Chief Nursing Officer

In 2020 united in a fierce commitment to deliver the highest quality care and exceptional patient experience Virginia Mason and CHI Franciscan Health came together as natural partners to build a new health system centered around the patient: Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. Our combined system builds upon the scale and expertise of our nearly 300 sites of care including 11 hospitals and nearly 5000 physicians and providers. Together we are empowered to make an even greater impact on the health and well-being of our communities.

This job is responsible for the operational oversight and administration of all nursing quality and standards wherever nursing is practiced and/or nursing services are provided in the assigned facility.  As an integral member of the local executive team as well as the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) Nursing Leadership Team, an incumbent is accountable for defining, planning, implementing, evaluating and advancing, through innovation and research, the scope of practice, professional standards and care delivery models as they relate to patient care, patient experience and quality outcomes for the assigned VMFH facility.  This job has a matrixed relationship to the Region SVP Chief Nursing Officer as it relates to overall VMFH nursing clinical practice, nursing standards and the strategic direction and advancement of the nursing profession.  

An incumbent provides strategic direction and planning to balance efficient and optimal care and for advancing the practice of nursing by ensuring consistent alignment with all organizational goals.  Serving as a site-based chief nursing executive, work also includes responsibility for: 1) facilitating the execution and delivery of clinical transformation; 2) enhancing patient care services; 3) improving clinical quality and safety; 4) developing nursing leadership; 5) maximizing effective resource utilization, 6) working with academic organizations to ensure recruitment, retention and succession planning for nursing at all levels of the organization, and 7) directly supervising subordinate management staff.  Work requires the ability to work effectively in matrixed relationships, influence/persuade others, negotiate effectively with diverse groups of high-level individuals and create support for innovative initiatives, programs/projects and services. 

This position maintains direct responsibility for Nursing Practice at the assigned facility, including responsibility for all  nursing care services practiced at his/her assigned facility regardless of reporting structure.

• Advances the professional practice of nursing by ensuring care delivery is based upon industry standards of clinical quality, service quality, clinical education, engagement best practice and research, industry best practice and outcome performance as defined by organizations such as the American Nurses Association and CALNOC Quality Indicators.  
• Develops, maintains, and evaluates organizational planning systems to facilitate the delivery of nursing care, attainment of outcomes, execution of strategic plans, monitors the quality, safety and effectiveness of nursing practice and nursing services administration making necessary adjustments to achieve consistent performance.
• Establishes strategic direction and priorities for the provision of patient care; develops, implements and evaluates the hospital, ambulatory and skilled nursing models for providing nursing care.
• Provides direction and oversight with VMFH divisional services (e.g. Employee Health, Emergency Management, Compliance, Patient Experience, etc.) to promote effective collaboration and partnerships.
• Defines standards of care which promote and facilitate a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, ensuring that care delivery models and standards of practice are consistent with current professional standards and with the mission, vision and values of the organization.
• Responsible for the operation of nursing services, including the types and numbers of nursing personnel and staff necessary to provide nursing care for all areas of the hospital. 
• Continuously improves patient care services through innovative service enhancements, exploration of developmental opportunities, coordination of initiatives across multiple departments, performing benchmarking, market and competitor analysis and understanding quality drivers; actively leads performance improvement initiatives and monitors nursing-sensitive quality and safety indicators.
• Plans, directs and evaluates the programs, systems, operations and resources of the site-based assigned clinical nursing and/or related functions to ensure the safe and appropriate delivery of patient care, achievement of clinical  core measures and compliance with organizational values, professional standards, internal policies/standards/procedures and applicable regulatory requirements; presents reports on key performance indicators and significant benchmarking metrics.
• Directs and oversees the work of assigned management staff; makes employment decisions, establishes performance standards and manages staffing, scheduling and nursing budgets; addresses performance management concerns and technical issues elevated by subordinates as beyond their scope of authority; holds executive management accountable for achieving results in meeting service excellence objectives.
• Manages resources to assure that recruitment, orientation, education, certification, communication and retention needs of qualified nursing and support staff are met; assures established goals are met for overall and first-year employee turnover.
• Collaborates with the Region CNO and other campus CNOs to implement consistent and standardized approaches to align with organizational and regulatory goals and compliance.
• Assumes an active leadership role with the governing body, senior leadership, medical staff, management and other clinical leaders in the assigned hospital’s decision-making structure and process.
• Participates in the credentialing and privileging process for advanced practice nurses.
• Promotes the image of VMFH locally and nationally with professional nursing organizations, governmental agencies, special interest groups, nursing schools and other related groups as appropriate.
• Influences public agenda through active participation in Boards, professional societies, teaching opportunities and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.
• Establishes and maintains effective relationships with officials in key public agencies, accreditation agencies, healthcare systems, regulatory bodies (e.g. DOH, TJC, etc.) and related entitles to ensure that VMFH is actively involved in national quality discussion and research.  

Education / License:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing 
• Master’s degree
• Current licensure by the Washington State Nursing Commission as a Registered Nurse.

Experience

• 7 to 10 years of nursing leadership work experience in a large, complex healthcare setting(s) that would demonstrate attainment of the requisite job knowledge/abilities. 
• Prior work experience in Magnet organizations is strongly preferred.

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