Director Of Care

“How do you live in the moment?”

We are passionate about ‘Making Every Moment Matter’™. We are seeking a candidate that shares our values - a person who has a passion to make a difference, who has a strong moral compass and who has a commitment to teamwork. The ideal candidate is a warm and loving person who makes meaningful connections with those they are caring for.

Reporting to the Administrator/Executive Director, and through management to the Board of Directors in accordance with the home’s governance structure, the Director of Care (DOC) is the senior nursing leader and designated Director of Nursing and Personal Care under Ontario’s Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 (FLTCA) and O. Reg. 246/22.

The DOC is accountable for planning, organizing, directing and evaluating all nursing and personal support services to ensure safe, effective, resident-centred care and compliance with:

• Ministry of Long-Term Care / Ministry of Health legislation, regulations, standards and directives
• Ministry of Labour requirements (OHSA and related regulations)
• Public Health and IPAC standards and guidance
• College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) legislation, standards and guidelines
• CARF standards and requirements (where applicable to the home’s accreditation status)
• Other applicable laws and professional/organizational policies.

The DOC provides visible clinical and operational leadership, fosters a culture of safety, inclusion and continuous quality improvement, and works collaboratively with the Administrator, Medical Director, physicians/NPs, interprofessional team, residents, families and external partners.

Wage Rate: The starting annual salary is $120,000

Vacancy: This is an existing vacancy.

Key Responsibilities

1. Regulatory, Professional & Board Accountability

• Serve as the Director of Nursing and Personal Care as defined in FLTCA and O. Reg. 246/22.
• Ensure all nursing and personal support services comply with FLTCA, O. Reg. 246/22, CNO standards, PHIPA, HCCA, SDA, OHSA and Public Health/IPAC requirements.
• Develop, implement and regularly review nursing/personal support policies, procedures and clinical protocols to reflect legislation, CNO and evidence-informed practice.
• Prepare and present regular reports to the Administrator and Board of Directors/Board Committees (e.g., Quality Committee) on:
  • Care quality and resident outcome indicators
  • Critical incidents, complaints and risk trends
  • Outbreaks and infection control issues
  • CQI initiatives and accreditation (including CARF) progress.
• Ensure timely mandatory reporting to the Ministry, Public Health and other authorities (critical incidents, abuse/neglect, outbreaks, workplace injuries etc.).

2. Resident Care & Clinical Leadership

• Provide overall leadership for the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of resident care to ensure it is safe, person-centred, culturally sensitive and goal-concordant.
• Oversee care planning, documentation and interprofessional collaboration, including restorative, palliative and behavioural support programs.
• Provide leadership and oversight for key clinical programs (e.g., medication management, falls, skin and wound care, pain, restraints, responsive behaviours, continence, nutrition/hydration).
• Promote and support evidence-informed practice, clinical pathways and best practice guidelines.

3. Staffing, Human Resources & Labour Relations

• Plan, implement and monitor staffing models and skill mix to ensure sufficient and competent nursing and personal support staff on all shifts, consistent with legislative and funding requirements.
• Oversee recruitment, selection, orientation, scheduling and performance management of nursing and personal support staff.
• Work with HR on labour relations (collective agreement interpretation, attendance management, progressive discipline, accommodation, return-to-work).
• Promote a psychologically and physically safe workplace, complying with OHSA, workplace violence and harassment policies, and WSIB obligations; participate in/ support the Joint Health & Safety Committee.

4. Budget, NPC Envelope & Resource Management

• Monitor and manage the nursing department operating budget, with specific accountability for the Nursing and Personal Care (NPC) funding envelope and other related funding, in line with Ministry funding policies and eligible expenditure guidelines.
• Lead the preparation of nursing and NPC envelope forecasts, including analysis of trends (e.g., acuity, staffing mix, overtime, agency use) and identification of financial and operational risks and mitigation strategies.
• Conduct regular variance reviews of the nursing/NPC budget, investigate root causes of variances, and implement timely corrective action plans while maintaining resident care quality and safety.
• Collaborate with Finance and the Administrator to support responsible resource allocation, procurement and capital/operational planning as it relates to nursing and personal support services.

5. Infection Prevention & Control (IPAC) / Public Health Liaison

• Provide leadership and oversight for the home’s IPAC program, ensuring compliance with provincial IPAC standards and Public Health guidance for long-term care.
• Collaborate with the home’s IPAC Lead/Designate to monitor and reinforce IPAC practices, conduct audits, and implement quality improvements.
• Coordinate outbreak preparedness and response in conjunction with the Public Health Unit, including communication with residents, families and staff.

6. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), Risk Management & Accreditation (including CARF)

• Lead the nursing and personal support components of the home’s Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) work as required under the FLTCA and O. Reg. 246/22.
• Partner with the quality lead and Administrator to develop, implement and evaluate the home’s CQI workplan and annual report, ensuring required quality indicators and improvement projects are in place and monitored.
• Use interRAI LTCF data, clinical outcome scales, quality indicators and CAPs, along with other resident outcome data (e.g., incident trends, complaints, surveys), to identify priorities, monitor trends and measure improvement.
• Use resident outcome data (e.g., interrail LTCF, CIHI/OH indicators), incidents, complaints and resident/family feedback to identify priorities, monitor trends and measure improvement.
• Integrate quality improvement tools and methods (e.g., PDSA cycles, root cause analysis, audits, scorecards) into day-to-day operations and leadership practices.
• Provide leadership for accreditation-related activities, including CARF where applicable:
  • Align nursing and personal support services with CARF standards
  • Coordinate self-assessment, survey preparation, on-site survey activities and follow-up actions
  • Ensure ongoing readiness and integration of CARF requirements into policies, practices, quality and risk management and Board reporting.

7. Education, Coaching & Professional Practice

• Ensure nursing and personal support staff receive mandatory and role-specific education (e.g., abuse prevention, dementia, responsive behaviours, IPAC, OH&S, medication safety, documentation, resident rights).
• Coach and mentor charge nurses, RNs, RPNs and PSW leads in clinical decision-making, delegation, documentation and collaborative practice consistent with CNO standards.
• Support staff education and competency related to interRAI LTCF assessments and the use of assessment outputs in care planning and CQI.
• Promote professional accountability, reflective practice and a culture of respect, inclusion and continuous learning.

8. External Partnerships, Research & Innovation

• Build and maintain effective partnerships with external organizations and resources,
• including:
  • Hospitals and Ontario Health Teams
  • Primary care providers, specialists and clinics
  • Community support and mental health/addictions agencies
  • Colleges, universities, professional associations and LTC networks to support resident care, transitions, staff development, and system integration.
• Represent the home on relevant external committees, networks and working groups and bring back learnings, best practices and opportunities for innovation.
• Explore, evaluate and facilitate opportunities for the home to participate in applied research, evaluation and innovation projects that:
  • Align with resident needs and organizational priorities
  • Support CARF and CQI goals
  • Comply with ethical, legal and privacy requirements.
• Serve as or support the operational lead/liaison for research and innovation projects involving nursing and personal support services (e.g., pilot projects, trials of new models of care, technology implementations).
• Promote the ethical conduct of research in the home, ensuring resident rights, informed consent, privacy and data security and consistency with organizational policies and applicable legislation.

Qualifications

Required

• Current Registered Nurse (RN) certificate of registration in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) or Registered Nurse registered with a regulatory authority in a Canadian jurisdiction, other than Ontario, and holds in that jurisdiction the equivalent of a certificate of registration authorizing independent practice in Ontario as of right exemption Bill 60
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) or equivalent education accepted by CNO.
• Minimum 3 years of recent nursing leadership/management experience in health care, including direct staff supervision; at least 1 year in long-term care or gerontological practice is strongly preferred but not required.
• Demonstrated, in-depth knowledge of:
  • FLTCA and O. Reg. 246/22
  • Nursing Act, RHPA, PHIPA, HCCA, SDA
  • OHSA and relevant regulations
  • Public Health and IPAC standards/guidance for LTC
  • CNO practice standards and guidelines.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of the interRAI Long‑ Term Care Facilities (interRAI LTCF) assessment system (or equivalent RAI‑ based LTC assessment), including its application to care planning, quality indicators and case‑ mix/funding where applicable.
• Proven ability to lead Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)/QI initiatives, using QI methods and data to improve resident outcomes and staff practice.
• Experience in budget management, including monitoring, forecasting and variance analysis, preferably for a clinical department or LTC NPC envelope.
• Strong leadership competencies, including team building, conflict resolution, coaching/mentoring, change management and strategic thinking.
• Excellent communication (oral and written), interpersonal, organizational and time-management skills.
• Proficiency in electronic health records/EMR systems, Microsoft Office and use of data/analytics in decision-making.

Asset Qualifications

• Previous experience as a Director of Care/Director of Nursing and Personal Care or Assistant DOC in a long-term care home.
• Experience with accreditation (e.g., CARF, Accreditation Canada/HSO LTC standards) and related self-assessment, survey and follow-up processes.
• Formal education or certification in one or more of: gerontology, dementia care, leadership/management, quality improvement, IPAC, occupational health and safety.
• Experience preparing and/or implementing CQI or Quality Improvement Plans/Reports within Ontario or similar health-care quality frameworks.
• Demonstrated success in building partnerships with external organizations (hospitals, community agencies, colleges/universities, research/education networks) to enhance resident care, staff development or innovation.
• Completion of interRAI LTCF assessor training/education and/or certification, and/or experience as a “super‑ user” or trainer for interRAI/RAI assessment systems, is a strong asset.
• Experience participating in or leading practice-based research or innovation projects in health care (e.g., pilot projects, applied research, collaborative QI/research initiatives).

Other Employment Requirements

• Satisfactory vulnerable sector criminal reference check.
• Proof of required immunizations and TB screening in accordance with Public Health. The Employer strongly recommends to “stay up to date” with the recommended vaccines. Vaccination requirements are subject to change as determined by the Employer.
• Ability and willingness to work flexible hours, including on-call responsibilities for clinical/operational issues on a rotational or ongoing basis as part of the leadership team.
• Two supervisory references required

What do we offer you?

• Competitive wages
• Employee benefits
• Employee perks
• Employee and Family Assistance Program
• Support for personal and professional growth

We look forward to speaking with you and Making Every Moment Matter™. Although we appreciate all applicants' interest, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

As part of our recruitment process, we may use secure, limited AI tools to assist with administrative tasks such as organizing applications or analyzing role alignment. These tools are used solely to support our recruitment team. All hiring decisions are made by people. We are committed to ensuring our hiring practices are equitable, inclusive, and privacy-conscious. Any personal information collected or processed is handled in accordance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Act (PIPEDA) and our internal privacy policies.

We strive to be diverse, inclusive, fair, equitable and accessible by addressing barriers and promoting dignity and respect for all. If you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process, please contact the hiring manager.