Job Description

THE OPPORTUNITY

As a critical member of the executive leadership team, the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) reports directly to the President of Hackettstown and Newton Medical Center (The Western Region). The CNO, Western Region will be responsible and accountable for the overall delivery and management of nursing professional practice, education, professional development, research, administration, and clinical services.

The CNO will be a visionary leader, guiding the execution of the strategic plan to achieve the organizational mission and vision. The CNO's vision will support the existing high standards and goals for nursing practice while he/she will work closely with the Hackettstown and Newton Medical Center, senior leadership, physician leaders, as well as leaders across the Atlantic Health System ensuring and enhancing AHS as a clinical practice environment that is patient centered, with unsurpassed clinical quality and patient safety.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The successful Chief Nursing Officer candidate:

• Ensures the 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, and research throughout the hospital.
• Provides leadership to define the scope of nursing practice and establishes structures, role accountability and systems to ensure clinical competence of all nursing personnel aligning with AHS nursing.
• Recommends and is responsible for annual operating and capital budgets for nursing and ensures prudent management of Hackettstown and Newton Medical Center's 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, Officers of HMC/NMC medical staff, and System VP of Quality and Safety to improve quality, patient safety and service efforts.
• Fosters a multidisciplinary approach to quality improvement with a focus on coordination of services and improving patient outcomes
• Develops effective working relationships with key stakeholders and system leaders
• Manages organizational relationships in a way that builds and maintains a climate of trust and inspires commitment from others to achieve organization goals.
• Partners with HR team in the development of strategies to promote the recruitment, retention, workforce management, and recognition of excellence in nursing.
• Promotes professional nursing practice and assures that standards of care are developed, implemented, and evaluated.
• Builds and expands upon partnerships with nursing education institutions to develop a talent pipeline and contribute to the education and training of future nurses.
• Assures standards of patient care and standards of 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
• Collaborates with Graduate Medical Education (GME) program directors to integrate nursing and medical education efforts.
• Drives continuous quality improvement, standards of care, discovery, and innovation through research and use of best, evidence-based practices.
• Involvement in HMC/NMC Foundation efforts. Acts as a resource.
• Acts as a resource to nurses, and other disciplines.
• Serves as an advocate for Community resource to services offered at HMC/NMC
• Coaches, mentors, advises, develops and supports his/her direct management reports, other nursing leaders, councils, work groups and committees.
• Develops, maintains, and strengthens standards of patient care in concert with the Chief Medical Officer, president of the medical staff, department chairs, staff committees and individual practitioners.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The following goals and objectives have been identified as priorities for this position:

• Establish trust and credibility with the leadership team, physicians, nursing team and colleagues in other departments. Build collaborative relationships that are based on open communication and mutual respect.
• Evaluate and assess the nursing leadership structure and make changes to that structure, if necessary, to ensure nursing has the right leadership to meet the needs of patient care, now and into the future.
• Support a vision of established AHS nursing which reflects Atlantic Health's vision, mission, and values for quality, safety, and patient experience. This work will include expanding on the "Shared Governance" model for nursing at HMC & NMC that provides a voice for nursing, as well as grounds nursing practice in the delivery of care through unit-based councils and strong engagement. This exciting work will propel the nursing practice and ensure nursing has a voice in strategic decision-making, as well as encourage nurses to own their practices and be engaged in decision-making across the hospital.
• Promote a nursing culture that recognizes excellence in clinical care; champion participative decision-making regarding nursing practice and work environments through active rounding on units; and develop shared goals with the Quality Department and AHS Patient Experience.
• Foster an environment of collaboration with the Chief Medical Officer and other Medical Staff leaders, which will result in further developing standards of work in nursing and clinical care. This will include a disciplined approach to standards of work and service excellence that are implemented, evaluated, and sustained.
• Strive to maintain Atlantic Health System's amazing work culture for nurses who want to dedicate their careers to community-based patient care. The CNO will inherit a nursing team where nurses have the respect and support of their medical staff and administrative leadership. The next CNO will engage leaders across the system to provide an environment where nurses can do their best work and leave the day energized. The CNO will have support to develop a strong nursing team and foster an environment of shared goals to propel the service.

QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate will be a visionary leader with strong strategic skills, exceptional communications skills and a track record of fostering transparent, positive relationships. The ideal candidate will have the following professional qualifications and personal characteristics:

• Experience in and commitment to creating and leading innovative quality and safety programs that exceed national best practices in complex hospitals and health systems. Preferred familiarity with Lean and High Reliability Organization (HRO) approach and model.
• Understand how to support and mentor new nurses with a focus on first-year turnover, recruitment and retention of staff.
• Extensive knowledge of the clinical and business aspects of nursing
• Experience in a high-performing, measurement-driven organization that also has established an open and inclusive culture.
• A contemporary leader who can lead change effectively at the executive level in a complex environment with a diverse range of constituencies. Continually identifies opportunities for innovation and growth.
• Experience in a Shared Governance nursing environment that empowers nurses at all levels to participate in the direction of nursing practice.
• Proven experience developing and mentoring all members of the nursing workforce - especially new nurses - with an emphasis on creativity, innovation and teamwork.
• 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 in successfully advocating and representing nursing at the senior administration level.
• A track record of effectively partnering and communicating with physicians; one who enjoys collaborating with physicians and is 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 effectively with a wide variety of professionals to achieve strong bottom-line profitability of the organization.
• A track record of success working in an environment that values independent thinking, collaboration, transparency, mutual respect, and a shared passion for excellence and innovation.
• One who is patient-oriented and has passion and empathy.
• A history of developing and mentoring strong, cohesive leadership teams that drive excellence.
• A track record of success in creating a working environment in which morale is high, and team members feel valued and find joy and meaning in their work.
• A proven track record of being able to improve patient experience and team member engagement.
• A proven track of coaching and mentoring aspiring nurse leaders.
• Provides leadership to the nursing profession at regional, state, and national level.

EXPERIENCE / EDUCATION

• Master's degree required. If this degree is not in nursing, the officer must have a bachelor's in nursing (BSN).
• Advanced Certification in Nursing Administration recommended.
• Registered Nurse with current licensure or ability to become licensed in New Jersey.
• Extensive clinical nursing and management experience with a minimum of 3-5 years in senior nursing leadership roles.
• An advanced level of knowledge acquired through completion of formal and continuing education in Nursing, health policy, regulatory compliance, process redesign and management are essential.
• Nursing leadership experience in a hospital is required, a hospital within a healthcare system preferably.
• Knowledge and experience in Magnet principles as well as prior experience in a Magnet facility is preferred.
• Knowledge of nursing staffing methods, retention, recruitment, and finance. Proven strategic-thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills.

Salary Range: $297,200-$555,711 base salary only; excludes all incentives.

Qualifications

Master's degree required. If this degree is not in nursing, the officer must have a bachelor's in nursing (BSN).

• Advanced Certification in Nursing Administration recommended.
• Registered Nurse with current licensure or ability to become licensed in New Jersey.
• Extensive clinical nursing and management experience with a minimum of 3-5 years in senior nursing leadership roles.
• An advanced level of knowledge acquired through completion of formal and continuing education in Nursing, health policy, regulatory compliance, process redesign and management are essential.
• Nursing leadership experience in a hospital is required, a hospital within a healthcare system preferably.
• Knowledge and experience in Magnet principles as well as prior experience in a Magnet facility is preferred.
• Knowledge of nursing staffing methods, retention, recruitment, and finance. Proven strategic-thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills.

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