CHIEF OF NURSING SERVICES - 60005736

Requisition No: 886050 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: CHIEF OF NURSING SERVICES - 60005736

 Pay Plan: SES

Position Number: 60005736 

Salary:  $105,004.64 Annually / Attachment B 

Posting Closing Date: 11/01/2026 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the state of Florida’s social services agency. The agency oversees services for child safety, fostering, adoption, domestic violence, adult protective services, refugees, homelessness, mental health, substance abuse, childcare providers, human trafficking and public assistance. The agency’s mission is to work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.

Within DCF, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Program office is recognized as the single state authority for substance abuse and mental health services. The Office of SAMH is statutorily responsible for the planning, evaluation, and implementation of a comprehensive statewide system of care for the prevention, treatment, and recovery of children and adults with serious mental illnesses or substance use disorders.

Florida State Hospital (FSH) is a mental health treatment facility owned and operated by the State of Florida and is part of the Department of Children and Families. The department’s mission is to “work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.” 

FLORIDA STATE HOSPITAL IS A TOBACCO FREE FACILITY.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION RESPONSES TO THE QUALIFYING QUESTIONS ARE REQUIRED AND MUST BE VERIFIABLE BASED ON YOUR SUBMITTED APPLICATION.

This is a highly responsible and professional position serving as the Chief of Nursing Services within Nursing Services. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative team player who works seamlessly across all sections within the program office. This role requires the use of independent judgment, a proactive approach to responsibilities, and exceptional attention to detail. If you are driven, organized, and thrive in a fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities include:

• This is professional work supervising and directing employees; including but not limited to communicating with, motivating, training and evaluating employees, planning and directing their work; and having the authority to effectively recommend actions such as: hire, transfer, suspend, layoff, promote, discharge, assign, and reward or discipline direct reports.  Evaluates employees against established standards and takes appropriate actions when necessary (i.e. recognition, reward, corrective action, etc.)
• Will serve as Hospital Director of Nurses for Civil Services.  Provides direct supervision to unit nurse managers.  Co-chairs the Hospital Nursing Management Team and serves on standing and ad-hoc committees, performing related work as required.
• Implements and monitors nursing care standards and performs periodic quality care reviews and writes recommendations regarding nursing deficiencies.
• Participates in multiple ad-hoc projects and initiatives that require the expertise of a psychiatric nurse including legal issues, mortality reviews, high risk resident reviews, TQM projects and other responsibilities as assigned.
• Develops, reviews and revises nursing standards, nursing operating procedures and forms to assure quality nursing care and practice.
• Oversees and participates in nurse recruitment activities.
• Assures all nursing licenses are current as defined by Florida Statutes. 
• Meets quarterly with Hospital Administrator and Executive Leadership Team to address Nursing Performance and issues.
• Performs other related duties as assigned by supervisor upon request or as the need arises. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required for the position:

• Knowledge of appropriate hospital standards, policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of psychiatric and medical nursing principles, practices and techniques.
• Knowledge of audit procedures and data analysis.
• Knowledge of interviewing techniques.
• Knowledge of the treatment team approach in psychiatric nursing.
• Knowledge of Service Implementation Planning; knowledge of State and Federal nursing standards.
• Knowledge of pharmacology, human anatomy, physiology, and nutrition.
• Knowledge of communicable diseases, immunizations and infection control techniques.
• Knowledge of emergency life saving techniques and principles; knowledge of the unit dose system of administering medication.
• Skill in interpersonal and written communication, including developing policies and procedures.
• Skill in the observation of patients, assessing psychiatric and medical needs, and intervention to meet those needs.
• Ability to function in a consultant and facilitator role.
• Ability to utilize problem solving techniques.
• Ability to understand and monitor compliance with applicable rules, regulations, standards, policies and procedures.
• Ability to provide nursing care to patients with a variety of psychiatric and medical problems.
• Ability to participate in treatment team planning, implementation and evaluation for each patient and therapeutic programs.
• Ability to provide crisis intervention and emergency nursing care; ability to design, develop and evaluate mental health treatment programs.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse in accordance with Florida Statute 464 or eligible to practice nursing in accordance with Florida Administrative Code 210-8.27 or multi-state license under the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) and five years of professional nursing supervisor experience.
• Master of Science Degree in nursing

Candidate Profile (application) must be completed in its entirety:

• Include the supervisor names and phone numbers for all periods of employment.
• Account for and explain gaps in employment so that the hiring process is not delayed.
• Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills and/or abilities, as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications.
• It is unacceptable to use the statement “See Resume” in place of responding to qualifying questions and entering work history.
• If you experience problems applying online, please call the People First Service Center at (877) 562-7287.

Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

• Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits.
• For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

DCF EMPLOYMENT DISCLOSURES

US CITIZEN REQUIREMENT Only US citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers will be hired.

SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM REGISTRATION All selected male candidates born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion into an authorized position unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS).  Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire.  For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov.

RETIREE NOTICE If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be suspended or voided, and you required to repay all benefits received depending upon the date of your retirement.

BACKGROUND SCREENING It is the policy of the Florida Department of Children and Families that any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and, if applicable, also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and Chapter 408, F.S.  No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency.  Background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for State and Federal criminal records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and may include local criminal history checks through local law enforcement agencies.

Background Screening Information: Applicants are encouraged to review the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse Education and Awareness information prior to applying.

Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse Education and Awareness website:

https://info.flclearinghouse.com

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.