Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)

Nashville, Tennessee
Salary: Up to $150,000 + Sign-On Bonus + Relocation Assistance

An outstanding opportunity is available for an experienced Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) to join the executive leadership team of a respected specialty hospital in the Nashville area. This confidential search is ideal for a collaborative nurse executive who is passionate about clinical excellence, employee engagement, quality outcomes, and leading high-performing teams.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations, the Chief Nursing Officer will provide strategic and operational leadership for all clinical services while ensuring exceptional patient care, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence throughout the hospital.

This is a highly visible executive leadership role with the opportunity to make a lasting impact on organizational culture, patient outcomes, physician collaboration, and nursing excellence.

Position Overview

The Chief Nursing Officer is responsible for the overall leadership, direction, and performance of all nursing and clinical services. This executive will oversee clinical operations, quality improvement, regulatory compliance, workforce development, patient safety initiatives, and strategic planning while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, compassion, and continuous improvement.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader with strong operational expertise, a passion for mentoring clinical teams, and a proven ability to improve quality, patient satisfaction, and employee engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Leadership

• Provide executive oversight for all nursing and clinical operations throughout the hospital.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to develop and execute strategic initiatives that support organizational growth and clinical excellence.
• Build strong partnerships with physicians, department directors, and interdisciplinary teams to enhance patient care and operational performance.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and service excellence.

Clinical Quality & Patient Safety

• Lead the hospital's Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program and actively participate in performance improvement initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with CMS, Joint Commission, state, and federal regulatory standards.
• Monitor quality dashboards and implement action plans that improve patient outcomes and clinical performance.
• Champion evidence-based nursing practice and standardized clinical protocols.
• Oversee implementation and monitoring of key patient safety initiatives, including:
  • Infection prevention and control
  • Fall prevention programs
  • Wound care initiatives
  • Bedside shift report and hand-off communication
  • Rapid Response Team effectiveness
  • Mobility initiatives
  • Delirium screening
  • Sepsis screening
  • Hourly rounding
  • Skin integrity programs
  • Corporate clinical quality initiatives and best practices

Nursing Operations

• Direct all nursing operations to ensure safe, efficient, patient-centered care.
• Oversee staffing, scheduling, productivity, and workforce planning using acuity-based staffing models.
• Ensure appropriate clinical competencies and staffing levels are maintained across all patient care areas.
• Conduct regular patient rounds and maintain a visible leadership presence throughout the hospital.
• Maintain consistent communication with clinical teams across all shifts, including routine evening and night shift leadership rounding.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and complete clinical documentation in accordance with regulatory and organizational standards.

Leadership Development

• Recruit, mentor, coach, and retain high-performing nursing leaders and clinical staff.
• Develop charge nurses and department leaders into strong operational and clinical leaders.
• Promote employee engagement through leadership visibility, recognition, communication, and professional development.
• Support competency validation, continuing education, and leadership development programs.
• Conduct ongoing performance observations and provide meaningful coaching and feedback.

Financial & Operational Management

• Manage departmental budgets while maintaining exceptional patient care and operational efficiency.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, resource utilization, purchasing, and cost management.
• Monitor equipment utilization, clinical resources, and operational workflows to maximize efficiency.
• Support strategic planning efforts that improve service delivery and organizational performance.

Community & Professional Leadership

• Represent the hospital within professional nursing organizations and community healthcare initiatives.
• Promote the organization's reputation for clinical excellence through professional involvement and leadership.
• Build strong relationships with community partners, healthcare professionals, and industry organizations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) required.
• Master of Science in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or a related healthcare field preferred. Candidates currently enrolled in a master's program will also be considered.
• Current Registered Nurse (RN) license required.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required.
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification required within six months of hire.

Required Experience

• Minimum of three years of hospital nursing experience.
• Previous leadership experience in a Nurse Manager, Director, Assistant Chief Nursing Officer, Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Vice President of Nursing, or Chief Nursing Officer role.
• Strong knowledge of Joint Commission, CMS, infection prevention, quality improvement, and regulatory compliance.
• Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary clinical teams within an acute care or specialty hospital environment.
• Experience improving employee engagement, retention, operational performance, and patient satisfaction.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with physicians, executive leadership, and interdisciplinary teams.

Ideal Candidate

We're seeking a nurse executive who is known for:

• Building high-performing, engaged nursing teams.
• Leading with visibility, integrity, and accountability.
• Developing future nursing leaders through mentoring and coaching.
• Driving measurable improvements in quality, patient safety, and patient experience.
• Successfully managing change while maintaining a positive, collaborative culture.
• Balancing strategic vision with strong operational execution.
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and leadership skills.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: Up to $150,000
• Sign-on bonus available.
• Relocation assistance available.
• Comprehensive executive benefits package.
• Opportunity to join a respected healthcare organization committed to clinical excellence, innovation, and leadership development.

If you're an experienced nursing executive looking for an opportunity to lead, inspire, and make a meaningful impact within a growing healthcare organization, we'd welcome the opportunity to speak with you about this confidential executive leadership position.