Senior Nursing Administrator, Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital

This role is a key nursing leadership position at Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital (CHNRH) and the University of Utah Health (UHealth) Department of Nursing. The Senior Nursing Administrator translates system nursing strategy into operational and clinical execution across CHNRH, leading nursing care, outcomes, and practice while ensuring alignment with UHealth’s broader nursing leadership. This senior leader partners with medical staff and executive leadership to advance safe, high-quality, cost-effective care, promote nursing excellence, and foster system-wide relationships for coordinated patient care. The position reports jointly to the UHealth System Chief Nursing Executive and the Chief Administrative Officer of CHNRH.

University of Utah Health is an integrated academic healthcare system with five hospitals (including a Level 1 trauma center), eleven community health centers, over 1,600 providers, and a health plan serving over 200,000 members. The system is nationally ranked for academic research, quality standards, and patient experience, with over 2 million patient visits annually and research grants exceeding $350 million. The organization includes a School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, and College of Health, training over 1,250 providers annually.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day nursing operations and all nursing practice at CHNRH.
• Demonstrate transformational leadership to foster a culture of nursing excellence.
• Maintain and strengthen collaboration with the UUHC Department of Nursing, CHNRH, and other key stakeholders to advance strategic, clinical, and operational initiatives.
• Align and ensure nursing standards and competency of skills to safely deliver quality care.
• Ensure operational excellence and compliance with regulatory requirements, policies, procedures, and professional standards.
• Maintain CHNRH’s CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) accreditation and other rehabilitation-specific regulatory requirements.
• Promote high reliability care to sustain a culture of safety, organizational learning, and performance improvement.
• Collaborate with CHNRH and UUHC Department of Nursing to develop a vision for operations aligned with organizational and departmental strategy.
• Participate in leadership activities, contribute to goal achievement, and evaluate operational performance.
• Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and accrediting body standards, including organization-wide accreditation.
• Manage discipline and performance of direct reports, including goal setting, mentoring, coaching, and development.
• Review and approve resource plans for areas of responsibility.
• Develop and promote effective working relationships to achieve goals and objectives.
• Establish and maintain communication and collaboration with administrators, medical directors, physicians, and team members.
• Resolve escalated operational issues requiring coordination with other departments and stakeholders.
• Facilitate cooperative and collaborative relationships with internal and external partners to achieve organizational objectives.
• Contribute as a key member of the CHNRH leadership team, nursing leadership team, and other committees addressing strategic initiatives.
• Translate organizational goals into clear, actionable initiatives and communicate outcomes transparently across nursing leadership, medical staff, and executive stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain strategies aligned with CHNRH’s operational plans, Department of Nursing priorities, and evolving national programs and technologies.
• Collaborate with Nursing and System Quality partners to advance quality and performance improvement initiatives for optimal patient outcomes.
• Oversee hiring, training, development, and communication with team members.
• Develop, monitor, and achieve financial goals, managing labor and non-labor expenses to budget or flex budget.
• Align labor expenses with benchmark standards.
• Uphold PROMISE standards and promote continuous process improvements in assigned areas.
• Ensure excellence in quality, safety, and patient experience metrics, driving data-informed performance improvement and accountability for regulatory requirements.
• Lead and build team capacity for excellence in performance and outcomes.
• Demonstrate effective change management, innovation, and systems thinking.
• Provide performance feedback, including evaluations, mentoring, and coaching.
• Address conflicts proactively and ensure timely resolutions.
• Build positive relationships with teams, peers, and leadership to uphold organizational mission, vision, values, and performance standards.
• Engage teams with timely updates and information.
• Champion and nurture the collaborative nursing shared governance model, engaging team members in decisions impacting their work.
• Provide feedback and recognition as appropriate.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing.
• Five years of progressive management experience, with at least two years in a rehabilitation health setting.
• Current license to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Utah, or ability to obtain one within 90 days of hire under the interstate compact if switching residency to Utah. Must maintain current Interstate Compact (multi-state) license if residency is not being changed to Utah.

Preferred Qualifications

• Basic Life Support Health Care Provider card through American Heart Association (or obtain within one month of hire).
• Master’s degree in nursing or related healthcare field.
• Professional certification, such as ANCC Nurse Executive Advanced, Board Certification (NEA-BC) or AONL Certified in Executive Nursing Practice (CENP).
• Experience supporting or participating in ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® designation, redesignation, or journey activities.
• Proven history of innovative nursing program design and implementation.
• High level of collaboration skills with other medical and professional disciplines.

Skills

• Demonstrated leadership, person-centered relationships, and effective communication.
• Ability to evaluate and determine appropriate staffing mixes to support safe, efficient patient care.
• Knowledge of organizational business operations and strategic planning.
• Knowledge of budgeting practices, reporting analysis, and forecasting.
• Expertise in change management, innovation, and systems thinking.
• Expertise in building high-functioning teams and processes that promote teamwork.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

This position may involve intensive work that may exert up to 100 pounds and may consistently require lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or otherwise moving objects, such as medical equipment or patients while providing medical care.

• Manual dexterity.
• Near vision.
• Sitting, standing, and walking.