Associate Director Of Nursing, Unplanned Care

Palmerston North Hospital, fixed term for 12 months, 0.8FTE

We are seeking an exceptional Associate Director of Nursing (ADON) to lead, strengthen, and advance nursing excellence across the Emergency Department, Integrated Operations Centre, Renal and sexual Health services.

This senior leadership role is pivotal in shaping the professional direction of our nursing workforce and supporting a high-performing culture committed to equitable health outcomes for the communities we serve.

As the professional nursing leader for these services, you will drive standards of practice, support clinical governance, and ensure that our nursing workforce is equipped, enabled, and supported to deliver safe, high-quality, compassionate care. You will be responsible for embedding consistent professional standards, enhancing workforce capability, and ensuring alignment with organisational goals, regulatory requirements, and national priorities.

This is a dynamic and influential position requiring an innovative, credible, and highly skilled nurse leader. You will bring extensive experience in professional nursing leadership, a deep understanding of contemporary nursing practice, and proven ability to influence quality, safety, and workforce outcomes at scale. As a key member of the leadership team, you will work in close partnership with the Operations Lead, Medical Leads, and wider clinical governance groups to ensure robust professional oversight and excellence in care delivery.

Key Responsibilities:

The Associate Director of Nursing will:

• Lead, promote, and uphold high standards of professional nursing practice across the service
• Drive the development and implementation of workforce capability initiatives, including professional development pathways, advanced practice roles, and succession planning
• Provide strong professional governance, ensuring compliance with regulatory, organisational, and Ministry of Health requirements
• Influence and support system improvements that enhance quality, safety, and patient experience
• Translate organisational strategy into achievable nursing plans that strengthen professional capability and improve service delivery outcomes
• Work collaboratively with clinical and operational leaders to champion a culture of continuous improvement, equity, safety, and excellence
• Support safe staffing, professional oversight, credentialing, and workforce planning processes
• Lead responses to emerging professional issues, nursing workforce trends, and quality of care concerns

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and visionary nurse leader who is passionate about advancing professional practice and making a meaningful, system-level impact.

We are aiming to hold interviews during the week commencing 2 March so please ensure you get your application in early if you are interested in this role.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Maria Armstrong or Gillian Allen.