Associate Director of Clinical Nursing Services

Texas Health Action (THA) is a community-informed non-profit organization dedicated to providing access to culturally affirming, quality health services in a safe and supportive environment, with expertise in serving LGBTQIA+ people and those impacted by HIV. Kind Clinic proudly serves Texas with four vibrant locations: two in Austin, one in San Antonio, and another in Dallas plus virtual care services available to all residents across Texas. Bolstered by Waterloo Counseling Center and a passionate team of over 250 dedicated employees and volunteers, THA is at the forefront of promoting healthcare equity and accessibility throughout the state. Read more about THA here: http://texashealthaction.org.

The Associate Director of Clinical Nursing Services is responsible for system-wide clinical oversight, professional nursing practice leadership, and competency assurance for all nursing staff across Texas Health Action services in Texas. This role provides authoritative clinical direction, nursing practice standards, and clinical escalation support across multiple operational settings while preserving existing operational reporting structures.

Core Functions

Nursing Operations & Workforce Management

• Support nurse staffing models and deployment in partnership with Clinic Administrators and Clinical Operations leadership to ensure safe, effective clinic operations.
• Work in tandem with operational managers and the Patient Access Nurse Manager to ensure adequate nurse staffing for clinical operations.
• Serve as the direct clinical supervisor for clinic-based and outreach nursing staff, with authority over nursing practice standards, clinical competency validation, delegation, and remediation related to clinical performance.
• Plan regular nurse team meetings and agendas for team building, professional development, and communication.
• Perform both direct and non-direct patient care nursing tasks as staffing requires, with direct care serving as a secondary function to leadership responsibilities.
• Ensure initial and ongoing clinical competency validation for nursing staff in collaboration with the Clinical Education Manager, including documentation of clinical skills, delegation competency, and role-specific requirements across clinics, Patient Support Center, and outreach programs.

Clinical Practice Oversight

• Maintain clinical credibility through observation and limited direct patient care as needed.
• Ensure compliance with Texas nursing scope of practice requirements for RNs, LVNs, and MAs.
• Maintain clinical competencies through direct-care observation and/or practice within the clinics. Serve as the primary clinical escalation point for nursing-related clinical questions, adverse events, and patient safety concerns.
• Participate in recurring Kind Clinic manager meetings to ensure cohesive clinical–administrative care coordination and delivery.
• Serve as the organizational subject matter expert (SME) on Texas Board of Nursing rules, scope of practice, delegation standards, and supervision requirements, ensuring consistent interpretation and application across all clinical settings.
• Establish, oversee, and periodically review nursing delegation frameworks and the implementation of physician-issued standing delegation orders (SDOs), in collaboration with Medical Directors, in accordance with Texas Board of Nursing and Texas Medical Board requirements and evidence-based care models.

Professional Accountability & Safe Practice

• Promote a culture of safe nursing practice and professional accountability consistent with Texas Board of Nursing standards.
• Support nursing staff in exercising professional judgment, including the duty to question orders or operational directives that may place patients at risk.
• Ensure mechanisms exist for nurses to escalate clinical concerns without fear of retaliation.

Matrixed Clinical Authority

• Exercise system-wide clinical authority over nursing practice and nursing personnel for all RNs and LVNs, regardless of local operational reporting relationships. Ensure that MA clinical activities are performed in accordance with physician-issued standing delegation orders and under appropriate licensed provider supervision and monitor adherence to established clinical protocols.
• Non-clinical administrative supervision, scheduling, timekeeping, and HR process management remain the responsibility of the respective site operational leader (e.g., Clinic Administrator, Director of Patient Access, Director of Community Health).
• Provide clinical direction, guidance, and