Director, Adult Inpatient Psychiatric Services

Greater NYC Region | Safety-Net Hospital | Nursing Leadership
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A mission-driven, not-for-profit safety-net health system serving one of the most diverse communities in the greater NYC region is looking for a seasoned psych nursing leader who knows that running inpatient behavioral health isn’t for the faint of heart — it’s for people who can read a room in under 10 seconds, sense an escalation before the monitors do, and keep a team grounded even on “full moon energy” days.

This system delivers comprehensive behavioral health care with the kind of grit, compassion, and cultural humility that safety-net nursing leaders know well. And just to keep life interesting?

The organization is in year 1 of a 5-year Pathway to Excellence journey — so your voice in Shared Governance, professional development, and practice standards won’t just be heard… it’ll be needed.

The Opportunity

As Director, you’ll lead a 49-bed Adult Inpatient Psychiatric Service that spans:

  • Two Adult Inpatient Psych Units (your bread and butter)
  • An inpatient Detox Unit (moving into a newly renovated 12-bed space — goodbye, legacy floorplan)
  • A 12-bed Medical Psychiatry Unit (MPU) built for those “not-quite-medically-cleared-but-definitely-psych-admit” situations every psych nurse knows by heart

You’ll lead a team of ~60 FTEs — Senior RNs, RNs, NAs, Ward Clerks, and a part-time Educator — all working alongside Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Social Workers, and trainees who appreciate a Nursing Director who actually shows up, communicates, and doesn’t panic when census is high and acuity is… also high.

This is a big growth moment for the service. Over the next 2–3 years, the inpatient footprint will expand to three newly renovated psych units, a dedicated detox unit, and a fully developed MPU. And in 2026, a new ED breaks ground with adult and adolescent Crisis Psychiatric Units (CPUs) — meaning your fingerprints will be on the entire behavioral health continuum.

You’ll also partner closely with a dynamic new Chair of Psychiatry (translation: someone who wants Nursing at the table) and support the Psychiatry Residency, Nurse Residency, and unit-based Psych Educator to strengthen practice, professional development, and the always-critical art of keeping staff supported and engaged.

What You’ll Lead

  • Daily operations and clinical quality across inpatient psych, detox, and MPU
  • Coaching, managing, and developing ~60 nursing and support staff
  • Close collaboration with Psychiatry leadership and ED partners (including the “don’t send me all your 1:1s at once” conversations)
  • Renovation planning, workflow redesign, and systemwide behavioral health expansion
  • Shared Governance and nursing excellence aligned with Pathway to Excellence
  • Recruitment and development of new graduate nurses (and helping them fall in love with psych before someone steals them)

What You Bring

  • RN with strong acute inpatient psychiatry experience
  • Leadership background in behavioral health or acute care
  • Familiarity with Shared Governance, Magnet, or Pathway to Excellence (even better if you’ve survived a designation cycle)
  • Strong team-building, collaboration, and change-leadership chops
  • Ability to lead during expansion without losing your sense of humor or your grounding in trauma-informed care

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