Chief Nursing Officer, Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center

About the role

The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) is a critical member of the Medical Center’s executive leadership team, reporting directly to the System Chief Nursing Executive and serving on the System Nursing Executive Council. The CNO is responsible and accountable for the overall delivery and management of nursing professional practice, education, professional development, research, administration, and clinical services at Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center. As a visionary leader, the CNO guides the execution of the strategic plan to achieve the organizational mission and vision, supporting high standards for nursing practice and patient care.

The CNO works closely with the Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center President, senior leadership, physician leaders, and leaders across Atlantic Health to enhance the clinical practice environment, ensuring it is patient-centered with unsurpassed clinical quality, patient safety, and patient experience.

Direct Reports

• Director, Nursing Administration
• Director, Critical Care
• Director, Mother Baby/L&D
• Director, Nursing Surgical
• Director, Emergency Department
• Director of Clinical Ops
• Director of Pediatric and PICU, NICU
• Nurse Manager, Ortho/Spine Surgery
• Nurse Manager, Informatics
• Director of Clinical Excellence

Responsibilities

• Ensures organizational values, goals, and objectives are transformed into daily operations, resulting in an excellent quality, efficient, effective, caring, and respectful environment.
• Provides leadership for the practice of nursing and is accountable for nursing practice, quality, education/professional development, engagement, and research throughout the hospital.
• Defines the scope of nursing practice and establishes structures, role accountability, and systems to ensure clinical competence of all nursing personnel, aligning with Atlantic Health nursing standards.
• Recommends and manages annual operating and capital budgets for nursing, ensuring prudent management of resources.
• Creates a healthy work environment that is safe, respectful, and collaborative.
• Builds credibility, trust, and partners with physicians as a champion for patient care, quality, service, and nursing professionalism.
• Collaborates with the Chief Medical Officer, medical staff officers, departmental chairpersons, and system leaders to improve quality, patient safety, and service efforts.
• Fosters a multidisciplinary approach to quality improvement, focusing on coordination of services and improving patient outcomes and experience.
• Develops effective working relationships with key stakeholders and system leaders.
• Manages organizational relationships to build and maintain a climate of trust and inspire commitment to achieving organizational goals.
• Partners with the HR team to develop strategies for recruitment, retention, workforce management, and recognition of excellence in nursing.
• Promotes professional nursing practice and ensures standards of care are developed, implemented, and evaluated.
• Ensures standards of patient care and nursing practice are consistent with current research and professional standards.
• Provides consultation and collaboration with nurses, physicians, and leaders in establishing policies for patient care.
• Drives continuous quality improvement, standards of care, discovery, and innovation through research and evidence-based practices.
• Serves as a board member for Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center Foundation efforts.
• Serves as a member of the community advisory board at Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center.
• Provides leadership and influence to the nursing profession at regional, state, and national levels.

Requirements

• Extensive executive-level experience within high-performing organizations.
• A clinical operations-oriented leader with strong financial acumen.
• A track record of success improving performance, patient flow, and collaboration with service lines.
• Proven ability to lead in a complex, matrixed healthcare organization in an acute care setting.
• Demonstrated experience advocating and representing nursing at the senior administration level.
• A track record of effectively partnering and communicating with physicians; viewed as a champion for patient quality and clinical excellence.
• Proven hands-on success in leading challenging projects to successful completion.
• Demonstrated ability to hold teams accountable, work collaboratively, and achieve strong bottom-line profitability.
• A track record of success in an environment valuing independent thinking, collaboration, transparency, mutual respect, and a shared passion for excellence and innovation.
• Patient-oriented with passion and empathy.
• A history of developing and mentoring strong, cohesive leadership teams that drive excellence.
• A track record of creating a working environment where morale is high, and team members feel valued and find joy and meaning in their work.
• Knowledge of Lean principles and techniques.
• A proven track record of improving patient experience and team member engagement.
• A proven track record of coaching and mentoring aspiring nurse leaders.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree required; Doctorate preferred. If the degree is not in nursing, the officer must have either a bachelor’s or a doctorate in nursing.
• Advanced Certification in Nursing Leadership highly preferred.
• Advanced knowledge in Nursing, health policy, regulatory compliance, process redesign, and management acquired through formal and continuing education.
• Minimum of seven (7) years in senior nursing leadership roles, with prior CNO experience.
• Nursing leadership experience in an academic medical center or complex healthcare organization, preferably in a healthcare system.
• Knowledge and experience in Magnet principles, with prior experience in a Magnet facility.
• Knowledge of nursing staffing methods, retention, recruitment, and finance.
• Proven strategic-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
• Experience in a complex matrix organization.
• Experience in a tertiary medical center with programs including Cardiac Surgery, Level 1 trauma, and teaching medical and allied health programs.

About Us

At Atlantic Health, our promise to our communities is to provide the highest quality care delivered at the right time, at the right place, and at the right cost. This commitment extends to our more than 22,000 team members. Headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey, we are one of the leading non-profit healthcare systems in the nation. Our facilities include:

• Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center, Morristown, NJ
• Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center, Summit, NJ
• Atlantic Health Newton Medical Center, Newton, NJ
• Atlantic Health Chilton Medical Center, Pompton Plains, NJ
• Atlantic Health Hackettstown Medical Center, Hackettstown, NJ
• Atlantic Health Goryeb Children's Hospital, Morristown, NJ
• Atlantic Health CentraState Healthcare System, Freehold, NJ
• Atlantic Medical Group
• Atlantic Visiting Nurse
• Atlantic Mobile Health
• Atlantic Rehabilitation

We have more than 900 community-based healthcare providers affiliated through Atlantic Medical Group. Morristown Medical Center is nationally recognized as a leader in cardiology and heart surgery, orthopedics, gynecology, geriatrics, gastroenterology and GI surgery, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology. We are the only hospital in New Jersey named one of America's "50 Best Hospitals" for six consecutive years by Healthgrades and one of the World's Best Hospitals by Newsweek. We were included on Becker's Healthcare 2020 list of "100 Great Hospitals in America." Additionally, Leapfrog recognized us with an "A" hospital safety grade—its highest—twelve consecutive times, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services awarded us its highest five-star rating in 2020. Morristown Medical Center is a Magnet Hospital for Excellence in Nursing Service and a Level I Regional Trauma Center designated by the American College of Surgeons and a Level II by the State of NJ.

Awards and Recognition

• Chosen for 17 years by Fortune as one of the magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.”
• Atlantic Health Morristown and Atlantic Health Overlook named by Newsweek as two of the “World’s Best Hospitals” in 2026.
• Atlantic Health Morristown and Atlantic Health Overlook ranked within the top three hospitals in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 Best Hospital rankings.
• Atlantic Health scored four “A” grades by The Leapfrog Group in its Fall 2025 Hospital Safety Grades.
• Atlantic Health Morristown and Atlantic Health Overlook are New Jersey's only hospitals named among America's 50 Best hospitals by Healthgrades in 2026.
• Named by Becker's Healthcare as one of the "165 Top Places to Work in Healthcare – 2026."
• Atlantic Health Morristown, Atlantic Health Overlook, Atlantic Health Chilton, and Atlantic Health Newton all named Forbes Top Hospitals for 2026.
• Named by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Inclusion & Diversity 2025.
• Atlantic Health rated LEVEL 9 - 2025 CHIME Digital Health Most Wired.

Benefits

Atlantic Health offers a competitive and comprehensive Total Rewards package that supports the health, financial security, and well-being of all team members. Offerings vary by role level (Team Member, Director, Executive). Below is a general summary:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Coverage (for full-time and part-time team members working 22.5 hours per week or above).
• Life & AD&D Insurance.
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability (with options to supplement).
• 403(b) Retirement Plan: Employer match, additional non-elective contribution.
• PTO & Paid Sick Leave.
• Tuition Assistance, Advancement & Academic Advising.
• Parental, Adoption, Surrogacy Leave.
• Backup and On-Site Childcare.
• Well-Being Rewards.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Fertility Benefits, Healthy Pregnancy Program.
• Flexible Spending & Commuter Accounts.
• Pet, Home & Auto, Identity Theft, and Legal Insurance.