Description
Provide strategic leadership and overall direction for nursing across the health system within governance set by the board and executive team. Plan, direct, and coordinate nursing practice, patient care quality and safety, staffing, and operations at the highest level through nurse executives, managers, and interdisciplinary partners.
- • Direct nursing budget planning and resource allocation to support patient care and operational efficiency.
- • Collaborate with the CEO, CMO, CFO, and board committees on strategic priorities and performance issues.
- • Analyze clinical and operational nursing metrics to evaluate outcomes, productivity, and opportunities for improvement.
- • Develop, implement, and evaluate nursing policies, standards of care, and professional practice models.
- • Prepare and present nursing budgets, staffing plans, and capital requests for approval.
- • Oversee patient throughput, bed management, and staffing to match census and acuity.
- • Negotiate and approve contracts with staffing agencies, academic partners, and clinical vendors.
- • Review quality, safety, and operational reports from nurse leaders and direct corrective actions.
- • Recruit, appoint, and mentor nurse executives and managers; delegate responsibilities and set expectations.
- • Lead workforce planning, talent acquisition, retention, and succession strategies for nursing.
- • Serve on executive leadership, quality, and patient safety committees and report to the board.
- • Prepare and deliver reports on nursing outcomes, patient experience, regulatory readiness, and budget performance.
- • Define departmental roles and coordinate functions across inpatient, ambulatory, perioperative, and ancillary nursing services.
- • Implement action plans to address safety events, survey findings, or performance gaps.
- • Establish and monitor systems for staffing, acuity, scheduling, credentialing, and competency management.
- • Oversee support departments impacting nursing, such as education, care management, and infection prevention, in collaboration with peers.
- • Represent nursing at town halls, professional conferences, and community forums.
- • Act as a liaison with physicians, unions, community partners, and regulatory bodies.
- • Interpret and communicate clinical policies, scope-of-practice regulations, and accreditation standards to leaders and staff.
- • Present testimony or updates to governing boards and public agencies on nursing programs and outcomes.
- • Escalate major policy issues to executive leadership and the board for decision.
- • Direct programs for equipment standardization, clinical technology adoption, and supply management supporting nursing care.
- • Sponsor or conduct nursing research and evidence-based practice initiatives.
- • Participate in regional health collaboratives and coalition meetings.
- • Approve patient and nurse engagement initiatives and internal communications campaigns.
- • Lead or oversee investigations of adverse events, grievances, and regulatory complaints; ensure timely resolution and reporting.
- • Represent the organization at Magnet, academic, or professional accreditation events.
- • Develop, implement, and enforce nursing bylaws, scope-of-practice guidelines, and shared governance charters.
- • Review healthcare legislation and payment policy and advocate for positions that advance nursing and patient outcomes.
- • Advance digital health, EHR optimization, and virtual nursing models to improve care and efficiency.
- • Coordinate emergency preparedness, surge staffing, and incident command nursing operations.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
