Accreditation Standards, Acute Care, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Board Meeting, Budget Management, Budgeting, Candidate Screening, Coaching, Content Management Systems (CMS), Continuous Improvement, Corrective Action, Cost Control, Director of Nursing (DON), Employee Retention, Finance, Financial Management, Genetics, Head of Finance, Hospital, Industrial Relations, Infection Control, Leadership, Maintain Compliance, Mentoring, Metrics, Nursing, Nursing Management, On Call, Operational Strategy, Operations Management, Patient Care, Patient Safety, Performance Analysis, Performance Management, Performance Reviews, Policy Development, Policy Implementation, Problem Solving Skills, Procedure Development, Procedure Implementation, Quality Assurance, Quality Management, Quality Metrics, Regulations, Retention Programs, Risk Management, Safety Compliance, Safety/Work Safety, Standards of Care, Strategic Planning, Succession Planning, Workforce Management, Workforce Planning
Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)
Position Overview
The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) serves as a key member of the executive leadership team, providing strategic direction and operational oversight for all nursing services. This role ensures alignment of nursing operations with the organization's mission, quality standards, and financial objectives while fostering a culture of excellence, safety, and continuous improvement in patient care.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic & Executive Leadership
- Provide enterprise-wide leadership for nursing strategy, governance, and professional practice standards
- Partner with executive leadership (CEO, COO, CMO, CFO) to align nursing initiatives with organizational priorities
- Represent nursing in board meetings, executive committees, and regulatory forums
- Lead workforce and succession planning to ensure strong leadership pipelines and operational continuity
Operations & Financial Management
- Oversee nursing budgets, staffing models, and productivity metrics
- Manage labor costs while maintaining high-quality patient care standards
- Support nursing leaders with operational decision-making, performance management, and problem resolution
- Develop and implement policies, procedures, and workflows that promote efficiency and compliance
Quality, Safety & Compliance
- Ensure compliance with all state, federal, and accreditation standards (e.g., Joint Commission, CMS)
- Lead quality improvement initiatives, patient safety programs, and performance improvement efforts
- Review quality metrics, incident reports, and corrective action plans to drive measurable outcomes
- Oversee readiness for audits, regulatory surveys, and accreditation reviews
Collaboration & Culture
- Partner with departments including Quality, HR, Infection Control, Risk Management, and Finance
- Promote interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance patient care delivery
- Foster a culture of accountability, professionalism, innovation, and shared governance
Workforce Leadership
- Drive recruitment, retention, and engagement strategies for nursing staff
- Oversee leadership development, training, and performance evaluation processes
- Collaborate with HR on labor relations, credentialing, and compliance
- Support coaching, mentoring, and professional development across the nursing organization
Required Qualifications
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or equivalent advanced degree
- Progressive nursing leadership experience (Director, Manager, or CNO level)
- Demonstrated experience in executive-level nursing leadership and strategic planning
- Strong financial acumen, including budgeting and workforce management
- Deep knowledge of regulatory and accreditation standards (Joint Commission, CMS, etc.)
- Proven success leading quality, safety, and performance improvement initiatives
- Experience collaborating with executive teams and presenting at the board level
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience as a Chief Nursing Officer or Director of Nursing in an acute care setting
- Background managing multiple units or service lines
- Formal leadership training or participation in leadership development programs
- Experience with regulatory surveys, audits, and accreditation preparation
- Strong track record in staff engagement, retention, and leadership development
Work Environment
This role is based within a hospital setting and requires close collaboration with both clinical and administrative leadership. The CNO maintains a visible presence across patient care units to support nursing teams and ensure operational excellence. While primarily a weekday leadership role, flexibility is required to support organizational needs, including after-hours responsibilities and on-call coverage as necessary.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract position based out of Memphis, TN.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $75.00 - $100.00/hr.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
- Medical, dental & vision
- Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
- 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
- Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
- Short and long-term disability
- Health Spending Account (HSA)
- Transportation benefits
- Employee Assistance Program
- Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Memphis,TN.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Jun 2, 2026.
About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.
The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.
San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.