Chief Nursing Officer; CNO

Overview

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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…