Chief Nursing and Professional Services Officer

In collaboration with the President and physician leadership, the Chief Nursing & Professional Services Officer for Texas Health Stephenville (THS) develops, approves, and oversees the implementation of policies, procedures, standards of care and practice that provide direction for the delivery of patient care as well as directs departmental operations and optimize workflows while maintaining operational priorities in alignment with strategic initiatives. The CNO & Professional Services Officer THS will direct activities that support compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards and requirements; create processes that support dissemination of data and information to leadership team and staff; collects comprehensive data pertinent to issues, situations and trends and leads and oversees the strategic planning, program development, business plans, and day-to-day operations of the assigned clinical support areas.  The officer will identify expected outcomes for issues, staffing, practice and documents expected outcomes as measurable goals; consider factors related to safety, reliability effectiveness, impact on practice, cost, and resources in delivery of nursing care. 

The officer will provide leadership in professional practice setting as a team builder, team player, and lead with flexibility through times of challenge. The officer will act as a liaison to designated medical staff members and hospital management by working cooperatively to ensure development and nurturing of collaborative work environment to facilitate involvement and operations as appropriate. The officer will serve in key roles regarding nursing practice, represent nursing to medical-executive team, board of managers, executive leadership and others as well as assume accountability for overall management of nursing practice, nursing education, professional development, nursing research, nursing administration and nursing services wherever delivered in the organization.  The officer will report to the President THS and will act as the designated Executive in Charge during the absence of the Hospital President. 

Responsibilities and Duties:

The CNO/Professional Services Officer has the following duties and responsibilities:

·         Balanced direction and alignment with the High Reliability channel at the system level. 

·         Culture creation through push, pull, education and participation.

·         Situational Leadership from an eclectic perspective| Interprofessional teams formation and implementation.

·         Challenge decisions in a non-challenging way.

·         Utilize Reward & Recognition in a creative way that supports not only nursing but also interprofessional team building.

·         Balance needs of patients and organization.

·         Collaborative leadership.

·         Seasoned judgment.

·         Knowledge of HR.

·         Communicating and knowing potential situations may result (down-stream impact).

·         Visibility (knowing where you need to be with the end in mind).

·         Create and develop a collaborative environment with physicians.

·         Spotting talent – great discernment abilities.

·         Rounding with intent of listening, hearing and responding.

·         Organize and lead a results oriented meeting in a concise manner.

·         Exceptional presentation skills.

·         Ability to convert strategies into actionable tactics leading to desired outcomes.

·         PROFESSIONAL SERVICES: Strategic and Business Operations
– Participate in hospital initiatives (i.e. fund raising events and community events), serve on hospital and system based committees as appropriate.
– Continually investigates and introduces process improvement measures and presents suggestions for consideration. Advises hospital President regarding the need for new programs and services.
– Evaluates operational needs for new programs, services and technology including staffing requirements and capital needs. Ensures staff, equipment, and information technology resources enhance or facilitate the provision of a safe and clinically effective environment for the care of patients and their families.
– Regularly reports verbally or in written means to Hospital President and physician leadership as well as to Executive Team, appropriate medical staff committees, and other groups and organizations as necessary on quality, professional services and financial activities of assigned areas.
– Assists in the development and ongoing monitoring with system services of project specific marketing plans.

·         PROFESSIONAL SERVICES: Quality & Performance Improvement
– Identify opportunities for improvement of care and services based on comparative data from internal and external sources, indicators, process and outcome measures, other findings and/or observations.
– Develops, monitors, and evaluates systems for improvement of organizational performance utilizing methodologies such as VALUE, CAP and Work-Out. Will facilitate integration of nursing and clinical support areas to bridge gap for quality and integration of patient care.
– Regulatory and compliance standards identified, policies/procedures developed, audits completed, gaps identified and closed, external regulatory guidelines met and internal inquiries researched and appropriately addressed.
– Promotes compliance with regulations governing hospitals and ambulatory facilities and the rules of accrediting bodies by monitoring operations and initiating changes where required. Ensures that organizational activities and operations are carried out in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations, laws governing business operations and requirements of accreditation and licensure agencies.
– Review Press Ganey patient satisfaction data to identify gaps between results and expectations. Develop/implement process and systems that will ensure high levels of satisfaction are maintained.
– Develop a plan for educating, measuring, monitoring, and improving performance on the patient safety KPIs.
– Timely follow through and response to issues or complaints (i.e. RL investigations completed within 30 days, patient complaints addressed during hospital stay or within 24 hours post discharge, and CMS 7 day requirement is met).
– Ensures patients receive safe and consistent care within areas of responsibility by implementing and monitoring quality assurance/quality improvement programs to achieve measurable improvements in patient care delivery and patient safety. Continually assess and improve performance.
– Creates a mechanism for continuous quality improvement for each individual unit, to include at least one focused project per year in an area of need identified by the unit.
– Establishes an environment of accountability for optimizing physician satisfaction and improving ease of use for physicians in the acute-care setting.

·         PROFESSIONAL SERVICES: Financial Operations
– Participates in the development and implementation of capital and operating budgets, financial plans, and objectives for assigned areas. Oversees financial performance of areas of responsibility and shares responsibility for overall financial performance of the hospital.
– Manage the approved budget through frequent and regular monitoring, implementation of effective written action plans to address variances, and implementation and adjusting strategies as needed to meet budgetary expectations.
– Assist in the development financial analysis with the EFO for new and/or existing programs, services and related technologies. With finance develop plans to address potential risks and/or opportunities associated with new programs and analyze clinical and financial trends. Develop, monitor, adjust, and explain variances for operational and capital budgets for areas of responsibility.
– Considers clinical, quality and operational outcomes and financial implications when making recommendations for changes in practices.
– Ensure vacancy rate and retention indicators have been met.

·         PROFESSIONAL SERVICES: Leadership Development
– Mentor, coach, guide, and support managers, direct reports, staff employees and other hospital leaders in building teamwork, staff development and education, to achieve optimal performance and develop managerial and clinical talent. Set performance goals, evaluate performance, and provide continuing educational opportunities and disciplines as necessary.
– Ensure employee engagement survey participation goals are met; the completion of employee mandatory training, annual employee health screening, employee licensure, certification and registry, employee compliance with hospital and system policies, recognition of employees through Applause and Shinning Star Programs, and identify and develop leadership talent for future opportunities.
– Ensure department staffing is based on volume making adjustments as necessary and employee attendance at town halls, brown bags, and employee forums.
– Serves as an effective resource to various stakeholder, advisory, consumer, and community groups. Actively promotes a positive public image of the hospital and is responsive to the needs and desires of various stakeholders. Develop and maintain positive working relationships with leadership at THR System Services and other key community hospitals.
– Department engagement/partnership goals have been met and action plans have been completed.
– Professional development – seek out opportunities to continue your own professional development utilizing resources such as The Advisory Board, ACHE and the THRU.