Deputy Director of Nursing Inpatient Services (Open & Promotional)

Description

San Mateo County Health has an exciting new opportunity for a Deputy Director of Nursing Inpatient Services at San Mateo Medical Center.

Working closely with in San Mateo County Health and with the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) of San Mateo Medical Center, the Deputy Director of Nursing Inpatient Services will assess, plan, evaluate, and monitor all aspects of nursing care delivery in the Medical Surgical Inpatient Service to ensure a supportive healing and recovery milieu; partner with and coordinate services with other divisions and departments, supporting a collaborative effective interdisciplinary team; work collaboratively with the medical staff, executive management, other San Mateo County Health divisions, and community stakeholders to develop policies and procedures to maintain quality of care and safety for patients and staff. This position may be appointed as Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for the San Mateo Medical Center by the Chief Executive Officer.

The Deputy Director of Nursing Inpatient Services receives general direction from the Chief Nursing Officer, and will exercise direct and indirect supervision over assigned managerial, clinical, professional, technical and clerical staff, and is responsible for all aspects of the design, delivery, and execution of medical surgical nursing including: Developing and executing a vision for how to position the Service to best meet the needs of the population we serve. Establishing annual goal for areas of responsibility that support the organization strategic plan. Coordinate with the clinical manager to develop and manage the capital and operation budget for areas of responsibilities. Work closely with the CNO and HR partners to develop an effective recruitment and retention plan to ensure that staff requirements are managed effectively. Collaborate with physicians, clinical managers and other members of the health team to promote optimum patient care. Understand and support the professional practice of nursing.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Clinical experience and expertise in Medical Surgical Nursing and critical care areas.
• Interest in advancing nursing in the Inpatient Services with integration of evidence-based practices.
• Commitment to enhancing through Nursing Practice a "Recovery" Milieu.
• Interest in building relationships, partnering with and coordinating services with other divisions and departments, supporting a collaborative effective interdisciplinary team within the community and within San Mateo County Health.
• Nurse Executive Certification or plan to be certified within one year.

NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.
Examples Of Duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Participate in creating an organizational culture that promotes ethical decision making and continuous improvement in a manner that preserves/protects patient autonomy, dignity and respect.
• Assure staff receive training and education necessary to support compliance with all federal, state and county policy including anti-harassment and discrimination policies that support a respectful and supportive workplace for employees of all backgrounds and abilities.
• Create an environment which recognizes and values diversity and designs strategies that address the unique needs of a diverse patient population and workforce.
• Assess, plan, evaluate and monitor all aspects of nursing care delivery to ensure a supportive healing and recovery milieu.
• Direct, coordinate and participate in the development and delivery of division goals, objectives, policies and procedures and priorities; establish and monitor performance measures.
• Lead concurrent and retrospective evaluation of patient care consistent with the quality processes, and through these review processes, evaluate and recommend changes and improvements in areas affecting the quality of patient care.
• Create systems and processes that advance accountability for problem solving and input into decision making at all levels within the organization.
• Create an environment that provides staff who demonstrate clinical leadership and expertise in their practice to provide peer review and learning opportunities.
• Evaluate practices to assess safety risks to patients and employees and, in collaboration with the safety manager, prepare, establish and enforce policies and standard work to establish and maintain safety.
• Collaborate with staff, providers, and San Mateo County Health staff to develop and implement service goals and priorities, which include the establishment of standards of practice in patient care that are consistent with national professional standards and evidence-based practices.
• Support and coordinate efforts with Aging and Adult Services, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, and Correctional Health Services in the movement of patients from the community, lower level of care placements and correctional health through the acute care settings.
• Serve as the administrative liaison between the interdisciplinary team, executive management, advisory boards and commissions, regulatory bodies and nursing staff to ensure services are integrated within San Mateo County Health and the community.
• Plan, budget, manage and evaluate the design of staffing patterns and work assignments to ensure all staff work to the full extent of their job description and license.
• Coordinate and direct the quality improvement work ensuring mechanisms are in place to meet all publicly reported metrics, i.e., core measures, nurse-sensitive indicators, etc.
• Lead inpatient nursing operations using Lean principles to reduce waste, improve flow, and optimize patient throughput.
• Standardize workflows across inpatient units while allowing for unit-specific adaptations based on patient acuity and volume.
• Champion daily management systems (huddles, visual boards, leader rounding) to surface issues in real time and drive rapid problem-solving.
• Ensure consistent use of Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles for testing and scaling improvements.
• Provide guidance for the overall management of nursing and patient care services in the San Mateo Medical Center and clinics.
• Develop the staff at all levels to reach their full capabilities and support their full engagement in the work.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

License/Certification:

• Current Licensure as a Registered Nurse in California
• Certification in nursing specialty upon hire or within two years of hire.

Education and Experience:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:
Education: Master's degree in Nursing or in a related health care field or a written plan to obtain a Master's degree.

Experience: Three years of increasingly responsible nursing experience in an accredited hospital or clinic which must have included at least one year of administrative management experience.

Knowledge of:

• Nurse practice act and scope of practice of all licensed staff providing direct patient care.
• Laws, codes and regulations governing acute care programs. Principles and practices of organization, public administration, budget and revenue enhancement and personnel management, including planning, implementation, evaluation and reporting.
• Nurse Practice Act, principles and practices of nursing and clinical systems, including safety, infection control practices, and current trends in research, treatment prevention, education and related services.

Skill/Ability to:

• Plan, organize, direct and coordinate diversified, multidisciplinary mental health and substance abuse programs.
• Properly interpret and make decisions in accordance with appropriate laws, regulations and policies.
• Develop, control and administer the division budget; use alternative financing methods and funding sources, as needed to meet division goals.
• Communicate effectively with diverse audiences including professional, consumer and family members and citizen groups.
• Maintain liaison with various private and public agencies and deal successfully with the public and other interested groups.
• Work cooperatively and effectively with other county divisions and departments and officials and employees of other public and private agencies.
• Communicate effectively and persuasively, both verbally and in writing.
• Develop, implement and interpret objectives, goals, policies and procedures for area of responsibility.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with other departments, agencies, community groups and employees.
• Supervise, train, and evaluate subordinate staff.

Application/Examination

Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, Confidential and Management extra-help/limited term, and SEIU or AFSCME represented extra help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.

The examination will consist of an interview (weight: 100%). Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations, or a screening committee may select those applicants whose education and/or experience appear to best meet the needs of the position based solely on the information provided in the application materials. Because of this screening process, all applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination . All examinations will be given in San Mateo County, California, and applicants must participate at their own expense.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply. Responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted in addition to the standard County employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required application materials. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
DEADLINE TO APPLY: January 20, 2026, by 11:59 PM PST
APPLICATION SCREENING: January 23, 2026
COMBINED PANEL/DEPARTMENT INTERVIEWS: February 13, 2026

About the County
San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity in order to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.
The County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.

Analyst: Carolyn Burns (012026) (Deputy Director of Nurse Services - D212)

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• County of San Mateo Human Resources Department

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