If you’re making the leap from RN into clinical management, you may have your sights set on the role of Chief Nursing Officer (CNO). In an upper-level executive leadership position, CNOs are responsible for coordinating every aspect of a healthcare organization’s nursing department for smooth daily operations. Chief Nursing Officers act as the primary spokespeople for nursing staff and advise senior hospital executives on the best patient care practices. Increased demand for healthcare services from a large baby boomer population will likely open more jobs in nursing management. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the employment of nurse administrators will grow rapidly by 23 percent through 2022. Competition will be strong for the coveted Chief Nursing Officer position though, so use the following job profile to determine if it’s right for you.
What Chief Nursing Officers Do
Chief Nursing Officers maintain a managerial position to supervise the delivery of clinical care and facilitate better patient outcomes. CNOs strive to create a positive, collaborative nursing department where all legal regulations and clinical standards are followed precisely. CNOs stand at the helm of personnel matters to oversee the recruitment, hiring, and retention of highly qualified nurses. The Chief Nursing Officer also handles a wide range of administrative tasks, including planning a budget, preparing business reports, implementing policy changes, and directing disciplinary actions. Most CNOs will collaborate with other department heads to develop strategic plans for improvement.
Where Chief Nursing Officers Work
A report from the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) found that nearly 55 percent of nurse administrators and CNOs will retire in the upcoming decade. Of course, this will create a tremendous void of outstanding leadership in many healthcare settings. Chief Nursing Officer positions are typically found in larger sized hospitals, medical group practices, managed care organizations, practice management firms, ambulatory surgical centers, and health maintenance organizations. Some may also be hired by federal or state government agencies. CNOs usually only work in healthcare systems where there’s a big enough nursing staff to require leadership ahead of nurse managers. The Chief Nursing Officer will work full-time beyond the standard 40-hour week to address all challenges in promoting professional nursing practice.
How to Become the Chief Nursing Officer
Chief Nursing Officers must possess extensive clinical knowledge to oversee patient care from pediatrics through geriatrics. Therefore, all CNO positions will require at least a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Certain healthcare executives in larger medical facilities will mandate an advanced Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) through. Specializing your master’s education in nursing management or administration is advised. Make certain that your graduate school is fully accredited by the CCNE or ACEN for excellence. After graduation, consider pursuing the Nurse Executive Certification (NE-BC) through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. You’ll need at least 24 months of full-time experience in mid-level nursing administration.
Related Resource: Nurse Manager
Overall, registered nurses can combine their clinical skills and leadership talents to pursue the executive role of Chief Nursing Officer. CNOs enjoy added supervisory responsibilities for directing the day-to-day operations in a facility’s nursing department. According to PayScale, CNOs also bring home a high six-figure median salary of $117,152 annually. The only drawback of making the transition to clinical leadership as Chief Nursing Officer is the lack of direct patient interaction and bedside care.
