Assistant Director of Nursing - Nurse Practice Development

Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) - Nurse Practice Development

Location: North Co. Dublin
Contract Type: Permanent, Full-Time

Overview

Our client, a leading acute healthcare provider in North Co. Dublin, is seeking an experienced and dynamic Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) - Nurse Practice Development to join their senior nursing leadership team.

This is a key leadership role responsible for driving excellence in nursing practice, professional development, clinical education, quality improvement, and digital transformation initiatives across the organisation. The successful candidate will work closely with the Director of Nursing and multidisciplinary teams to support the delivery of safe, evidence-based, person-centred care while promoting innovation and continuous improvement in nursing services.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide operational and professional leadership to the Nursing Practice Development CNM2, Clinical Placement Co-ordinator (CPC), and Student Allocation Liaison Officer (SALO).
• Support the Director of Nursing in the operational management of nursing services.
• Promote and maintain high standards of nursing practice aligned with national standards, policies, and evidence-based guidelines.
• Provide mentorship, guidance, and visible clinical leadership to nursing teams.
• Support implementation of nursing policies, procedures, and clinical protocols.
• Encourage staff engagement with digital healthcare transformation initiatives.

• Lead nursing practice development initiatives across clinical services.
• Promote evidence-based practice and continuous quality improvement.
• Support implementation of national healthcare standards and accreditation requirements including HIQA, JCI, NMBI, and JAG.
• Assist in developing nursing documentation standards within the Electronic Health Record (EHR).
• Lead and monitor Nursing Quality Care Metrics and support the use of MEG dashboards to drive accountability and performance improvement.

• Oversee the development and evaluation of blended learning education programmes.
• Identify staff learning and development needs through audits and training needs analysis.
• Support clinical supervision, competency assessment, mentorship, and preceptorship.
• Promote the Careful Nursing Philosophy and Professional Practice Model.
• Act as an EHR Superuser supporting nursing teams during EHR implementation and optimisation.
• Develop and manage online learning resources through platforms such as Workday or equivalent systems.

• Participate in quality improvement initiatives, audits, and accreditation processes.
• Assist with incident reviews and implementation of performance improvement plans.
• Collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and external stakeholders.
• Support organisational change management and service development initiatives.
• Prepare reports, presentations, and documentation for senior leadership as required.

Essential Qualifications

• Registered General Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI).
• Post-registration Level 9 qualification (Master's Degree or higher).
• Teaching & Assessing qualification.
• Strong IT and digital systems competency.

• Minimum 7 years post-registration acute hospital experience.
• Minimum 3 years nursing management experience at Clinical Nurse Manager 2 (CNM2) level or above in an acute setting.

• Experience in clinical education, practice development, or quality improvement.
• Previous project management or service development experience.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development and leadership training.

• Leadership and people management
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Analytical thinking and problem-solving ability
• Change management and service improvement
• Clinical governance and quality assurance expertise
• Commitment to person-centred care and professional excellence

What's on Offer

• Opportunity to join a progressive acute hospital leadership team
• Strong focus on professional development and innovation
• Exposure to strategic nursing initiatives and digital transformation projects
• Supportive and collaborative working environment
• Competitive salary and benefits package