Department Head, Nursing

The Nursing Department Head provides the operational, academic, and regulatory leadership necessary for the effective administration of Wake Technical Community College's nursing program(s). The Department Head is responsible for the day-to-day management and administration of the nursing program and ensures compliance with applicable North Carolina Board of Nursing requirements, accreditation standards, College policies, and institutional expectations.

The Department Head provides direct leadership and supervision to nursing faculty and designated program staff and is responsible for curriculum implementation and evaluation, faculty workload and performance, program scheduling, budget development and management, regulatory and accreditation reporting, student and program outcomes, and continuous program improvement.

The Nursing Department Head works collaboratively with the Dean of Nursing, nursing faculty, clinical leadership, simulation personnel, and other College departments to ensure the delivery of high-quality nursing education and achievement of established student and program outcomes.

This is primarily an administrative and program leadership position. Instruction is not a primary responsibility of the position. The Department Head may teach on a limited basis when appropriate to support program needs, not to exceed nine (9) credit hours during an academic year.

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.  

*Provides day-to-day leadership, administration, and operational management of the Associate Degree Nursing program, ensuring compliance with Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) standards, North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON) rules and regulations, College requirements, and other applicable regulatory standards.

*Maintains responsibility and accountability for the organization, administration, evaluation, continuous improvement, and overall effectiveness of the ADN program.

*Serves as the Program Director and primary program contact for NCBON and ACEN and coordinates required regulatory, accreditation, institutional effectiveness, and program reporting.

*Develops and manages the nursing program budget and identifies personnel, equipment, technology, supplies, and instructional resources necessary to support program operations and student success.

*Supervises and evaluates nursing faculty and designated program staff, including faculty assignments, workload, performance expectations, professional development, and appropriate instructional coverage.

*Facilitates the recruitment, selection, onboarding, development, and retention of qualified nursing faculty and ensures faculty credentials and qualifications meet regulatory, accreditation, College, and clinical-agency requirements.

*Provides leadership for curriculum implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement to ensure curriculum currency, rigor, consistency, and achievement of student learning and program outcomes.

*Develops and coordinates nursing course schedules and instructional plans, considering course sequencing, faculty capacity, student progression, clinical placements, simulation, and available resources.

*Monitors and evaluates program outcomes, including enrollment, retention, progression, completion, attrition, licensure examination performance, and graduate outcomes, and implements improvement strategies based on program data.

*Oversees student progression, readmission, dismissal, and other program-specific academic requirements in accordance with college policies, NCBON requirements, and established nursing program standards.

*Ensures required program records and documentation are accurate, current, and maintained in accordance with College, NCBON, ACEN, and other applicable requirements.

Ensure nursing students and faculty meet applicable clinical-agency requirements and collaborates with faculty, clinical partners, and simulation leadership to support appropriate clinical and simulation learning experiences.

Maintains effective relationships with clinical agencies, healthcare employers, advisory committees, regulatory and accrediting organizations, and other partners supporting the nursing program.

Provides the Dean of Nursing with timely information regarding program performance, compliance, faculty and student matters, resource needs, and significant operational concerns.

Plans and leads nursing program faculty meetings and ensures effective communication and follow-through on program decisions, responsibilities, and regulatory requirements.

Facilitates the accreditation activities, program review, institutional committees, recruitment, and other College initiatives relevant to the AND program.

Maintains current knowledge of nursing education, professional practice, NCBON requirements, ACEN standards, and emerging practices affecting nursing education.

May provide limited classrooms, laboratory, clinical, or simulation instruction to support program needs. Teaching assignments shall not exceed nine (9) credit hours per academic year.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Demonstrated knowledge of nursing education administration, curriculum development, program evaluation, student and program outcomes, and continuous quality improvement.

Thorough knowledge of ACEN accreditation standards and North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON) rules and regulations governing nursing education programs.

Ability to interpret, implement, and maintain compliance with accreditation, regulatory, College, and institutional requirements.

Demonstrated ability to supervise, evaluate, mentor, and support faculty and staff.

Strong knowledge of academic scheduling, faculty workload, curriculum management, clinical education, and student progression.

Ability to manage program budgets, resources, and competing operational priorities.

Ability to analyze program data and outcomes and implement appropriate improvement strategies.

Strong organizational, leadership, interpersonal, and written and verbal communication skills.

Demonstrated commitment to student success, academic quality, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Minimum Requirements

Master’s degree in Nursing

Current, active, unencumbered Registered Nurse license or multistate licensure privilege to practice in North Carolina.

Two years of full-time experience as a faculty member in a Board-approved nursing education program.

Clinical nursing experience as a nursing faculty member and academic or nursing leadership experience sufficient to effectively administer and lead the nursing program.

Education in teaching and learning principles for adult education, including curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation, as required by NCBON; requirement must be completed prior to appointment or within the first three years of employment.

Demonstrated knowledge of North Carolina Board of Nursing rules and regulations and ACEN Standards and Criteria applicable to nursing education programs.

Demonstrated experience in nursing curriculum, program evaluation, student and program outcomes, continuous quality improvement, and academic administration.

 
Preferred Qualifications

Doctorate in Nursing, Nursing Education, or a related nursing field.

Experience serving as a Nursing Program Director, Assistant Program Director, Department Head, or comparable nursing education leadership position.

Experience with Associate Degree Nursing education in a community college setting.

Experience with North Carolina Board of Nursing regulatory requirements.

Experience with nursing accreditation processes and preparation of accreditation and regulatory reports.

Experience supervising and evaluating nursing faculty.

Experience managing academic budgets, faculty workloads, course scheduling, clinical education, and program outcomes.

Experience using simulation and educational technology to support nursing education.