Overview
Reporting directly to the Market President, with a dotted line to the Southeast Region SVP CNO, the Wake Market Chief Nurse Executive (CNE) is responsible for organizing, planning, directing, and evaluating all nursing functions and other patient care areas within Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist (AHWFB) market. This position has overall accountability for nursing and interdisciplinary leadership, strategic direction, quality, and outcomes of care throughout the Market. The Market CNE establishes and communicates a vision and direction for patient-centered and evidence-based care delivery in an integrated and team-based context. The position is responsible for driving a service-oriented culture focused on superior patient experience, employee engagement, quality, patient safety, and operational efficiency.
The Market CNE sets and enforces standards for professional nursing practice including leadership development, educational requirements, and workforce goals and targets. In collaboration with the SE CNO, the Market CNE is responsible for establishing a culture of accountability/stewardship, leading in removal of unnecessary practice variation through market, and enterprise alignment of care delivery/operational practices where appropriate. The position advocates for strategic patient care priorities with internal and external constituents and stakeholders to ensure optimal operating effectiveness, market positioning, and quality outcomes. The Market CNE collaborates closely with enterprise nursing and other market/regional colleagues to achieve system and market/regional quality outcomes and priority strategic clinical initiatives. The Market CNE leads quality, safety, and innovation initiatives in partnership with the market Chief Medical Officer and the market executive team. The Market CNE ensures the vision of and the advancement of the profession of Nursing in assigned market and is responsible for retention of staff, financial planning and control, maintenance of active licensure, and quality assurance throughout the assigned market. The Market CNE leads the strategy for the Magnet designation and Pathway to Excellence process for the market and is responsible for promoting Magnet standards and principles throughout the assigned market. This includes creating an environment where collaboration is valued and excellence in clinical care, education, and research is promoted and achieved. The Market CNE collaborates closely with Advocate Southeast region colleagues to achieve nursing integration resulting in the best quality outcomes while achieving the priority strategic clinical initiatives.
This position is a key member of the AHWFB market leadership team and works closely with the area hospital presidents and service line leaders.
Key Responsibilities
- Accountable for directing all operations of Patient Services in AHWFB Market.
- Establishes nursing standards for patient care, treatment/services, and standards of nursing practice by assuring that all nursing services are provided and in compliance with all applicable standards/requirements of the practice region, and all other applicable regulatory bodies.
- Identifies and articulates the vision and strategic direction for the delivery of patient care and the discipline of Nursing across all patient care settings for assigned market; directs and collaborate on the implementation of strategies to achieve them.
- In conjunction with other Atrium/Advocate Health executive leadership, participates in strategic planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of clinical programs and services, assuring appropriate resources for the delivery of care.
- Recommends and implements policies and procedures to improve efficiency and delivery of quality patient care.
- Plans, manages, coordinates, and evaluates the clinical and administrative activities for the department of nursing and the administrative activities for other clinical and non-clinical areas.
- Provides enterprise leadership in the establishment and oversight of credentialing/privileging policies for nurses and ensures compliance with such policies for current and potential teammate nurses within the market practice area.
- Serves as the senior spokesperson for Nursing in the market. Advises the market senior leadership, the medical staff, board and individual clinical facilities and other internal and external groups by providing input about the implications of decisions and change on the quality of patient care, on nursing practice, and on nursing care providers
- Establishes strong collaborative relationship with medical staff to achieve and encourage active participation from all staff members and create a working environment that will encourage retention of clinical employees.
- Encourages innovation of the staff for the betterment of the welfare of the patients and the organization.
Ideal Experience
Progressive Nursing Leadership Experience
- 10+ years of increasingly responsible nurse or operational leadership roles with significant operational experience (e.g., CNE, associate CNE, COO, SVP of Operations, or other executive leader).
Academic Health System Experience in a similarly complex academic setting to AHWFB.
- Clinical Excellence Champion
- Experience leading performance improvement and change management initiatives in the areas of clinical quality, patient safety, patient & staff engagement, and resource allocation.
Financial and Business Acumen
- Demonstrated by the successful development and management of annual budgets reflecting staffing, capital and other operating expenses.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- A record of accomplishment in recruitment, development and retention of outstanding leaders and staff, including those traditionally underrepresented. Aspiration to be an agent of progress in advancing racial equity and justice.
Academic Credentials and Licensure
- Master of Science in Nursing from an accredited nursing program, or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an accredited nursing program and a Master’s degree in a related field.
- A D.N.P. or Ph.D. is preferred.
- If not already licensed in North Carolina, eligible for licensure in the state.
CRITICAL LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES
- The next CNE must be a high-impact, results-oriented, inspirational leader with a commitment to excellence and a focus on improving the quality, safety, and value of patient care in this new healthcare environment, demonstrated by:
- Displaying expertise in present and emerging industry trends and best practices in clinical methodologies, performance improvement and nursing practices.
- Elevating the standards for nursing performance and achieving improved clinical outcomes.
- Surpassing goals and seizing opportunities to improve patient care.
- Setting goals that are ambitious but realistic for self and team, geared to overall market objectives.
- Exceeding performance targets in quality, patient safety, employee and patient experience.
Collaborating and Influencing
- The CNE must be able to engage and build lasting relationships and collaborations with senior leadership team members, physicians, nursing leadership and staff as well as key stakeholders in a complex and highly matrixed organization, with particular emphasis on:
- Negotiating with a genuine give-and-take approach, where all parties act as true peers and decisions are shared.
- Identifying and engaging with all relevant stakeholders to shape consensus.
- Identifying opportunities to build supporting or new relationships.
Leading People
- The incoming CNE will demonstrate personal credibility, executive presence, anticipation of needs and concerns, and rigorous management of personal motivation and sustained performance, and will exhibit a personal interest in mentoring and coaching the nursing leaders of the future by:
- Creating an environment where our people are seen, heard, valued and feel like they belong.
- Collaborating and actively engaging with the team to manage projects, solve problems, discuss challenging issues, or learn more about critical issues as a group.
- Appropriately delegating roles and responsibilities to free self to work at a more strategic level.
- Establishing clear, challenging performance goals and metrics for the year.
- Designing proactive, process-focused performance management processes to monitor projects and deliver sustainable results that exceed expectations.
OTHER PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
- Practices openness and is highly trustworthy and transparent
- Assumes the best in people and creates a culture that rewards collaboration, diversity and teamwork.
- Inspirational, genuine, and enthusiastic, with a high level of energy and endurance