Description:
Summary of the Role
The Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) will hold both operational and strategic management responsibilities, as delegated by the Director of Nursing. The role will place a strong emphasis on the provision of professional, clinical, and compassionate leadership across Hospice Nursing and Care Services.
The ADON will be accountable for ensuring the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based nursing practice across all hospice services. A key focus of the role is to ensure that paediatric palliative nursing care is responsive to the evolving needs of children and families and consistently reflects national and international best practice. All service development and delivery will be underpinned by a child- and family-centred approach.
The post holder will provide leadership, management, and professional support to nursing staff and healthcare assistants, fostering a culture of excellence in care delivery. The ADON will lead on quality domains including service user safety, clinical effectiveness, and service user experience, acting as a clinical and professional leader in the development of nursing practice, policies, and standards. The role will ensure that children, young people, and their families experience high-quality, compassionate, and coordinated care when accessing services at LauraLynn Ireland’s Children’s Hospice.
The ADON will play a lead role in the clinical governance of Hospice Nursing Services. This will include contributing to the development of key process and outcome standards, defining and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), and leading quality assurance and continuous improvement programmes.
Benefits
Strong sense of purpose and meaningful work
Flexible working arrangements
Learning and professional development opportunities
Pension scheme
Comprehensive induction programme
Extensive in-house person-centred training for nursing, clinical, and care staff
Generous annual leave entitlement
Active wellbeing supports, including:
In-house occupational health service
Free 24/7/365 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for staff and immediate family members
Subsidised canteen
Free on-site car parking
Membership of the HSSU Credit Union
Bike to Work Scheme
Essential Criteria
The successful candidate will ideally demonstrate the following:
Registered nurse, or eligible for registration, with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI)
A minimum of 7 years post-registration nursing experience
At least 3 years’ experience at Clinical Nurse Manager (CNM) grade or equivalent
Demonstrated managerial and leadership experience at CNM2, CNM3, or higher level
Evidence of post-registration education
Proven experience in service development, service improvement, or service redesign
Demonstrated success in delivering measurable improvements in patient care and family experience