Description
Director of Nursing – Lead the Future of Practical Nursing Education
Porter and Chester Institute is seeking an experienced and dynamic nursing leader to serve as Director of Nursing for its Practical Nursing programs in Connecticut.
Reporting directly to the President & CEO, this role provides strategic leadership for program quality, faculty development, compliance, curriculum, student outcomes, and continuous improvement across multiple campuses.
We are looking for a leader who can help strengthen and grow our nursing program. The ideal candidate is a collaborative, forward-thinking nursing educator with a passion for developing faculty, supporting student success, building clinical partnerships, and advancing nursing education throughout Connecticut and beyond.
If you are excited by the opportunity to shape the future of nursing education and make a lasting impact on the next generation of nurses, we encourage you to apply.
Scheduled Hours & Travel Requirements
This full-time leadership role is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, and may be based at the Hamden or Waterbury campus.
Candidates must be willing to travel frequently between the two Connecticut nursing campuses.
What You’ll Be Doing
As Director of Nursing, you will oversee the quality, compliance, curriculum, faculty leadership, continuous improvement of the Practical Nursing program across all campuses and program growth.
You will:
- Partner with the CEO to develop and execute a strategic vision for the growth and expansion of the Practical Nursing program across Connecticut and future markets.
- Drive a culture of accountability, excellence, continuous improvement, and student-centered outcomes
- Lead and evaluate all Practical Nursing Program Coordinators (supervisors of faculty) and the Director of Clinical Nursing while collaborating with Campus Directors.
- Plan, implement, coordinate, and evaluate all aspects of the Practical Nursing program.
- Oversee nursing admissions processes, including admissions criteria, testing, interviews, and acceptance procedures.
- Develop, implement, and improve nursing program policies and procedures.
- Guide Program Coordinator and faculty onboarding, mentoring, development, and retention efforts.
- Manage curriculum development and delivery through the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
- Partner with Campus Directors and Program Coordinators to identify staffing needs and recruit high-quality nursing faculty.
- Serve as liaison to the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing and the Department of Public Health.
- Participate in regulatory meetings, accreditation reviews, and site visits.
- Monitor student learning outcomes and NCLEX-PN pass rates to evaluate instructional effectiveness, perform root cause analyses and propose corrective actions to improve pass rates.
- Assist with programmatic accreditation, licensing processes, and institutional accreditation activities.
- Support the development of annual program budgets.
- Assist Program Coordinators with clinical affiliation agreements and placement partnerships.
- Chair Practical Nursing Curriculum Committee and Program Coordinator meetings.
- Attend biannual Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) meetings
Why Work With Us?
You’ll join a mission-driven institution dedicated to preparing students for meaningful healthcare careers. Working alongside campus leadership, faculty, and academic teams, you’ll have the opportunity to shape and expand nursing education, mentor future healthcare professionals, and drive excellence across multiple campuses.
Requirements
Required:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
- Current, valid, and unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of Connecticut
- Minimum 3 years of clinical nursing experience as a Registered Nurse
- Minimum 3 years of teaching and management experience in a nursing education program
- Previous teaching experience in a nursing program
- Willingness to travel frequently between Connecticut campuses
Preferred:
- Curriculum development experience
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook)
Skills & Qualifications
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Collaborative leadership style with the ability to work effectively in a matrixed environment
- Strong curriculum development and academic program management abilities
- Comfort with educational technology systems and software platforms
- Ability to analyze data and develop operational performance indicators
- Strong organizational, project management, and multitasking skills
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
