Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)

Job Title: Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)

Company Overview: Kaweah Health is dedicated to providing exceptional healthcare services to the community. The organization prides itself on a humble and flat structure, where leadership is approachable, and collaboration is highly valued. Kaweah Health has achieved significant accomplishments, including recognition for high-performing maternity care, delivering 4700 babies annually, and possessing programs that rank in the top 50/100 nationally. The culture emphasizes high expectations, accountability, pride in work, and a commitment to excellence and compassion in all endeavors.

Position Overview: Kaweah Health is seeking a visionary and experienced Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) to provide administrative oversight and strategic leadership for all nursing practice and services. This pivotal role involves shaping the future of nursing at the organization, ensuring patient safety, fostering a collaborative environment, and developing a high-functioning nursing team. The ideal candidate will be a compassionate leader with strong clinical expertise and a proven ability to drive positive change and achieve measurable improvements in patient care and staff retention.

Primary Responsibilities:

The CNO will articulate and execute a clear vision for nursing that prioritizes patient safety and fundamental nursing practices. They will mitigate the challenges of a novice nursing workforce by investing in skill development through leaders and the education department. A key responsibility is to create a culture that promotes retention among nurses by fostering a supportive and growth-oriented environment. The role demands setting and maintaining high expectations and standards for nursing care, consistently emphasizing compassion and safe practices. Furthermore, the CNO will foster stronger partnerships and open communication between nurses and physicians, actively working to mend existing friction and rebuild collaborative relationships.

Key Qualifications and Skills:

The successful candidate will be a highly capable and experienced leader with strong leadership skills and deep clinical expertise. They must possess the ability to articulate a compelling vision for nursing and effectively execute fundamental skills training initiatives. A collaborative style, open to input and feedback from teams, is essential. The CNO must demonstrate a strong belief in and consistent application of compassion in leadership. This individual needs to be a visionary with a broad perspective on what is both possible and realistic for the organization and the community. Finally, the CNO must be approachable and humble, embodying a "person of the people" attitude.

Certifications or Educational Requirements:

Candidates must be a Registered Nurse (RN) and hold a Master's (MSN) or a Doctor prepared nurse degree.

Ideal Experience Level:

The CNO should possess clinical experience as a former nurse, ideally having worked in critical care units such as the ICU, to demonstrate a deep understanding of clinical challenges and possibilities. Experience in assessing an organization, articulating a future vision, gaining buy-in and consensus, and successfully executing plans is crucial. A proven ability to improve objective measures such as infection rates, serious medical events, and patient experience scores is highly desired. The candidate should have experience in fostering consistent unit cultures that align with the organization's mission and vision, as well as a track record of improving nurse and physician communication and collaboration.

Team and Reporting Structure:

The CNO will be an integral part of the executive team and will report directly to Marc Mertz, the CEO. This role will collaborate closely with leaders and directors within the nursing department, the education department, physicians (including the chief of staff and medical directors on the units), the executive team, and the board.

Key Priorities in the First Six Months:

The CNO's top three priorities in the initial six months include rapidly assessing the current state of nursing at Kaweah Health and articulating a clear vision for its future, focusing on fundamental skills and hands-on training for nurses. A major priority is developing clinical professionals' skills and creating a supportive culture that improves retention. The CNO must also actively foster collaboration and improve nurse-physician communication, working to mend friction and build stronger partnerships through open dialogue.

Challenges and Opportunities:

This role offers a significant opportunity to shape and build a high-functioning nursing team from the ground up, bringing together scattered organizational components. The CNO has the chance to instill a culture of compassion, excellence, and continuous improvement, aligning with the CEO's vision for Kaweah Health. There is also an opportunity to increase external recruitment to introduce diverse experience and talent, balancing it with internal growth pathways. The CNO can leverage the CEO's commitment to high expectations, accountability, and pride in work to drive substantial organizational change.

KPIs for Success:

Success in this role will be measured by objective indicators such as a reduction in infection rates on the units, a decrease in serious medical events, and an improvement in patient experience scores. Cultural and relational measures include achieving consistency in culture across different units, fostering positive reactions from nurses when the CNO is present on the unit, and establishing stronger, more open partnerships and communication with physicians. This will be evidenced by a reduction in complaints through systems like Midus and improved scores in employee and physician engagement surveys regarding nurse-physician communication.

Candidate Profile:

The ideal candidate will possess deep compassion, demonstrating a strong belief in treating patients and colleagues with care, recognizing its impact on healing and employee well-being. Collaboration is essential, requiring the ability to engage leaders and nurses in discussions, solicit feedback, and build consensus. The CNO must be approachable, humble, and able to connect with individuals at all organizational levels. A visionary mindset is crucial, enabling the articulation of a clear future for nursing at the organization while considering what is possible and realistic. Strong leadership skills are necessary to guide and develop a team, particularly a novice nursing workforce.

Advantageous experience includes "clinical chops," meaning practical, hands-on experience as a former nurse, ideally in critical areas like the ICU, to deeply understand the realities and challenges of patient care. Leadership experience demonstrating the ability to assess an organization, articulate a vision, gain buy-in, and execute plans effectively is highly valued.