Chief Nursing Officer

Job Description

Lead the Future of Nursing at Nashville General Hospital

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Nashville General Hospital is seeking its next Chief Nursing Officer —a transformational nursing executive ready to lead clinical excellence, workforce strategy, patient safety, and nursing innovation at Nashville's original community-based hospital.

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Joint Commission accredited and supported by a strong academic partnership with Meharry Medical College , NGH provides a broad continuum of emergency, acute, ancillary, specialty, and ambulatory services through our hospital and two satellite clinics. We remain deeply committed to serving the healthcare needs of Nashville and Davidson County's underserved populations while providing high-quality care to all segments of the community.

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The Opportunity

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Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer , the CNO serves as the senior nursing executive and a key member of the executive leadership team. This leader will establish the strategic vision for nursing and provide executive oversight of clinical quality, patient safety, nursing operations, workforce development, patient experience, professional practice, and financial performance.

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The CNO will lead a broad portfolio of nursing and patient care services, including inpatient nursing, Critical Care, Women's Health Services, Emergency Services, Perioperative Services, Care Transitions and Patient Throughput, Nursing Education, and Nursing Quality, Safety and Regulatory Compliance.

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This is an opportunity for an exceptional nursing executive to help shape the future of nursing at a mission-driven community teaching hospital while strengthening clinical outcomes, developing nursing leaders, advancing professional practice, and improving the experience of patients, families, and employees.

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Key Leadership Priorities

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The CNO will:

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• Establish and execute a compelling strategic vision for nursing aligned with NGH's mission and organizational priorities.
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• Advance a culture of clinical excellence, patient safety, evidence-based practice, and compassionate patient-centered care .
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• Strengthen nursing quality and performance across key clinical, safety, patient experience, and operational measures.
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• Lead strategies to recruit, retain, engage, develop, and recognize a high-performing nursing workforce.
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• Build a strong pipeline of nursing leaders through succession planning, mentorship, professional development, and career pathways.
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• Advance shared governance and empower frontline nurses to participate in clinical and organizational decision-making.
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• Optimize nursing operations, staffing models, patient flow, productivity, and resource utilization.
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• Provide strong financial stewardship of nursing operations and capital resources.
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• Partner with physicians, executive leaders, and clinical teams to advance interdisciplinary care.
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• Strengthen the strategic relationship with Meharry Medical College , including clinical education, interprofessional collaboration, research, and workforce development.
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• Maintain continuous readiness for The Joint Commission, CMS, Tennessee Board of Nursing , and other regulatory requirements.
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• Lead innovation and the effective use of technology, clinical informatics, and data to improve nursing practice and patient outcomes.
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Leadership Profile

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The ideal candidate is a visible, collaborative, and transformational nursing executive who combines clinical credibility with strong operational and financial acumen.

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The successful candidate will be a trusted partner to the CEO, medical staff, executive leadership, frontline caregivers, academic partners, and community stakeholders. This leader will bring a demonstrated ability to build high-performing teams, develop future nursing leaders, lead through change, and translate strategy into measurable results.

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The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

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• A record of improving clinical quality, patient safety, and patient experience.
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• Success in recruiting, retaining, engaging, and developing nursing talent.
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• Strong operational and financial leadership in a complex hospital environment.
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• Exceptional relationship-building and physician partnership skills.
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• Experience leading organizational change and performance improvement.
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• A commitment to professional nursing practice, shared governance, and evidence-based care.
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• An understanding of academic and teaching hospital environments.
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• A genuine commitment to community health and serving diverse and underserved populations.
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• The integrity, presence, judgment, and emotional intelligence expected of a senior executive leader.
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Qualifications

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• BSN required.
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• Master's degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or a related field required.
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• Doctoral degree such as DNP, DHA, or PhD preferred.
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• Current, active, unrestricted RN license in the State of Tennessee required.
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• Executive nursing or healthcare leadership certification preferred, such as NEA-BC or FACHE .
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• Minimum of 10 years of progressive nursing leadership experience in a complex healthcare organization.
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• Significant senior executive nursing leadership experience as a CNO, Chief Nursing Executive, Vice President of Nursing, or comparable leader .
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• Demonstrated success leading complex nursing operations, quality improvement, workforce strategy, financial management, and organizational change.
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• Experience in a community hospital, academic medical center, teaching hospital, or similarly complex healthcare environment strongly preferred.
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Why Nashville General Hospital?

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This is an opportunity to join an organization with a distinctive mission and an important role in the Nashville healthcare community. The CNO will have the opportunity to influence the future of nursing, strengthen clinical excellence, develop people, advance academic partnerships, and make a meaningful impact on the patients and communities served by Nashville General Hospital.

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Nashville General Hospital offers a competitive executive compensation and benefits package, including health, dental and vision insurance, paid time off, continuing education opportunities, 12 paid holidays, and access to the Metro Health Incentive Program.

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• Join Nashville General Hospital and help shape the future of nursing, patient care, and community health in Nashville.
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