Director of Staff Development (DSD) / Licensed Nurse II Distinct Part Skilled Nursing Facility

The Director of Staff Development (DSD) / Licensed Nurse II is a full-time dual-role position responsible for the planning, implementation, management, documentation, and evaluation of staff development functions within the Distinct Part Skilled Nursing Facility (DP SNF), including CNA orientation and in-service education and JCFHD’s California Department of Public Health (CDPH)-approved facility-based Nurse Assistant Training Program (NATP). When approved by CDPH, the DSD serves as a NATP Instructor and provides classroom/theory, skills, and clinical instruction in accordance with the facility’s approved program, curriculum, schedules, policies, and regulatory requirements. Outside protected DSD/NATP time, the employee functions as a licensed nurse and provides direct resident care and other licensed nursing services as assigned, within scope of practice, demonstrated competency, resident needs, and District policy.

PROTECTED DSD/NATP TIME: Under current requirements for JCFHD’s licensed bed capacity and approved facility-based CNA certification program, the DSD shall be scheduled for a minimum of 20 protected DSD/NATP hours per week, or such other minimum as may be required by then-current law or regulation. JCFHD applies the required minimum while the facility maintains the approved program, including between active cohorts. Additional DSD/NATP hours shall be scheduled when necessary to safely and compliantly deliver the approved program.

For scheduling and timekeeping purposes, protected DSD/NATP time includes CNA/NATP classroom and skills instruction, clinical instruction and supervision, lesson preparation, student evaluation, training records, CNA orientation and in-service education, competency validation, and approved program administration/regulatory oversight. These activities are DSD/NATP functions and are included within the applicable protected DSD/NATP requirement; they are not an additional obligation beyond the regulatory minimum.

Role Expectations

In performing the responsibilities of this position, the Teammate shall

Demonstrate the District’s Mission, Vision, and PEAKS values. Promote a respectful, inclusive, and psychologically safe workplace. Maintain patient, resident, employee, and organizational confidentiality. Report safety, quality, compliance, and ethical concerns promptly. Participate in performance improvement, education, emergency preparedness, and required training. Work collaboratively across departments and support the District’s commitment to safe, high-quality care. Perform assigned responsibilities in accordance with District policies, applicable collective bargaining agreements, professional standards, and federal and California laws and regulations.

Organizational commitment

Mission

John C. Fremont Healthcare District’s mission is to provide high-quality, compassionate, and accessible healthcare close to home. Every Teammate is expected to support this mission through professional, responsive, and person-centered service.

Vision

John C. Fremont Healthcare District’s vision is to be a leader in rural healthcare. Teammates contribute to this vision by supporting safe, reliable, innovative, and sustainable healthcare services for the communities we serve.

PEAKS Values

All Teammates are expected to demonstrate the District’s PEAKS values in their daily work:

Person-Centered: Place patients, residents, families, and Teammates at the center of our decisions and actions. Engage: Communicate openly, collaborate effectively, and actively participate in improving the District. Accountable: Take ownership of responsibilities, decisions, conduct, and outcomes. Kindness: Treat every person with dignity, compassion, patience, and respect. Serve Others: Support the needs of our patients, residents, community, and fellow Teammates.

Culture of Safety

Every Teammate shares responsibility for maintaining a Culture of Safety. Teammates are expected to identify and promptly report safety concerns, errors, near misses, hazards, and opportunities for improvement through the appropriate reporting and chain-of-command processes. Teammates must participate honestly and constructively in safety reviews, protect patients and residents from harm, follow established safety practices, and support an environment in which concerns may be raised without fear of retaliation.

Just Culture

John C. Fremont Healthcare District applies Just Culture principles when reviewing workplace decisions, conduct, performance, and safety events. The District distinguishes among human error, at-risk behavior, and reckless behavior while considering system factors, available resources, training, policies, and individual accountability. Teammates are expected to make responsible choices, follow established policies and procedures, report concerns accurately, participate in improvement efforts, and accept appropriate accountability for their actions and decisions.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

DSD / NATP Program Management and Regulatory Compliance

Manages and coordinates the DP SNF’s CDPH-approved CNA orientation, in-service, and facility-based NATP functions in collaboration with the DON, Administrator, and RN Program Director, when separately designated. Maintains the facility’s training program consistent with its current CDPH approvals, approved curriculum, program schedule, administrative policies and procedures, organizational structure, and instructor requirements. Reviews NATP administrative and management policies at the intervals required by current law, regulation, and CDPH program requirements, and recommends revisions whenever regulatory requirements, facility practices, or program operations change.

Assists with required CDPH submissions, renewals, notifications, program updates, DSD/Instructor changes, and documentation. Changes requiring CDPH approval shall not be implemented before required approval is obtained. Maintains evidence of current DSD/Instructor approval, nursing licensure, qualifying education/experience, and other required credentials.

Maintains survey-ready training records and promptly reports actual or potential program-compliance concerns to the DON and Administrator as appropriate.

CNA/NATP Instruction and Clinical Supervision

Provides classroom/theory, skills laboratory, and clinical instruction when assigned and approved by CDPH, following the facility’s approved NATP curriculum, lesson plans, schedule, and evaluation methods. Ensures required preclinical instruction and competency prerequisites are completed before trainees have direct resident contact. Provides or ensures demonstration and return demonstration of required nurse assistant skills and documents student competency in accordance with the approved program.

During clinical training, remains free of other assigned facility responsibilities and provides immediate/on-site supervision of students as required by the approved NATP. Maintains the clinical student-to-instructor ratio required by current law, regulation, CDPH guidance, and the facility’s approved NATP. Ensures trainees do not perform resident-care services for which they have not been instructed and found proficient, and immediately intervenes when resident safety, resident rights, or program requirements are at risk.

Completes student evaluations, attendance, skills documentation, individual student records, remediation, and completion documentation accurately and timely. Coordinates with the RN Program Director/DON regarding student progress, instructor coverage, curriculum delivery, clinical placement, program completion, and regulatory attestations.

CNA Orientation, In-Service Education, and Competency

Plans, coordinates, and/or provides required orientation for newly employed nurse assistants before they independently provide direct resident care, consistent with applicable requirements and the facility’s approved program. Develops and maintains the CNA in-service education schedule and makes required training available in accordance with current California requirements and the facility’s approved in-service program. Tracks applicable federal and state CNA in-service education requirements and escalates actual or anticipated deficits so each nurse aide receives the education required to maintain continuing competence and certification.

Ensures CNA in-service education includes all subject matter required by current federal and state law, regulation, CDPH guidance, the approved program, resident needs, and identified facility risks. Uses CNA performance-review findings, resident population needs, the facility assessment, quality trends, incidents, infection-prevention findings, and survey deficiencies to identify and prioritize education needs. Develops lesson plans that include learning/performance objectives, sufficient topic detail, teaching methodology, and evaluation of learning.

Maintains in-service schedules, lesson plans, attendance records, evaluations, and related documentation for the retention period required by current law, regulation, CDPH requirements, and District policy. Provides employees with required documentation of completed in-service education and maintains accurate training records for certification-renewal support.

SNF Staff Development, Orientation, and Competency

Coordinates DP SNF orientation and ongoing staff-development activities for nursing staff and other SNF personnel as assigned, consistent with the facility’s staff-development program. Assesses and validates competencies for CNAs and, as assigned and within scope, licensed nursing staff upon hire/initial assignment and thereafter as required by applicable law, regulation, CDPH-approved program requirements, and District policy, and when changes in assignment, practice, equipment, resident needs, or identified competency gaps warrant reassessment. Provides or coordinates education regarding new equipment, products, procedures, policies, infection prevention, emergency preparedness, resident rights, abuse prevention, documentation, safety, and other identified needs.

Provides focused retraining and competency reassessment following identified knowledge or skill gaps; communicates unresolved competency concerns to the Director of Nursing (DON). If the DON is unavailable and immediate escalation is required, follows the SNF chain of command to the Administrator or Administrator on Call, as appropriate. Supports a Just Culture approach by distinguishing education/competency needs from performance-management or conduct concerns and escalating unresolved nursing practice, competency, or conduct concerns to the Director of Nursing (DON), with further escalation to the Administrator or Administrator on Call as appropriate.

The DSD does not administer disciplinary action.

Quality, Survey Readiness, and Performance Improvement

Participates in QAPI, survey readiness, infection prevention, and performance-improvement activities relevant to staff knowledge, competency, and CNA/NATP compliance. Prepares staff for surveys through education, skills validation, mock interviews, drills, documentation review, and focused remediation based on identified risk. Monitors the effectiveness of educational interventions and recommends additional education, competency validation, process change, or leadership follow-up when improvement is not sustained. Maintains current awareness of changes to applicable CDPH, CMS, California Health and Safety Code, Title 22, and other requirements relevant to the DSD and CNA training programs.

Protected DSD/NATP Time and Role Boundaries

Protected DSD/NATP time shall be scheduled and identifiable on the work schedule/timekeeping record and shall be sufficient to meet the minimum regulatory requirement and actual program workload. Routine charge-nurse, treatment-nurse, medication-nurse, staffing, or resident-assignment responsibilities shall not be scheduled concurrently with protected…