Chief Nursing Officer

Virginia Information Technologies Agency•Staunton, VA

23h•$191,000•Onsite

About The Position

To provide effective leadership and direction for the overall operations of the nursing department, ensuring that safe and quality patient care is provided in accordance with regulatory standards, facility and DBHDS policies, all applicable laws, and best practices. Develop and approve nursing standards of care, policies and procedures, programs designed to measure, assess, and improve outcomes, and comprehensive staffing plans. Participate with executive and clinical leaders in decision-making and strategic planning. Promote an environment that fosters mutual respect and ongoing learning and supports patient recovery. Actively participates as a member of the facility Executive Leadership, Clinical Leadership, and Senior Leadership Teams. Evaluates the delivery of services for accountability and improvement; organizes staff and resources for efficient performance and nursing care. Provides guidance when interpreting and implementing the hospital’s mission, goals, and objectives.

Requirements

Current licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Graduation from an accredited nursing program.
Extensive experience in professional and progressive nursing management and administration.
Experience working in a hospital and/or psychiatric inpatient facility, with demonstrated effectiveness in supervising, managing, teaching, and/or consulting with nursing staff across multiple disciplines.
Comprehensive knowledge of the principles, practices, and standards of psychiatric or mental‑health nursing.
Demonstrated ability to provide executive‑level leadership, including strategic planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating nursing services.
Considerable experience with administrative and operational practices, including program planning, implementation, management, and budget development.
Experience implementing nursing standards in accordance with regulatory guidelines and performance improvement processes.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with professional and non‑professional staff across and outside the facility.
Ability to use electronic health records and related clinical technologies effectively.
Knowledge of Infection Prevention and Control requirements.
Extensive knowledge of nursing management principles and performance improvement methodologies.
Ability to interpret governing directives, integrate nursing services, lead change, deal with ambiguity, and make timely, sound decisions based on complex information.

Nice To Haves

Concentration or advanced training in psychiatric or mental‑health nursing.
Clinical, administrative, and management experience specifically within a psychiatric hospital setting.
Advanced degree in psychiatric‑mental health nursing, nursing administration, healthcare administration, or a related field.
Bilingual
Veteran or veteran spouse

Responsibilities

Provide executive leadership and strategic direction for the nursing department, ensuring alignment with the facility's mission, DBHDS policies, and all applicable regulatory and professional standards.
Develop, implement, and evaluate nursing standards of care, policies, procedures, and staffing models, ensuring safe, effective, trauma‑informed patient care and regulatory compliance (TJC, CMS, OSHA, VDH, OSIG, etc.).
Oversee nursing operations and administrative functions, including organizational structure, budget management, staffing patterns, resource allocation, and performance improvement activities.
Lead, mentor, and manage nursing staff and leadership, including hiring, training, performance management, succession planning, competency development, accountability for standards of care, and fostering a culture of respect, learning, and collaboration.
Drive quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) efforts within nursing, using data‑driven approaches to monitor outcomes, assess risk, evaluate adherence to standards, and implement corrective actions to improve patient care.
Promote interdisciplinary collaboration by ensuring effective communication, participation in treatment teams, and coordination between nursing and other departments to optimize patient outcomes and operational efficiency.
Serve as a key executive leader within the facility, participating in strategic planning, decision‑making, executive committees, administrative on‑call rotation, and representing the organization at regional and statewide meetings.
Provide oversight for critical clinical and regulatory programs and compliance with mandatory training, competencies, and safety initiatives.
Use data, technology, and evidence‑based practices to enhance clinical operations, streamline workflow, improve documentation, and support system‑wide initiatives that advance quality and operational efficiency.
Exercise executive governance over departmental strategy, policy implementation, budget stewardship, operational problem‑solving, risk mitigation, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring the department operates efficiently and within established resource parameters.