Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) - New 80‑Bed Acute Care Hospital

It’s notjust treatment; it’s care thoughtfully delivered!

From the moment patients arrive, they are guided with compassion,clarity, and clinical excellence at every stage of their journey.Our teams work collaboratively to ensure timely access to care,seamless coordination, and ongoing support well beyond discharge.

With modern patient rooms, an in-house pharmacy, and hands-onexecutive leadership, our hospital is dedicated to deliveringhealthcare where dignity, precision, and people always come first.

• Specialist consults withinrecord time.
  
• Advanced clinical care withexceptional patient services
  

Job Description

Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)– New 80‑Bed Acute Care Hospital
East Houston Medical Center – East Houston, Texas

East Houston Medical Centeris seeking an accomplished and visionary Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) to leadthe nursing enterprise for our newly constructed 80‑bed acute care facility inEast Houston. This pre‑opening executive role offers a unique opportunity to bedeeply involved in facility planning, clinical design, and activation, shapingthe hospital’s nursing culture and care model from day one.

About the new facility

Our new 80‑bed acute carehospital is currently in development to serve the East Houston, Channelview,and Baytown communities with safe, compassionate, and evidence‑based care. TheCNO will join the organization in advance of opening to help ensure thatclinical operations, nursing workflows, and patient care environments aredesigned for quality, safety, and efficiency.

Role summary

The Chief Nursing Officerwill serve as the senior nursing executive and a core member of the pre‑openingleadership team. This leader will guide nursing strategy, participate infacility and workflow design, and lead the transition from construction to go‑liveoperations, ultimately overseeing all nursing and patient care services oncethe hospital opens.

Pre‑opening planning anddesign responsibilities

• Collaborate with executive leadership,architects, constructors, and clinical leaders to ensure nursing input isintegrated into unit layout, patient room design, nurse workstations, andsupport spaces.
  
• Lead the development of the nursing care deliverymodel, including staffing plans, scope of services, and patient flow forall inpatient and procedural areas prior to opening.
  
• Establish clinical policies, procedures, andstandards of nursing practice that will govern care on day one and supportregulatory readiness.
  
• Participate in equipment planning and selectionfor nursing and patient care areas, ensuring alignment with evidence‑basedpractice, safety, and efficiency.
  
• Drive pre‑opening project plans for nursing,including hiring timelines, orientation pathways, competency programs, andgo‑live readiness activities (mock surveys, simulations, and drills).
  
• Serve as a visible andtrustedliaisonbetween front‑line nursing perspectives and the design/construction team,advocating for practical, patient‑centered solutions.
  
• Provide strategic and operational leadership forall nursing and patient care services, aligning nursing practice with thehospital’s mission, vision, and goals.
  
• Ensure high standards of clinical quality,patient safety, and patient experience through evidence‑based practice,performance improvement, and a strong culture of safety.
  
• Oversee nursing workforce planning, includingrecruitment, retention, scheduling, and productivity management for the 80‑bedacute care environment.
  
• Partner closely with the CEO, CMO, COO, andmedical staff to integrate nursing perspectives into strategy, serviceline development, and operational decision‑making.
  
• Maintain compliance with all applicableregulatory and accreditation standards and lead nursing’s participation insurveys and continuous readiness activities.
  

Qualifications

• Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN)license (or eligibility) in the State of Texas.
  
• Master’s degree in Nursing or a related fieldrequired; doctoral preparation in nursing or a healthcare‑relateddiscipline preferred.
  
• Significant leadership experience in acute carenursing, including senior‑level responsibility (e.g., Director of Nursing,Associate CNO or CNO), ideally with experience in new hospital openings,expansions, or major redesign projects.
  
• Demonstrated success in quality improvement,patient safety, regulatory compliance, and nursing operations.
  
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively withinterdisciplinary teams, architects, and operations leaders duringfacility design and activation.
  

Requirements

Qualifications

• Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN)license (or eligibility) in the State of Texas.
  
• Master’s degree in Nursing or a related fieldrequired; doctoral preparation in nursing or a healthcare‑relateddiscipline preferred.
  
• Significant leadership experience in acute carenursing, including senior‑level responsibility (e.g., Director of Nursing,Associate CNO or CNO), ideally with experience in new hospital openings,expansions, or major redesign projects.
  
• Demonstrated success in quality improvement,patient safety, regulatory compliance, and nursing operations.
  
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively withinterdisciplinary teams, architects, and operations leaders duringfacility design and activation.
  

• Strategic, forward‑thinking nurse executive whobrings both operational discipline and creativity to a greenfield hospitalproject.
  
• Exceptional communicator and relationship‑builder,able to align diverse stakeholders around a shared vision for nursing andpatient care.
  
• Committed to cultivating a high‑engagement,professional practice environment where nurses can thrive and deliveroutstanding care.