Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) – New 80‑Bed Acute Care Hospital
About The Position
The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for East Houston Medical Center – Baytown Campus is the senior nursing executive responsible for the vision, strategy, and operational leadership of all nursing and patient care services across the new facility. This leader will be a visible, hands-on presence on the units, setting the standard for clinical excellence by modeling bedside practice, rounding with teams, and stepping in alongside staff in high-acuity or high-demand situations when needed. The CNO serves as a key member of the Baytown executive leadership team, partnering closely with the CEO, CMO, President, Administrators, and other senior leaders to drive quality outcomes, regulatory readiness, financial stewardship, and a culture of safety and accountability that reflects the mission and values of East Houston Medical Center. The CNO for the Baytown campus will play a central role in opening, shaping, and elevating a new acute care presence for East Houston Medical Center in Baytown. This executive will be instrumental in building the nursing culture from the ground up—selecting and mentoring a founding leadership team, establishing high expectations for practice, and embedding East Houston Medical Center’s standards into every unit, every shift, every patient encounter.
Requirements
- Current, unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of Texas (or eligibility for licensure upon hire).
- Master’s degree in nursing, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or a related field required.
- Minimum of five to seven years of progressive leadership experience in acute care nursing, including prior service as a Director of Nursing, Associate CNO, or equivalent senior leadership role.
- Demonstrated track record of leading nursing operations in a hospital setting with strong quality, safety, patient experience, and workforce outcomes.
- Proven experience working in a highly engaged, hands-on leadership style, with credibility at both the bedside and the boardroom.
Nice To Haves
- Doctoral degree in nursing or a related discipline preferred.
Responsibilities
- Provide executive leadership for all nursing and designated clinical departments, ensuring safe, high-quality, and cost-effective care across all patient care areas.
- Maintain a highly visible, hands-on leadership presence by routinely rounding on all shifts, engaging directly with patients and families, and serving as a clinical and professional role model at the bedside.
- Demonstrate willingness and ability to work shoulder-to-shoulder with nursing staff during periods of surge, rapid response events, or critical staffing needs, reinforcing trust, credibility, and teamwork.
- Develop, implement, and continuously refine standards of nursing practice, policies, and procedures that are evidence-based and aligned with regulatory, accreditation, and professional guidelines.
- Lead nursing quality, safety, and performance-improvement initiatives, with a focus on patient outcomes, patient experience, infection prevention, and harm reduction.
- Oversee recruitment, retention, and succession planning for nursing leadership and clinical staff, fostering an inclusive, professional, and collaborative work environment.
- Partner with HR and department leaders on staffing plans, nurse-to-patient ratios, scheduling practices, and workforce optimization to support high-reliability operations.
- Collaborate with medical staff leadership to promote interdisciplinary rounding, respectful communication, and shared accountability for quality and service.
- Ensure readiness for all state, federal, and accrediting body surveys, and maintain ongoing compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and professional standards.
- Lead the development and management of nursing operating and capital budgets, aligning resources with strategic priorities and prudent cost management.
- Advance professional development through robust orientation, competency validation, clinical education, leadership development, and support for specialty certification and advanced degrees.
- Champion a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, and respect, ensuring that nursing care is culturally responsive and patient-centered.
- Serve as the primary nursing voice on the Baytown executive leadership team, boards, committees, and community forums, representing the needs and contributions of nursing.
- Participate in the Administrator-on-Call rotation with the CEO and senior executives to provide 24/7 leadership coverage for the campus.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
