Assistant Director of Nursing

Assistant Director of Nursing (Rehabilitation Service/Older Persons Rehabilitation) Based at Blarney Rehabilitation Unit and any buildings within the Mercy University Complex. Permanent Contract, Full Time Hours. The post holder is professionally accountable to the Director of Nursing, Mercy University Hospital (MUH). Details of Blarney Rehabilitation Unit Service: Blarney Rehabilitation Unit is a newly developed purpose-built post hospital rehabilitation unit. It is made up of 50 beds located off site from the MUH. It remains under the governance of the MUH. The Rehabilitation Services program delivers specialist post-acute care, focusing on patient-centred reablement to help patients achieve optimal functionality and independence following illness or injury. This service emphasizes seamless transitions of care between hospital and home, integrating multidisciplinary expertise to support patient recovery. Responsibilities include: Implement the MUH strategic vision, ensuring alignment with hospital and national healthcare objectives. Lead service planning and resource allocation for assigned departments, promoting cost-effective, efficient care delivery. Analyse patient flow and capacity metrics; develop and monitor action plans to optimise throughput and reduce delays. Act as consultant for nursing and para-nursing staff on policy interpretation, standards of practice, and professional conduct. Develop, review, and implement nursing policies, protocols, and clinical guidelines in line with regulatory and accreditation requirements. Provide mentorship, guidance, and performance management support to CNM3, CNM2, Staff Nurses, and Health Care Assistants. Coordinate annual training needs analyses and facilitate delivery of mandatory and professional development programmes. Collaborate with HR to prepare business cases for new nursing roles and service expansions. Oversee appraisal and objective-setting processes for nursing staff within assigned areas. Promote a culture of patient engagement, dignity, and respect in all nursing interactions. Monitor patient satisfaction metrics specific to nursing care; co-design action plans with frontline teams to address feedback. Eligibility Criteria: Be registered in the General Division of the Register of Nurses kept by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). Have 7 years post registration experience in an acute hospital setting including at least 3 years recent experience at Clinical Nurse Manager 2 level in an acute setting. Have successfully completed a post registration programme of study, as certified by the education provider, which verifies that the applicant has achieved a National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) major academic Level 8 or higher award maintained by Quality & Qualifications of Ireland (QQI) or can provide written evidence from the Higher Education Institute that they have achieved the number of ECTS credits equivalent to a Level 8 or higher standard in a health care or management related area. Provide evidence of ongoing professional development. Candidates must possess the requisite clinical, leadership, managerial and administrative knowledge and ability for the proper discharge of the duties of the office. Closing date for applications is 1pm on Friday, 24th October 2025. MUH reserve the right to create a panel for this post from which permanent, fixed term and specified purpose vacancies of a full or part time duration may be filled. Mercy University Hospital (MUH) MUH is a growing voluntary hospital in the heart of Cork City. We have over 1,500 staff providing complex diagnostic, medical and surgical care through our inpatient, day patient, outpatient and emergency services. We are a teaching hospital, a centre of national and international excellence, and are renowned for our research and tertiary services. Providing 24/7 acute surgical, acute medical and critical care, MUH now has multiple sites across the city and continues to expand. We support staff development with approx. 100 promotions annually.We prioritise work life balance with 28% of our team working part time hours.We offer nationally agreed enhanced Salary Scales, Pension Scheme, excellent holidays, canteen, and Study Leave and Assistance. From Cardiac Care to Intensive Care, our varied specialist services offer real career choice to our team.For fully registered NMBI recognised nurses, we offer a generous relocation package (if coming from abroad). We live by our Core Values of Compassion, Excellence, Justice, Respect and Team Spirit. Skills: NMBI Registered 7+ years experience Nurse Manager