Alaska Rural Healthcare CNO Opportunities

Rural Staffing Services • Alaska, AK

23h • Hybrid

About The Position

Alaska Rural Healthcare is seeking experienced Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs) to lead nursing and clinical services in rural, remote, and frontier communities across Alaska. These opportunities are facilitated through Rural Staffing Services (RSS), which partners with various healthcare organizations, including critical access hospitals, rural clinics, Tribal health organizations, and long-term care facilities. Nursing leadership in Alaska is deeply connected to the communities served, requiring flexibility, creativity, collaboration, and cultural humility. The CNO plays a vital role in shaping workplace culture, ensuring nurses feel heard, valued, and supported, and ultimately preserving access to care for entire communities. This role is more than just managing a department; it's about making a significant impact on the health and well-being of rural Alaskans.

Requirements

• Current Registered Nurse licensure or eligibility for Alaska licensure
• Progressive nursing leadership experience
• Experience as a CNO, Vice President of Nursing, Chief Clinical Officer, Director of Nursing, or comparable senior leader
• Strong knowledge of quality, patient safety, regulatory compliance, accreditation, infection prevention, and nursing operations
• Experience leading teams through growth, transition, workforce shortages, organizational change, or operational instability
• Experience developing nursing leaders and strengthening employee engagement and retention
• The ability to lead effectively when staffing, specialty support, transportation, housing, or other resources may be limited
• A collaborative, visible, transparent, practical, and relationship-focused leadership style

Nice To Haves

• Experience with rural hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, FQHCs, Tribal health organizations, regional health corporations, long-term care providers, or community healthcare organizations
• Experience supporting clinical services across multiple facilities or significant geographic distances
• Experience working with Alaska Native communities, Tribal health organizations, Indian Health Service programs, or tribally operated systems may be highly valued for some opportunities
• A master's degree preferred or required for some opportunities
• Relevant nursing leadership, quality, or healthcare executive certification may be preferred
• The ability to relocate, travel regionally, or work within a rotational structure when required

Responsibilities

• Providing strategic and operational leadership for nursing and clinical services
• Supporting safe, high-quality, patient-centered, and culturally respectful care
• Strengthening nursing culture, retention, employee engagement, and professional development
• Developing, mentoring, and supporting nursing directors, managers, supervisors, and frontline teams
• Overseeing staffing, scheduling, productivity, call coverage, and nursing workforce planning
• Supporting recruitment, orientation, competency development, and succession planning
• Supporting regulatory compliance, accreditation, credentialing, and survey readiness
• Advancing quality improvement, infection prevention, and patient-safety initiatives
• Monitoring nursing-sensitive indicators, patient outcomes, staffing performance, and clinical quality
• Collaborating with executive leadership, medical staff, governing boards, Tribal leadership, and regional partners
• Supporting emergency, inpatient, outpatient, long-term care, maternal health, surgical, and community-based services as applicable
• Helping maintain nursing coverage during vacancies, weather disruptions, transportation delays, or increased patient demand
• Supporting nurses and clinical teams working across multiple facilities, clinics, or communities
• Developing policies, procedures, workflows, standards of care, and documentation practices
• Supporting telehealth, regional consultation, and coordination between village-based care and regional hospitals
• Helping the organization respond to the evolving health needs of the communities and regions it serves
• Building an environment where employees feel respected, accountable, connected, and proud of the care they provide

Benefits

• Relocation assistance
• Housing
• Compensation will be explained before you decide whether to move forward with a specific opportunity.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior