Overview:
Post Title:
Assistant Directorate of Nursing Bed Management
Department
Patient Flow Department
Location:
Beaumont Hospital
Reports to:
Head of Bed Management
Salary:
ADON salary scale (€72,843- €89,894 LSI)
Hours of work:
Full time, 37.5 hours per week
Closing Date:
Thursday 16th July 2026
Please note the hospital reserves the right to close the competition early should a substantial number of applications be received
Job Summary:
The Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) for Bed Management is a senior healthcare leadership role responsible for optimizing hospital bed management and ensuring seamless patient movement from admission to discharge. The primary goal is to minimize wait times, reduce Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding, and facilitate timely, safe patient transfers.
ADON in Bed Management Priorities:
- Bed Management: Oversees daily bed allocation, balancing scheduled admissions with unscheduled (emergency) demand to maximise hospital throughput.
- Discharge Planning: Drives "Plan for Every Patient" and "Predicted Date of Discharge" (PDD) initiatives to prevent discharge delays and reduce the average length of stay.
- Escalation Management: Ensures hospital escalation and overcrowding policies are implemented, recorded, and strictly followed during periods of high acute demand.
- Community Integration: Collaborates with primary and community care structures (nursing homes, community intervention teams) to facilitate safe, integrated transfers out of acute settings.
- Data & Performance Monitoring: Analyses real-time and historical data (e.g., patient wait times, bed occupancy rates) to report on key performance indicators (KPIs) to the hospital's executive management team.
- Team Leadership: Manages the wider patient flow team, including clinical nurse managers, bed managers, and discharge coordinators.
Responsibilities:
Principal Duties and Responsibilities:
A. Operational Management
i. Responsible for the operational management of Bed Management ensuring the efficient and effective day to day running of the department, matching resources to need with flexibility to respond to workload pressures.
ii. Develop and deliver effective operational plans linked to the hospital & DNE Regional strategy and organisational development programme, ensuring that organisational and national Key Performance Indicators are met.
iii. Implementing admission, discharge and transfer protocols, guidance and other relevant policies on the management of hospital flow and the timely placement of patients in the most appropriate environment in the acute or non-acute sector.
iv. Constant monitoring and reporting of capacity KPI’s to senior management and circulation on a regular basis reports for key clinical decision makers on resource utilisation within the acute sector.
v. Active direct participation in relevant forums such as:
- National/Regional & associated forums
- Discharge Planning
- Major Incident Planning
vi. The post holder will be required to develop effective communications arrangements with colleagues in other acute hospitals and community.
vii. Manage the operational implementation of new service initiatives, including liaising with stakeholders, developing operational policies and guidelines as required.
B. Service Planning
i. Liaise with senior management to develop service plans and report frequently on progress of plans
ii. Implement effective controls to monitor, evaluate and report the standards of delivery within the area of Patient Flow
iii. Create a culture of accountability, openness to change, respect for the individual and teamwork
iv. Implement effective controls to monitor, evaluate and report the standards of delivery within the area of Patient Flow.
v. To implement proven business management technologies within the Department to strengthen performance and enhance its reputation internally within the Hospital and externally with the public, General Practitioners and the HSE.
vi. To lead projects which improve the quality of services provided to patients evidenced by improved performance against national and international benchmarks.
vii. Providing required reports to outside agencies.
C. Performance Management
i. To monitor, control and report on Department activity working with and reporting directly to the Head of Department and key executive stakeholders including: The COO, Director of Nursing, The Head of Medical and Emergency Operations, Head of Surgical Operations as required.
ii. To be accountable for the effective use of resources, alerting the Chief Operations Officer in respect of imminent matters which may impinge on effective running of the department.
iii. Work collaboratively with relevant stakeholders to lead initiatives in strategic planning, development and redesign of services for unscheduled and scheduled care services.
D. HR Management and Organisational Development
i. Manage all staff within the Bed Management Department, scheduled and unscheduled care, complying with hospital HR policies and procedures, encompassing unscheduled and scheduled care staff.
ii. Maximise the contribution of these staff by developing systems for performance appraisal, personal development, individual and organisational development and continued skill mix review.
iii. Ensure that the responsibilities and objectives for direct reports are clearly defined and understood – job descriptions and person specifications up-to- date.
iv. Regularly reviewing staff complements and skill mix across the Department to ensure that staffing is appropriate for current and projected clinical and operational demands.
v. Be responsible for managing sickness and absence in accordance with hospital policy.
vi. Act as a point of contact for staff on human resource issues in accordance with HR policies and procedures.
vii. Be responsible for facilitating all staff to continue their education and personal development to support improved organisational performance.
viii. Ensure the involvement of all staff through open and direct communication to sustain a high level of commitment and flexibility from the Department workforce through implementing the hospital Communication Strategy and in particular the Team Briefings Policy
ix. Promote equal opportunity and adherence to best practice employment and approaches to managing and implementing change.
E. Quality Assurance and Risk Management
i. Contribute to the development and lead on the implementation of best practice service modernisation and improvement plans and strategies within the Department.
ii. Encourage a culture of continuous improvement and mutual co-operation in the achievement to the highest possible standards of clinical care and maximum efficiency.
iii. To develop governance systems within the Department which ensure that all relevant HIQA and international standards are met.
iv. To ensure that the Department has effective procedures in place for risk assessment and risk management.
v. To co-ordinate the Departments participation in local risk management initiatives to monitor clinical and non-clinical compliance with Health & Safety, Infection Control, Occupational Health, Fire Safety, environmental and organisational risks.
vi. To co-ordinate the processing of adverse incidents within the Department ensuring that they are investigated promptly, respecting confidentiality, instigating preventative action where necessary to fulfil IQS policies and procedures.
The job description indicates the main functions and responsibilities of the post and is subject to review and amendment. Other specific work not covered in this job description may also be assigned by the Director of Nursing from time to time.
Qualifications:
Selection Criteria:
Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post.
Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.
Mandatory:
- Registered General Nurse with active professional registration
- Level 8 degree qualification
- Have a minimum of 6 years post qualification experience 3 of which must be in a relevant acute hospital setting
- A minimum of 3 years management experience at CNM2 level or equivalent
- Strong knowledge of acute hospital operations and associated KPIs
- IT literate
Desirable:
- Patient flow experience
- Management qualification
Informal Enquiries ONLY to:
Name: Yvonne Ryan
Title: Interim Head of Bed Management
Email address:
[email protected]
If an appointee has previously been employed in the Civil or Public Service and that appointee is entitled to or in receipt of a pension from the Civil or Public Service or where a Civil/ Public Service pension comes into payment during the appointee’s re-employment that pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with Section 52 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012. Please note: In applying for this position you are acknowledging that you understand that the abatement provisions, where relevant, will apply. It is not envisaged that the employing Department/ Office/ Body will support an application for an abatement waiver in respect of appointments to this position.
