Vice President, Nursing & Chief Nursing Officer
Position Summary
The Vice President, Nursing & Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) serves as the senior nursing executive responsible for the strategic leadership, operational oversight, and professional practice of nursing services across the organization. The CNO provides clinical leadership to ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality care, advances clinical excellence, operational effectiveness, workforce engagement, and organizational performance. The CNO collaborates with executive leadership, physicians, and interdisciplinary teams to establish and achieve strategic goals that support the organization's mission, vision, values, and long-term objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Serve as the organization’s chief nursing executive, providing strategic leadership for all nursing services, practice standards, professional development, and clinical quality across the organization.
Ensure evidence-based, patient-centered, and culturally competent nursing care is delivered throughout the hospital.
Oversee nursing quality indicators, patient outcomes, infection prevention initiatives, patient experience, and clinical performance improvement activities.
Lead initiatives to improve patient safety, clinical outcomes, regulatory readiness, and accreditation compliance.
Foster a culture of nursing excellence and professional development.
Collaborate with medical staff leadership to align clinical operations with medical practice needs.
Support enterprise-wide performance improvement initiatives, operational redesign, and system integration projects.
Maintain awareness of financial and fiscal responsibilities at all times.
Monitor and control resource utilization and expenditures to ensure adherence to operating budget and eliminate non-value costs.
Utilize financial and operational data to support informed decision-making and organization performance.
Champion a culture of accountability, engagement, inclusivity, and clinical excellence.
Develop and mentor clinical and nursing leaders to build a pipeline of future leadership talent.
Ensure effective workforce planning, staffing models, and employee engagement strategies to support hospital operations and clinical care delivery.
Qualifications
A master’s degree in Nursing (MSN), Healthcare Administration (MHA), Business Administration (MBA), or a related field required.
Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.
Current Registered Nurse (RN) licensure in the state of Connecticut, or eligibility to obtain Connecticut licensure prior to employment.
Minimum of ten (10) years of progressive nursing leadership experience, including at least five (5) years in a senior leadership nursing leadership role within an acute care or specialty healthcare setting.
Demonstrated expertise in nursing operations, quality improvement, patient safety, regulatory compliance, workforce development, strategic planning, and financial management.
Proven ability to lead organizational change, build high-performing teams, and achieve measurable operational and clinical outcomes.
Visible leader with excellent interpersonal skills who relates well to all levels of staff and demonstrates commitment to continuous quality improvement.
Prior experience managing multi-site health-care facilities preferred.
Membership and participation in professional nursing organizations preferred.
Cognitive Demands
Strategic and operational leadership.
Advanced clinical judgement and healthcare operations expertise.
Financial planning, budgeting, business acumen.
Complex problem-solving and critical decision-making.
Change management and organizational development.
Relationship building, negotiation, and conflict resolution.
Resilience, adaptability, and decision-making under pressure.
Physical Demands
Frequent walking throughout clinical and administrative areas.
Periods of prolonged sitting, standing, and computer use.
Frequent keyboarding, telephone, and virtual meeting participation.
Reaching and bending as related to accessing files, supplies, and equipment.
May occasionally lift and carry items weighing up to 30 pounds.
Work Demands
Work is performed in both clinical and administrative settings.
Requires extreme flexibility to respond to operational priorities, emergencies, and organizational needs outside of normal business hours.
Requires interaction with patients, families, physicians, staff, regulatory agencies, and community partners.
Travel between organizational locations, conferences, and professional meetings may be required.
Must be able to function effectively in a fast-paced healthcare environment while managing multiple priorities and maintaining executive professionalism.