys.

Financial and Resource Management

• Develop, manage, and oversee departmental operating and capital budgets.
• Monitor labor productivity, staffing effectiveness, and supply utilization.
• Identify opportunities for cost containment while maintaining high-quality patient care.
• Ensure fiscal accountability and achievement of departmental financial goals.
• Participate in strategic planning and business development initiatives.

Talent Management and Workforce Development

• Recruit, retain, develop, and mentor nursing leaders and staff.
• Provide leadership coaching and succession planning for managers and emerging leaders.
• Promote employee engagement and a culture of accountability, teamwork, and professional growth.
• Ensure appropriate staffing plans and workforce strategies to meet patient care demands.
• Support nursing professional development, certification, and evidence-based practice initiatives.

Strategic Planning and Growth

• Support organizational growth strategies and service line development.
• Evaluate opportunities to expand services and improve operational performance.
• Develop and implement strategic initiatives aligned with hospital and health system objectives.
• Participate in leadership councils, committees, and executive forums.

Collaboration and Relationship Management

• Build strong partnerships with physicians, nursing leadership, ancillary departments, and executive leadership.
• Lead interdisciplinary initiatives to improve patient experience and care coordination.
• Serve as a clinical and operational resource for hospital leadership.
• Promote effective communication and collaboration across departments.

Regulatory and Compliance Oversight

• Ensure compliance with requirements from The Joint Commission, CMS, Tennessee Department of Health, and other regulatory agencies.
• Maintain adherence to patient safety, infection prevention, and quality standards.
• Oversee policy development, implementation, and ongoing compliance monitoring.

Qualifications:

• Nursing degree required. Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
• Master's degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or related field.  
• 5+ years of acute clinical RN experience and a minimum of 2 years of clinical management experience
• Demonstrated experience leading Medical-Surgical nursing operations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Specialty certification such as NEA-BC, NE-BC, CNML, or equivalent.
• Experience within a large integrated health system or academic medical center.

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Our Nursing Philosophy:  

We believe highly skilled and specialized nursing care is essential to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s mission of quality in patient care, education and research. We believe nursing is an applied art and science focused on helping people, families and communities reach excellent health and well-being. 

As a Vanderbilt University Medical Center employee, you make a difference to our patients and their families by bringing compassion and care to those in need of hope and healing. Please see our current employee benefits offered:

• Affordable High Quality Health Plan Options
• Dental and /or vision plan
• 403 (b) retirement plan
• Paid Time off (flex PTO)
• Tuition Reimbursement and adoption assistance (maximums applied)
• Short-Long term disability
• Subsidized backup childcare
• And many more...Ask us about our current inpatient nursing supplemental Pay Program!

Achieve the Remarkable: 

Learn more about VUMC Nursing here.

Core Accountabilities:

* Organizational Impact: Directs activities to achieve operational plans with some near term effect on results of the department/area.* Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Identifies issues, gathers facts to resolve technical and operational problems. * Breadth of Knowledge: Applies in-depth knowledge and skills of a professional/technical area and basic management knowledge to manage the work of the team.* Team Interaction: Leads a complex department with a focus on implementation. Typically executes on a short to medium term strategies.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues: - Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas. - Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships. - Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences .Delivering Excellent Services : - Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them. - Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions. - Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly. - Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure. - Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area. - Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation: - Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches. - Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges. - Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications:

LIC-Registered Nurse - Licensure-Others

Work Experience:

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level:

3 years

Education:

Master's

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity.  EOE/Vets/Disabled.