CHIEF Nursing Officer

Montana Rural Healthcare CNO Opportunities Help Us Build a Better Way for Rural Healthcare This application may connect you with the specific opportunity you were viewing, as well as other current or upcoming rural healthcare positions that align with your experience and goals. By joining the Rural Staffing Services Talent Network, you are helping us build a more thoughtful and connected approach to rural recruitment, one that allows experienced nursing leaders and Montana healthcare organizations to find one another more quickly when the right need arises. Every application helps strengthen a growing network of people who are willing to bring their experience, leadership, resilience, and heart to rural communities. Explore Rural Healthcare Opportunities at RSSJobs.org This application may connect you with the specific opportunity you were viewing, as well as other current or upcoming rural healthcare positions throughout Montana that align with your experience and goals. Visit to explore additional rural healthcare opportunities and communities. Chief Nursing Officer Opportunities Across Montana Rural Staffing Services partners with rural hospitals, clinics, public hospital districts, regional health systems, community health centers, tribal healthcare organizations, long-term care providers, and community healthcare organizations throughout Montana to identify nursing leaders who understand both the responsibility and the privilege of leading care in rural and frontier communities. We are currently connecting with experienced nursing executives who may be interested in active and upcoming Chief Nursing Officer and senior nursing leadership opportunities across Montana. These opportunities may include leadership within: Critical Access Hospitals Rural and community hospitals Rural Health Clinics Federally Qualified Health Centers Public hospital districts Tribal healthcare organizations Regional health systems Long-term care and senior care organizations Integrated rural healthcare systems Multi-site and regional healthcare networks This Is More Than a CNO Role Nursing leadership in Montana is deeply connected to the people, teams, and communities being served. A Chief Nursing Officer may oversee clinical quality, patient safety, regulatory readiness, workforce development, nursing operations, infection prevention, and the daily support of teams working across multiple areas of care. In some organizations, the CNO may support nurses and clinical teams across several facilities, reservations, or communities separated by significant distances. Weather, transportation, staffing shortages, housing, supply availability, and access to specialty services may all affect how care is delivered. Just as importantly, the CNO helps shape workplace culture and ensures nurses feel heard, valued, prepared, and supported. The strongest leaders understand that rural and frontier healthcare requires flexibility, creativity, collaboration, and trust. They are visible, approachable, practical, and willing to work closely with frontline employees, medical staff, executive leaders, boards, tribal partners, community organizations, emergency services, and regional healthcare systems. They understand that strong nursing leadership does more than support a department. It helps preserve access to care for entire communities and regions. What You May Lead Responsibilities will vary by organization and may include: Providing strategic and operational leadership for nursing and clinical services Supporting safe, high-quality, patient-centered, and community-focused 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, severe weather, transportation delays, wildfire impacts, or increased patient demand Supporting nurses and clinical teams working across multiple facilities, clinics, reservations, or communities Developing policies, procedures, workflows, standards of care, and documentation practices Supporting telehealth, regional consultation, and coordination between local care, tribal health programs, 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 What You Will Bring Qualifications will vary by opportunity, but organizations may seek: Current Registered Nurse licensure or eligibility for Montana 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 Experience with rural hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, FQHCs, public hospital districts, tribal healthcare organizations, regional systems, long-term care providers, or community healthcare organizations Experience supporting clinical services across multiple facilities or significant geographic distances may be valuable A bachelor's degree in nursing or a related field, with a master's degree preferred or required for some opportunities Relevant nursing leadership, quality, or healthcare executive certification may be preferred A collaborative, visible, transparent, practical, and relationship-focused leadership style The ability to relocate or travel regionally when required Specific education, licensure, credentialing, travel, and experience requirements will depend on the organization and position. Types of Opportunities Opportunities may include: Permanent Chief Nursing Officer positions Interim Chief Nursing Officer assignments Vice President of Nursing roles Chief Clinical Officer positions Director of Nursing opportunities Regional or multi-site nursing leadership Tribal healthcare nursing leadership Long-term care or senior care nursing leadership Temporary-to-permanent opportunities Nursing turnaround or stabilization assignments Short-term executive support during a transition or vacancy The schedule, compensation, relocation assistance, travel requirements, clinical scope, reporting structure, and employment arrangement will be explained before you decide whether to move forward with a specific opportunity. Why Rural Montana? Montana's healthcare organizations serve communities surrounded by mountain ranges, open plains, ranchland, farmland, forests, rivers, reservations, and long stretches of open road. Some communities are connected by major highways. Others are hours from larger medical centers and specialty services. These distances make strong nursing leadership especially important. In some communities, nurses are among the few healthcare professionals available locally. They may care for patients across the lifespan, support emergency stabilization, coordinate transfers, manage complex conditions, and help families navigate care far from larger medical centers. A strong CNO can help protect patient safety, strengthen staffing, develop local leaders, improve workplace culture, support clinical quality, and ensure nurses have the tools and support they need to serve their communities. Leading nursing in Montana offers the opportunity to see the direct impact of your work, build meaningful relationships, and help shape care across an entire community or region. You may help stabilize a nursing department, mentor emerging leaders, improve retention, expand services, strengthen quality systems, or create stronger connections between local care, tribal healthcare programs, and regional resources. The work requires resilience, adaptability, sound judgment, humility, and a genuine commitment to listening before leading. For the right nursing executive, it is an opportunity to do some of the most meaningful work of a career. Join the Rural Staffing Services Talent Network By applying through this page, you are joining the confidential Rural Staffing Services Talent Network. You may be considered for current or upcoming CNO and senior nursing leadership opportunities throughout Montana that align with your experience, goals, preferred region, and availability. Your information will be handled professionally and confidentially. Discover More Rural Healthcare Opportunities Visit to explore additional rural healthcare positions, leadership opportunities, and communities throughout Montana. Work Where It Matters. Built for Rural. #J-18808-Ljbffr