Director of Nursing

This job posting is for Short Term 2026-2027 contract year

RRPS Student Services Department

240-day contract

Job Title: Director of Nursing

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Nursing from a regionally accredited college or university;
• New Mexico Board of Education license as a School Nurse; Level II Professional School Nurse; and
• New Mexico Board of Nursing License as a Registered Nurse.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Director of Nursing

• The Director of Nursing, under the supervision of the Executive Director of Student Services, will perform a wide variety of specialized and responsible tasks that focus on meeting the health needs of all students;
• The Director of Nursing will ensure consistent processes, procedures and guidelines pertaining to the health and safety of students and staff;
• The Director of Nursing will assist with providing, coordinating and developing processes for all required COVID-19 related requirements;
• The Director of Nursing will work with district and school level administrators in the development of systems and processes that support the health needs of students;
• The Director of Nursing will work with human resources to hire all nursing staff; including recruiting, interviewing, and recommending for hire nursing staff. This will include Substitute School Nurses;
• The Director of Nursing will track nurse absences and assign substitutes to cover Health Offices when needed;
• The Director of Nursing will use available demographic, health, and school system data, to identify health needs of the student population;
• The Director of Nursing will develop surveys, questionnaires and other tools for obtaining student health information; and will develop program goals, objectives, and action steps based on this information and as well as through a needs assessment;
• The Director of Nursing will coordinate planning with interdisciplinary colleagues at the national, state, and local levels, in the coordinated school health education health service program;
• The Director of Nursing will participate in the development of an interdisciplinary plan for each building to ensure that students in need of services are identified in a timely manner and that appropriate intervention is initiated;
• The Director of Nursing will develop and implement documentation systems and data gather systems at both the individual student level and programmatic level;
• The Director of Nursing will provide consultation to the health education staff, physical educators and other administrative and teaching staff;
• The Director of Nursing will participate in interdisciplinary teams such as the crisis team and child abuse team, to ensure that integrated systems are in place which address the coordinated needs of the student population;
• The Director of Nursing will assist in the development of a district and school emergency care plans; collaborating with other school administrators and teachers to promote a physically and psychologically healthy school environment;
• The Director of Nursing will promote positive linkages and referral mechanisms to community providers for a range of services related to student health;
• The Director of Nursing will compile statistical reports as required by the school system and state agencies;
• The Director of Nursing will assess liability issues; evaluate and make recommendations with regard to changing trends in health needs and program outcomes to determine need for revision of goals and objectives;
• The Director of Nursing will demonstrate current knowledge in such areas as: professional issues in school nursing, school and community health, communicable disease control, growth and development, health assessment, acute and chronic health conditions, injury prevention and emergency care, student issues, and legal/ethical health policy;
• The Director of Nursing will attend state level meetings;
• The Director of Nursing will collaborate with the Executive Director of Student Services and/or principals regarding evaluations of school nurses;
• The Director of Nursing will comply with state-approved New Mexico Administrative Code of Ethical Responsibility of the Education Profession and the RRPS Employee Standards of Conduct and will uphold and enforce rules, administrative directives and regulations, school board policies, and local, state and federal regulations; and
• The Director of Nursing will perform related duties as assigned by the Executive Director of Student Services. Employee may be assigned other duties based on the needs of the district during the term of employment.

Essential Job Responsibilities (applicable when substituting in schools)

• Identifies and reports health problems that interfere with student learning through screening procedures, assessments, and evaluations of students;
• Makes appropriate referrals based on data obtained from screenings;
• Serves on committees and attends required meetings and conferences;
• Provides consultation and training in school health, safety, health education, sanitation, and counseling to students and staff;
• Provides training in first aid and health screening skills to health assistants and health educational assistants as required for PED licensing, including First AID, CPR certification, and the DOH Health Assistant's training
• Serve as a preceptor for nurses working to complete their BSN/MSN degree at accredited schools of nursing that have an affiliation agreement with the district;
• Coordinates special education and regular education student screenings in accordance with District and state requirements;
• Advises and consults with teachers and parents regarding results of student screenings;
• Supervises students for self-administered medications;
• Administers medication and specialized health care needs to students;
• Implements health management plans with students who have special needs;
• Implements policies and procedures regarding control of communicable diseases in accordance with regulations of the State of New Mexico Environment Department;
• Coordinates and administers immunizations for students and staff;
• Maintains student health and immunization records to include day, month, year, and appropriate follow-up;
• Assists administration in arranging emergency care and first aid for students and staff;
• Arranges transportation for emergency medical care;
• Authorizes exclusion and re-admission of students in connection with infectious, contagious, and nuisance diseases;
• Participates in in-service training programs, workshops, and continuing education to maintain professional status;
• Maintains current CPR certification;
• Assists Principal in other health-related assignments;
• Maintains communication and professional rapport with students, parents, and staff; and
• Complies with state-approved New Mexico Administrative Code of Ethical Responsibility of the Education Profession and the RRPS Employee Standards of Conduct and upholds and enforces rules, administrative directives and regulations, school board policies, and local, state and federal regulations;
• Provides updates during various meetings such as District Leadership Team, Principal; Meetings, Cabinet Meetings and Board Meetings with regard to student and/or staff health needs;
• Participates in COVID-19 informational meetings or trainings for staff, families and community; and
• Employee may be assigned other duties based on the needs of the District during the term of employment.

Interpersonal Skills

• Introvert and extrovert attributes;
• Unimpeachable integrity;
• Ability to communicate effectively with various groups: administrators, district, staff, parents, media, and other constituents;
• Professional and diplomatic written, verbal, and technical communication skills;
• Emotional intelligence;
• The ability to give and receive constructive criticism; and
• Diplomacy skills.

Work Hours

Work hours are established in employment contract. Additional work hours may be required as scheduled by Executive Director of Student Services.

Application Procedure:

The following documents must be attached to complete this application:

• One (1) transcript from each crediting college or university if not current in personnel file
• Copy of Professional License
• Resume
• Letter of Interest
• 3 current signed/dated letters of recommendation

An Equal Opportunity Employer