Chief Nursing Officer

Arkansas Continued Care Hospital of Jonesboro (ACCH) is a 44-bed free standing Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH). Located in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the hospital will provide care for critically ill patients with complex medical issues and an average length of stay of 25 days. Our staff enjoys our small-hospital environment and the ability to see the progression of their patients.

Principal Accountability

The CNO is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the clinical services of the LTACH. Under the direct supervision of the LTACH CEO, the CNO is responsible for providing, managing and supervising the clinical staff, ensuring that the competency, numbers, and staff levels are appropriate to meet the immediate and complex needs of patients. The CNO is responsible for promoting the overall quality of nursing care while operating under the ANA Standards of Practice. In conjunction with the professional staff, the CNO plans, coordinates, manages, and evaluates clinical programs and services of the LTACH while promoting a team approach to the delivery of patient care provided by the LTACH.

Other General and Related Duties

* Is actively committed to quality of patient care, treatment, and services. Measures and reports quality results to hospital and corporate teams. Fosters continuous quality improvement. Participates in corporate-wide and hospital-based performance improvement activities.

* Is actively committed to providing excellent customer service. Strives to meet or exceed patient expectations/satisfaction in the performance of job functions.

* Is actively committed to meeting and/or exceeding physician expectations/satisfaction in the performance of job functions.

* Is actively committed to meeting and/or exceeding employee expectations/satisfaction in the performance of job functions.

* Retains all nursing related hospital accreditations, licensures and designations in good standing. Maintains compliance with all laws and applicable regulatory requirements. Acts promptly to comply with required changes.

Major Responsibilities

* Operations Management: Defines and implements operational standards, policies and procedures that address how nursing care needs of the patient population are assessed, met and evaluated. Collects and analyzes data from internal and external sources regarding current way of doing business and clinical processes. Conducts needs analysis, identifies and prioritizes needs, applies good problem solving skills to improve operations.

* Safety and Quality of Care: Promotes quality by incorporating current nationally recognized professional standards and other expert literature into policies and procedures governing the provision of nursing care, treatment and services. Encourages the identification of alternate processes and potential solutions and acts to implement changes to resolve identified problems, improve safety and quality of care and maintain patient rights.

* Financial Management: Oversees the preparation and management of sound operating, special project and capital budgets for nursing. Ensures the utilization of appropriate productivity measures and nursing support of revenue cycle needs. Meets budget-critical financial metrics. Provides stewardship of all financial resources.

* Human Resources: Determines staffing requirements and ensures the availability of adequate numbers of competent staff (including contract labor) that are properly credentialed, educated, trained, motivated and engaged. Directs performance management systems including policies/practices for providing timely feedback, recognizing excellence and dealing with problem behavior and poor performance.

* Medical Staff: Collaborates with the Medical Staff to identify and resolve issues affecting the provision of nursing care and overall patient care in the Hospital. Fosters open and effective communication between patients, nursing and medical staff to resolve problems. Promotes harmonious relationships among nursing, medical staff, patients and the public.

* Vision and strategy setting: Establishes and communicates a clear and compelling vision. All stakeholders know the hospitals mission, vision, and priorities. Works with Board, senior management team, physicians and nursing staff to develop, implement, and update strategies and opportunities for growth and improvement to support the hospitals mission and respond to external and internal issues.

* High performance culture: Conveys the hospitals values and acceptable behavior to all stakeholders through own actions. Creates an organizational climate that encourages teamwork, builds employee engagement, collaborates, accepts accountability, and produces quality results. Inspires individual and organizational excellence.

* Internal Communication and Relationship: Demonstrates effective interpersonal relations including influencing/persuading at all levels inside the hospital and corporation. Builds rapport and trust with team through frequent/timely communication. Develops and maintains effective medical staff relationships. Seeks input from stakeholders. Anticipates and addresses concerns. Contributes to the creation of a culture of communication.

* External Communication and Relationship: Works with community leaders as appropriate to assess community healthcare needs, build a positive hospital image and market hospital services. Actively participates in his/her community through civic and other service. Demonstrates appropriate political savvy, tact and diplomacy.

* Talent Development: Wants people to develop. Accurately assesses developmental needs and provides frequent feedback, coaching, and personal development opportunities. Faces up to performance and behavior problems quickly and directly. Does not shy from providing timely corrective feedback. Takes action promptly to remove talent that is non-responsive to coaching and developmental activity.

* Accountability: Sets clear, consistent goals and expectations. Holds self and others accountable for decisions and actions. Demands high performance. Is reliable, keeps commitments, and delivers results. Creates an ownership culture.

* Champion for Change: Speaks out for change and helps staff understand reasons for, and benefits from, change. Makes change real for individuals. Links change to work processes and involves stakeholders in the change process. Follows through on change initiatives. Communicates constantly with all affected by change.

Requirements

Education and Experience

* Bachelors Degree of Nursing from an accredited university program.

* MSN preferred: or enrolled and progressing toward a MSN.

* Must possess and maintain current licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Arkansas

* A minimum of three to five years of direct patient care experience in an acute care setting is required. Critical care experience is preferred. Must show evidence of competency in supervising patient care services through a minimum of two years management experience. Nursing management experience will consider roles as nursing manager, nursing director or CNO or other equivalent experience.

Skills and Knowledge

* Ability to define realistic, specific goals and objectives and to prioritize objectives

* Ability to organize and manage multiple priorities

* Ability to manage people and work with them in such a manner as to build high morale and group commitments to goals and objectives

* Ability to work with all levels of management and respecting all differences

* Ability to communicate and relate well with others

* Ability to be trustworthy

* Ability to identify and resolve operational and administrative problems

* Ability to work with Medicare system and be adaptable to changes

* Ability to work independently and possess critical thinking skills

* Proficient PC skills, including Microsoft Word and Excel

* Proficient knowledge to understand and apply the concepts and terminology unique to the healthcare industry

* Possess a strong customer orientation

* Possess sound and accurate judgment and timely decision making