Assistant Chief Nursing Officer - St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital

Conifer Health Solutions•San Antonio, TX

21d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Chief Nursing Officer (ACNO) is responsible for assisting the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) in planning, implementing, and evaluating nursing services to ensure the delivery of adequate and competent patient care. In the absence of the CNO, the ACNO assumes responsibility for Nursing Supervisors, Nursing Directors, and Clinical Education. This role functions as an expert nurse who facilitates the development of nursing areas and guides the provision of nursing care for all patients. The ACNO participates in the design and development of systems compatible with ethical standards, organizational goals, and societal needs. They assist the CNO with organizational planning systems, standards of nursing practice, and cost-effective outcomes. The ACNO promotes the integration of management theories, research findings, and practice standards. They support staff in developing and maintaining competency, and ensure policies are integrated into action plans for client-centered outcomes. Utilizing clinical, human resource, and financial data, the ACNO facilitates continuity of care. They keep the CNO informed of critical issues, collaborate with other departments, and provide training and coaching to managers and staff. The ACNO adheres to facility policies and procedures and serves as a leadership role in shaping healthcare policy. They provide leadership direction in identifying clinical nursing goals and collaboratively work with nursing leaders to achieve clinical and administrative goals. The ACNO evaluates and revises nursing service systems, provides leadership and support to nursing management, and ensures ongoing evaluation and innovation of services. They support research, serve as a professional role model and mentor, and collaborate with recruiters on recruitment and retention strategies. The ACNO initiates and leads departmental and cross-functional transitions, applies best practices, and promotes harmonious relationships. They systematically evaluate the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice and administration, ensuring performance improvement programs are viable and identifying key quality indicators. The ACNO participates in peer review and interdisciplinary evaluation teams, demonstrating knowledge of JCAHO Standards, state and federal regulations, and legal aspects of nursing practice. They ensure staff function within legal boundaries and that leadership and staff are aware of and comply with current standards, policies, and procedures. The ACNO visits nursing units regularly to assess patient care and staff contentment, and evaluates their own performance, seeking feedback and pursuing professional development. They maintain current knowledge in administrative practice, network with peers, and maintain professional affiliations. Collaboration is key, working with nursing staff, interdisciplinary teams, executive officers, medical staff, and other stakeholders. They collaborate with human resources on recruitment and retention programs and ensure ongoing communication with staff. The ACNO maintains awareness of community standards, makes decisions based on ethical principles, advocates for recipients of services and personnel, and maintains privacy and confidentiality. They foster a non-discriminatory climate, support systems for addressing ethical issues, and participate in systems for preventing and reporting abuse. The ACNO acts as the Patient Ombudsman, facilitates communication with patients and families, and accepts supervisory responsibility for department functions. They confer with nursing supervisors and directors, follow recruitment policies, ensure new employees attend orientation, monitor competency levels, conduct staff meetings, submit performance reviews, and document disciplinary actions. The ACNO attends meetings as requested, facilitates revisions of job descriptions, ensures employee comprehension of policies, and maintains up-to-date reference materials.

Requirements

Established record of progressive administration and leadership responsibility in a comprehensive tertiary health care facility.
Highly effective interpersonal and communication skills.
Strong labor relations background.
Ability to effectively and efficiently organize patient care promoting optimal outcomes, patient safety, and patient, physician and employee satisfaction.
A proactive nurse executive who takes the lead in complying with regulatory standards, rules and laws.
Ability to plan strategically and implement new processes and programs through data analysis and cost-effective interactions.
Positive, creative and innovative with a strong understanding of the business aspects of healthcare and the acumen to play a substantive role in developing strategies, budgets and business plans.
Financially astute, with a solid understanding of cost issues and initiatives.
Able to articulate a clear vision and expectations for patient care services and other areas of responsibility.
Individual of highest personal and professional integrity, principle and knowledge, earning respect and support when making difficult decisions and choices.
Able to establish immediate credibility with peers, senior leadership, medical staff, and the Board.
A collaborative and operational manager who will give employees a voice and encourage full participation of all team members.
Excellent interpersonal skills; a dedicated listener, comfortable in a variety of settings dealing with diverse constituencies; a broad thinker.
The ability to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing.
A leader who will inspire confidence and establish a sense of common direction and vision for the medical staff.
Active and current registered nurse license in the state of residence/practice is required.
Approximately 25 percent travel.
Selected candidate will be required to pass a Motor Vehicle Records check.

Nice To Haves

Current CENP or NEA certification preferred.
Master’s degree in Nursing or related field (Health Administration, Business, Public Health, or Management) is required.

Responsibilities

Assisting the Chief Nursing Officer in planning, implementing, and evaluating nursing services.
Assuming responsibility for Nursing Supervisors, Nursing Directors, and Clinical Education in the absence of the CNO.
Facilitating the development of nursing areas and guiding the provision of nursing care.
Participating in the design and development of systems compatible with ethical standards, organizational goals, and societal needs.
Assisting the CNO with organizational planning systems, standards of nursing practice, and cost-effective outcomes.
Promoting the integration of management theories, research findings, and practice standards.
Supporting staff in developing and maintaining competency.
Ensuring policies are integrated into action plans for client-centered outcomes.
Utilizing clinical, human resource, and financial data to facilitate continuity of care.
Keeping the CNO informed of critical issues and collaborating with other departments.
Providing training and coaching to managers and staff.
Adhering to facility policies and procedures.
Serving as a leadership role in shaping healthcare policy.
Providing leadership direction in identifying clinical nursing goals.
Collaboratively working with nursing leaders to achieve clinical and administrative goals.
Evaluating and revising nursing service systems.
Providing leadership and support to nursing management.
Ensuring ongoing evaluation and innovation of services.
Supporting research, dissemination, and utilization of research findings.
Serving as a professional role model and mentor.
Collaborating with recruiters on recruitment and retention strategies.
Initiating and leading departmental and cross-functional transitions.
Applying best practices and promoting harmonious relationships.
Systematically evaluating the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice and administration.
Ensuring performance improvement programs are viable and identifying key quality indicators.
Participating in peer review and interdisciplinary evaluation teams.
Demonstrating knowledge of JCAHO Standards, state and federal regulations, and legal aspects of nursing practice.
Ensuring staff function within legal boundaries and comply with current standards, policies, and procedures.
Visiting nursing units regularly to assess patient care and staff contentment.
Evaluating own performance, seeking feedback, and pursuing professional development.
Maintaining current knowledge in administrative practice.
Networking with peers and maintaining professional affiliations.
Collaborating with nursing staff, interdisciplinary teams, executive officers, medical staff, and other stakeholders.
Collaborating with human resources on recruitment and retention programs.
Ensuring ongoing communication with staff.
Maintaining awareness of community standards.
Making decisions based on ethical principles.
Advocating for recipients of services and personnel.
Maintaining privacy, confidentiality, and security of data.
Fostering a non-discriminatory climate.
Supporting systems for addressing ethical issues.
Participating in systems for preventing and reporting abuse.
Acting as the Patient Ombudsman.
Accepting supervisory responsibility for department functions.
Conferring with nursing supervisors and directors.
Following recruitment policies.
Ensuring new employees attend orientation.
Monitoring competency levels of employees and providing staff development.
Conducting monthly staff meetings.
Submitting employee performance reviews.
Documenting and reporting disciplinary actions.
Attending nursing, hospital, and medical staff meetings.
Facilitating revisions of job descriptions.
Ensuring employee comprehension of policies.
Maintaining up-to-date reference materials.
Complying with all policies and procedures that pertain to HIPAA.
Reviewing staff documentation, assessments, and diagnostic reports to improve clinical staff performance.
Limiting PHI disclosed or requested to the amount reasonably necessary.
Disclosing information regarding staff documentation of assessments and nursing care to clinical staff, managers, risk manager, and/or Chief Nursing Officer for training/management issues and developing interventions.
Understanding individual role in the HICS Structure.
Having knowledge of the Emergency Code System and demonstrating/verbalizing required responses.
Accepting/participating on assigned Team for Hurricane (Code White) response.
Serving as a clinical resource to nursing personnel, patients, and significant others.
Participating in interdisciplinary rounds and providing guidance in the delivery of nursing care.
Acting as a preceptor to affiliating graduate nursing students.
Reviewing annually and updating the orientation program.
Collaborating with Nursing Directors in developing, monitoring, and revising clinical indicators.
Promoting decisions that are patient-centered.
Promoting “systems thinking” as a value in the nursing organization.
Synthesizing and integrating divergent viewpoints for the good of the organization.
Considering the impact of nursing decisions on the healthcare organization as a whole.
Providing leadership in building loyalty and commitment throughout the organization.
Assuring that the clinical perspective is included in organizational decisions.
Formulating objectives, goals, and specific strategies related to the organization’s mission and vision.
Promoting a results-oriented environment.
Representing nursing/patient care issues within the organization’s governance and medical staff structures.
Representing nursing/patient care in strategic planning and quality initiatives with the governing body.
Monitoring and evaluating quality through public reported measures.
Supporting the development of a facility wide patient safety program.
Designing safe clinical systems, processes, policies and procedures.
Allocating nursing resources based on measurement of patient acuity/care needed.
Demonstrating sense of urgency in management of labor expense.
Effectively communicating with all internal and external constituents.
Building “privileged relationships” with key internal stakeholders.
Addressing and managing conflict in a constructive and productive manner.
Actively networking and creating peer relationships with other internal and external nursing leaders.
Understanding and articulating patient care standards reflected in federal and state regulation, TJC, the state Nurse Practice Act, and organizational policies and procedures.
Ensuring that the care delivery model, clinical environment of care and related technology is appropriate to needs of caregivers and patients.
Supporting and embracing role in the adoption of EMR within facility and successfully implements within SWB budget.
Recognizing the utility of nursing involvement in the planning, design, choice and implementation of information systems in the practice environment.
Monitoring and evaluating service indicators and implementing action plans.
Actively facilitating Physician satisfaction survey, monitoring results and collaborating with facility team members to develop and implement action plans.
Monitoring and evaluating results of annual Employee Satisfaction Survey and collaborating with related team members to develop and implement action plans.
Participating in workforce planning to ensure an adequate and competent workforce.
Considering and/or implementing nurse residency programs.
Ensuring effective facility level competency program.
Developing succession plan for nursing leadership.
Assuming personal and professional accountability.
Supporting a non-punitive environment and a reward system for reporting unsafe practices.