Interim Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)
About The Position
The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) at an independent rural healthcare organization leads nursing staff and oversees the quality of nursing care across all departments. The role combines clinical expertise with strategic leadership to support exceptional patient care and align nursing services with the facility’s mission, vision, and values. The CNO serves on the senior leadership team, contributes to organizational strategy and policy development, oversees regulatory and accreditation compliance, and leads initiatives to improve patient outcomes, safety, and satisfaction. The position also supports nursing recruitment, training, mentoring, performance management, professional development, and conflict resolution. It participates in financial forecasting and budget management, promotes effective resource use, coordinates nursing services with other departments, and develops care delivery models suited to rural community health needs. The CNO represents nursing in community health initiatives and partnerships and communicates with the board, staff, and community about nursing services. The position oversees clinics, inpatient services, the emergency department, surgery, infusion, ambulance, radiology, the senior behavioral health unit, quality, and homecare/hospice service lines. This is an exempt role, mainly Monday through Friday, with occasional evening or weekend work possible for urgent situations or community events. Work is primarily in an office setting, with time on the hospital floor engaging with staff and observing patient care. Duties may change, and the employee is expected to comply with MLHS policies and report unsafe conditions to management.
Requirements
- Master's degree in nursing, business, or a related field.
- Minnesota Registered Nurse licensure.
- 7–10 years of progressively responsible nursing experience, including 3–5 years in a leadership or administrative role within a hospital setting.
- Demonstrated experience in financial planning and analysis, with prior oversight of human resources, information technology, and legal implications.
- Skills in organizational development, personnel development, budget and resource development, and strategic planning.
- Excellent people skills and ability to partner with a dynamic leadership team.
- Integrity, credibility, and commitment to the corporate mission.
- Flexibility and ability to work in an ambiguous, fast-moving environment while driving toward clarity and solutions.
- Resourcefulness in setting priorities and guiding people and systems.
- Executive-level professional written and verbal communication skills.
- Focus on patient care, quality, and safety.
- Ethical conduct, personal effectiveness and credibility, stress management and composure, and teamwork and collaboration orientation.
- Technological capacity.
Nice To Haves
- Experience in a rural healthcare setting.
- Certification in Nurse Leadership or Executive Nursing Practice, such as NE-BC or CENP.
Responsibilities
- Develop and implement nursing strategies aligned with the organization's goals.
- Serve on the senior leadership team and contribute to organizational strategy and policy development.
- Oversee compliance with healthcare regulations, accreditation standards, and nursing best practices.
- Lead initiatives to improve patient outcomes, safety, and satisfaction.
- Support recruitment, training, and mentoring of nursing staff.
- Manage staff performance, evaluations, professional development, and conflict resolution.
- Participate in financial forecasting and manage assigned service-line department budgets.
- Ensure efficient use of resources while maintaining high-quality care standards.
- Coordinate with department heads to integrate nursing services with other medical services.
- Implement and oversee care delivery models appropriate for a rural setting and community health needs.
- Represent nursing in community health initiatives and partnerships.
- Communicate with the board, staff, and community to promote the organization's nursing services.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations related to nursing practices.
- Oversee clinics, inpatient services, the emergency department, surgery, infusion, ambulance, radiology, the senior behavioral health unit, quality, and homecare/hospice service lines.
- Comply with MLHS policies, including safety policies, procedures, and rules, and report unsafe conditions to management.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
