Director of Care and DON Search for Canadian Long-Term Care
Director of Care and DON search, handled quietly. A Director of Care carries the clinical and regulatory weight of a long-term care home. We help boards and operators find that leader, and we help nurse leaders explore their next move without anyone knowing.
- Free for candidates. Always.
- Licences verified with the regulator
- Every province and territory except Quebec
One role, many titles, one accountability
In Ontario the role is the Director of Nursing and Personal Care. Elsewhere you will see Director of Care, Director of Resident Care, Director of Nursing or DON. Whatever the title, this leader is accountable for resident care, clinical staffing, infection prevention and control, quality and the home's readiness for inspection.
Clinical accountability
Oversees nursing and personal care programs, care planning, medication safety, falls, skin and wound care, responsive behaviours and palliative care.
Team leadership
Leads RNs, RPNs and LPNs, and personal support workers or health care aides. Owns scheduling, recruitment, retention and agency use.
Regulatory readiness
Works with the Administrator on inspections, complaints, critical incidents, resident and family councils and accreditation where it applies.
In many homes, this role is a legal requirement
The rules differ by province, and they change. We confirm the current requirement for your province and home type at the start of every search.
Ontario
The Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 requires every long-term care home to have a Director of Nursing and Personal Care, and says that person must be a registered nurse. The home's regulation, O. Reg. 246/22, adds that anyone hired must have at least one year of experience as an RN in long-term care, at least three years as an RN in a managerial or supervisory role in a health care setting, and demonstrated leadership and communication skills. It also sets minimum on-site hours by home size. A vacancy cannot simply be left open.
British Columbia
Licensed residential care falls under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act and the Residential Care Regulation (B.C. Reg. 96/2009). The regulation requires the licensee to designate an employee qualified by training and experience to supervise care employees and to coordinate and monitor the care of residents. It does not use the title Director of Care.
Alberta
Under the Continuing Care Act and Continuing Care Regulation, type A and type B continuing care homes must have a director of care. For type A homes the role can now be filled by an appropriate regulated health professional, not only a registered nurse. Homes may use a different title, such as care manager or care director.
A private process, step by step
Four steps, with confidentiality agreed at the start.
- Confidential briefingA conversation with the board, CEO or HR lead about the role, the home, the team and, if needed, why the seat is changing. We agree who is told what.
- Targeted outreachWe approach qualified nurse leaders directly and quietly. We do not post the role publicly unless you ask us to.
- Credential and reference checksWe verify registration status with the provincial regulator, such as the College of Nurses of Ontario, the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives or the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta, and confirm required experience before a candidate is presented. Reference checks happen only with the candidate's consent.
- Shortlist and supportYou meet a small shortlist. We support the offer and the transition. Hiring decisions stay with you.
Ways to engage
Choose the engagement that fits the situation.
Retained search
An exclusive, dedicated search for a critical or sensitive seat. Best considered when confidentiality matters or the role is hard to fill.
Contingent search
A fee only when you hire. Suited to standard searches where you want broad candidate reach.
Interim and relief leadership
Short-term Director of Care or Assistant Director of Care cover while you search or during a leave. See contract and relief staffing.
Fee structure and terms are discussed directly. We talk through which approach fits your situation before anything is agreed. Learn more about how our executive search works.
Thinking about your next move? Start with a private conversation
You do not need to update a resume or apply publicly. Tell us what you are looking for: a larger home, a different region, a corporate role, or simply a better team. We share your name with an employer only after you agree.
- Your current employer is never contacted without your consent.
- We explain the role and the home before anything is shared.
- We tell you honestly if we do not have a fit.
What you can expect from us
- We are a new firm and say so. We will tell you what we can and cannot do before you commit to anything.
- We verify registration and experience. We do not guarantee outcomes.
- One accountable contact from first call to start date.
Free for candidates. Always.
Related pages
Nurse managers
Unit and program manager search.
Nurse manager recruitmentAdministrators
Home-level executive search.
Long-term care administrator recruitmentVP Care and CNO
Chief nursing officer search.
Chief nursing officer searchLong-term care
Staffing for care homes.
Long-term care staffingExecutive search
How a confidential search works.
Executive searchContract and relief staffing
Interim and relief cover.
Interim and relief staffingFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between a Director of Care and a DON?
Mostly the title. Ontario uses Director of Nursing and Personal Care in law. Other provinces and operators use Director of Care, Director of Resident Care or DON for the same senior nursing role. The responsibilities, not the label, are what we confirm with you during the first briefing for any search.
Does a Director of Care have to be a Registered Nurse?
In Ontario long-term care, yes. The Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 requires the Director of Nursing and Personal Care to be a registered nurse. In Alberta, type A homes can now use an appropriate regulated health professional. In BC the regulation asks for a person qualified by training and experience. We confirm the current rule before a search starts.
Can you run a search without my staff knowing?
Yes. We approach candidates directly and do not advertise the role unless you ask us to. At the confidential briefing we agree who inside your organization is told what, so a sensitive transition, such as a leader being replaced, is handled with care and without public posting.
Can you provide interim Director of Care cover?
We can discuss interim and relief leadership options through our contract and relief staffing service. Availability depends on the province and the need, so we talk through what is realistic for your home before you decide whether to run an interim arrangement alongside a search.
Do you guarantee a placement?
No. We verify credentials and manage the process carefully. We do not promise outcomes or timelines. Registration and required experience are checked before a candidate is presented to you, and the hiring decision stays with you at every stage of the search.
Whichever side of the table you are on, start privately
Questions first? Contact us.
I am hiring
Brief us on a Director of Care seat. Confidential from the first conversation.
Discuss a Director of Care searchI am a nurse leader
Tell us what you want next. Nothing is shared without your agreement.
Have a confidential conversation