Chief Nursing Program Director

Type: Regular Job Category: Exempt General Description The Chief Nursing Program Director is responsible for the leadership, administration, and continuous improvement of the nursing program. This role ensures the program meets accreditation standards, aligns with institutional goals, and fosters an environment of academic excellence and student success. The Chief Nursing Program Director provides strategic direction, oversees faculty and staff, and collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to enhance the quality of nursing education. They provide leadership and vision for the nursing program, ensuring compliance with accreditation and regulatory requirements while overseeing curriculum development, program assessment, and continuous improvement initiatives. Additionally, they recruit, supervise, and support faculty and staff to foster a positive and productive work environment. Managing budgets, resources, and policies related to the nursing program is a key responsibility, along with promoting student success through effective academic support, advisement, and engagement strategies. The Chief Nursing Program Director establishes partnerships with healthcare organizations, community stakeholders, and academic institutions to enhance program offerings and clinical experiences. They ensure adherence to state and national licensing and certification requirements for nursing graduates and collaborate with institutional leadership on strategic planning and program development initiatives. Furthermore, they foster a culture of scholarship and evidence-based practice among faculty and students, representing the nursing program at institutional meetings, professional conferences, and community events. In addition to these responsibilities, the Chief Nursing Program Director provides leadership and administration to the Division of Health Professions. This position is a Safety Sensitive position and subject to mandatory pre-employment and random drug testing. Reports To: Dean of the Division of Health Professions What position(s) reports to this position? Nursing Program Associate Director Nursing Clinical Coordinators RN-BSN Program Associate Director Nursing FT and Adjunct Faculty Minimum Education/Experience Masters degree or higher with a major in nursing. Minimum (3) years' full-time work experience in higher education administration including faculty supervision. Minimum (4) years' full-time teaching experience in a nursing program Hold a valid, unencumbered license to practice as a registered nurse in the state of Oklahoma or be eligible for Oklahoma licensure. Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Knowledge: Professional nursing education principles, practices, standards, and trends, including associate degree nursing education and preparation of students for professional licensure Provide vision, direction, and leadership for the Nursing Program and assigned areas within the Division of Health Professions Nursing practices Nursing program accreditation processes established by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing (OBN) and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) Concepts for evidenced based teaching and learning principles Leadership principles Using data to evaluate program effectiveness, identify trends, establish priorities, and support evidence-based decision-making Principles and practices related to faculty recruitment, selection, orientation, supervision, evaluation, development, workload assignment, and performance management Skills: Oral and written communication, including communicating complex academic, regulatory, and program information to diverse audiences Budget planning, resource management, prioritization, and allocation of program resources Reviewing instructional content, course objectives, teaching strategies, assessments, and testing practices for alignment with curriculum and program standards Analyzing program outcomes and performance indicators, including enrollment, retention, completion, licensure examination results, and other measures of student and program success Abilities: Provide vision, direction, and leadership for the Nursing Program and assigned areas within the Division of Health Professions Ensure compliance with accreditation, regulatory, licensing, institutional, and program requirements Recruit, supervise, evaluate, mentor, and retain qualified faculty and staff while fostering a professional and collaborative work environment. Work in a diverse campus community Promote student success through effective advisement, progression, retention, academic support, and engagement strategies Communicate effectively and professionally with students, faculty, staff, administrators, healthcare professionals, regulatory agencies, community partners, and the public Physical Demands/Working Conditions PHYSICAL/MENTAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS: The work is sedentary work which requires the person in this position to occasionally exert up to 10 pounds of force to grasp, lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required: This position requires the person to frequently communicate with administration, faculty, staff, students, and others to perform the essential functions of the position; must be able to exchange accurate information in various situations. This position requires the person to operate a computer, other office machinery and mobile devices to perform the essential functions of the position. This position requires the person to frequently operate equipment that involves repetitive motions of hands, wrists, and fingers. This position requires the person to judge, observe, and assess the accuracy, neatness, thoroughness of work assigned or to make general observations. Work is performed in a relatively safe and secure indoor office setting. Work is performed in a dynamic environment that requires sensitivity to change and responsiveness to changing goals, priorities, and needs Work is performed during normal office hours with some nights and weekends. Work will be performed in an office environment or healthcare facility with a significant amount of public contact, in person, by telephone, via email, and various communication platforms Duties require extended periods of sitting, talking and listening. Preferred Qualifications Doctorate in Nursing Required Training Quarterly compliance training as assigned by institution Training to maintain educational and any clinical requirements by the accreditor. Work Hours: Forty hours per week in a typical Monday through Friday; 8:00am-5:00pm schedule (may include evenings for College or program events. Department: Division of Health Prof. Open Until Filled: No HR Contact: Beth Holmes Job Duties (Position Specific) To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description. Job Duties (Duties Assignment Statement) Provides over-sight of classroom, laboratory, and clinical instruction to ensure that content/objectives are current and adequately covered, teaching strategies are appropriate, and that faculty maintain constructive learning environments; provides over-sight of test items for clarity, cognitive level, correspondence with course objectives, and consistency with Program testing policies. Participates in the interview process; recommends new full-time and adjunct faculty for hire; chairs the search committee for new nursing leadership and full-time faculty positions. Responsible for staffing nursing program positions. Assigns full-time and adjunct faculty teaching responsibilities according to the Nursing Program needs; assigns full-time faculty committee positions; identifies the faculty educational needs for nursing; makes recommendations for travel funds and other faculty/staff development opportunities for nursing program; fosters professional relationships within the Program faculty, students, other divisions, public, and the College Administration; maintains primary responsibility for faculty issues and grievances; coordinates the appraisal process for all nursing faculty/staff, coordinates the orientation of new full-time and part-time faculty; approves/monitors faculty office hours; approves faculty leave time and forwards to the Dean; revises/recommends changes to faculty job descriptions and submits for approval; and prepares data for adjunct/special faculty contracts. Addresses Program and curriculum; chairs the Nursing Faculty Organization (NFO), ensuring that faculty participate in the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of the Nursing Program through regular meetings and committee/task force participation; provides over-sight for the preparation of approval/ accreditation reports for the Oklahoma Board of Nursing (OBN) and Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) as needed to assure that Program approval/accreditation is current; ensures maintenance/implementation of the systematic evaluation plan. Develops class schedules for the Nursing Program; coordinates the implementation and evaluation of the nursing curriculum; and fosters professional, reciprocal relationships with clinical agencies utilized for student experiences. Provides information about the Program to the public; maintains currency and accuracy of published information about the Program, including prospective student letters, catalog, class schedules and nursing student handbook, in print and online. With faculty input: revises, updates, and/or establishes the policies of the Program; updates the Nursing Program's admission, progression, readmission, and retention policies; reviews the student handbook annually and revises as needed; evaluates and recommends selection of textbooks for the Nursing Program; and participates in the process for negotiation of clinical sites. Actively participates in or staffs the Nursing Education and Service Administrators (NESA) committee, the Associate Degree Deans and Directors of Oklahoma (ADN) Directors committee, and other community committees as needed to support the Program; provides updates to the College curriculum committee, OBN, and ACEN as needed. As an administrator, attend any college leadership meetings as appropriate. With input from the faculty and the Dean, annually formulates and establishes short and long rage goals for the Program; coordinates the development/implementation/evaluation of the Program's annual assessment plans and reports; monitors and reports the NCLEX pass rates for the faculty, ACEN, and College Administration; submits data for contracts with various health agencies where clinical facilities are utilized; and to process the Clinical Affiliation Compliance Administrator for approval. Actively participates in or staffs the Nursing Education and Service Administrators (NESA)on the Department Chairs and Program Directors committee, Leadership Council committee, and other assigned College committees; provides representation of the Program at local, state, regional, or national meetings; facilitates interactions and collegial working relationships among the Program faculty; and provides required responses to Program correspondence and reports from external agencies (e.g., ACEN, NLN, OSRHE, OBN, CDC). Assists the Dean of Health Professions in the preparation of proposed Program budget requests; assists in oversight for grants, internal and external, to benefit the Program and submits to Dean of Health Professions Division and Vice-President for Academic Affairs for approval; determines and documents the needs list for grants, such as Carl Perkins, that are awarded to the Program; and keeps the Dean advised and current on the Program and related issues. Oversees the advisement, enrollment, progression, and retention of nursing students; maintains shared responsibility when dealing with student grievances, grade appeals, student complaints, and other student problems as needed; if primary, when unresolved, provides information and documentation to the Dean; maintains an open door policy to students; monitors the clinical activities of the students for adequate achievement of course objectives; supports the Nursing Student Association; recommends students identified by faculty for additional responsibilities such as tutoring within the Department; assists with the coordination of the NCLEX application process; advises prospective students about the Program; monitors degree checks for students and assists in making arrangement for required classes; reviews student transcripts and requests course substitutions when appropriate; assists with the coordination of the pinning ceremonies as needed; and supervises the advanced placement processes for qualified students through the career ladder pathway or through transfer processes. Job Duties (Safety / Policy & Procedures) Abide by the policies and procedures published in the Board of Regents Policies and College Policies & Procedures Contribute to a safe educational & working environment. Adhere to established safety and health procedures and practices for the purpose of providing injury and illness prevention for self and others. Complete quarterly health and safety training pursuant to OCCC's established safety and health procedures and practices. Participate in all applicable OCCC emergency, evacuation, shelter in place drills, and be prepared to take action and assist others in taking appropriate action should a health or safety emergency occur.