Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) – New 80‑Bed Acute Care Hospital

Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) – Baytown Campus
East Houston Medical Center

Position Summary

The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for East Houston Medical Center – Baytown Campus is the senior nursing executive responsible for the vision, strategy, and operational leadership of all nursing and patient care services across the new facility. This leader will be a visible, hands-on presence on the units, setting the standard for clinical excellence by modeling bedside practice, rounding with teams, and stepping in alongside staff in high‑acuity or high‑demand situations when needed.

The CNO serves as a key member of the Baytown executive leadership team, partnering closely with the CEO, CMO, President, Administrators, and other senior leaders to drive quality outcomes, regulatory readiness, financial stewardship, and a culture of safety and accountability that reflects the mission and values of East Houston Medical Center.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership for all nursing and designated clinical departments, ensuring safe, high‑quality, and cost‑effective care across all patient care areas.
  
• Maintain a highly visible, hands‑on leadership presence by routinely rounding on all shifts, engaging directly with patients and families, and serving as a clinical and professional role model at the bedside.
  
• Demonstrate willingness and ability to work shoulder‑to‑shoulder with nursing staff during periods of surge, rapid response events, or critical staffing needs, reinforcing trust, credibility, and teamwork.
  
• Develop, implement, and continuously refine standards of nursing practice, policies, and procedures that are evidence‑based and aligned with regulatory, accreditation, and professional guidelines.
  
• Lead nursing quality, safety, and performance‑improvement initiatives, with a focus on patient outcomes, patient experience, infection prevention, and harm reduction.
  
• Oversee recruitment, retention, and succession planning for nursing leadership and clinical staff, fostering an inclusive, professional, and collaborative work environment.
  
• Partner with HR and department leaders on staffing plans, nurse‑to‑patient ratios, scheduling practices, and workforce optimization to support high‑reliability operations.
  
• Collaborate with medical staff leadership to promote interdisciplinary rounding, respectful communication, and shared accountability for quality and service.
  
• Ensure readiness for all state, federal, and accrediting body surveys, and maintain ongoing compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and professional standards.
  
• Lead the development and management of nursing operating and capital budgets, aligning resources with strategic priorities and prudent cost management.
  
• Advance professional development through robust orientation, competency validation, clinical education, leadership development, and support for specialty certification and advanced degrees.
  
• Champion a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, and respect, ensuring that nursing care is culturally responsive and patient‑centered.
  
• Serve as the primary nursing voice on the Baytown executive leadership team, boards, committees, and community forums, representing the needs and contributions of nursing.
  
• Participate in the Administrator‑on‑Call rotation with the CEO and senior executives to provide 24/7 leadership coverage for the campus. 
  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Exceptional strategic and operational leadership skills, with the ability to translate organizational vision into clear priorities, structures, and measurable results.
  
• Strong clinical foundation with current knowledge of evidence‑based nursing practice, care models, and emerging trends in acute care.
  
• Superior communication, relationship‑building, and influencing abilities to engage staff, physicians, executives, and community partners.
  
• Demonstrated competence in performance improvement, change management, and the use of data and analytics to drive decision‑making.
  
• High level of emotional intelligence, integrity, and resilience, with the ability to lead through ambiguity and maintain composure under pressure.
  
• Commitment to mentoring leaders at all levels and cultivating a psychologically safe environment where nurses can speak up, innovate, and grow.
  

Baytown Campus Focus

The CNO for the Baytown campus will play a central role in opening, shaping, and elevating a new acute care presence for East Houston Medical Center in Baytown. This executive will be instrumental in building the nursing culture from the ground up—selecting and mentoring a founding leadership team, establishing high expectations for practice, and embedding East Houston Medical Center’s standards into every unit, every shift, every patient encounter.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Current, unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of Texas (or eligibility for licensure upon hire).
  
• Master’s degree in nursing, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or a related field required; Doctoral degree in nursing or a related discipline preferred.
  
• Minimum of five to seven years of progressive leadership experience in acute care nursing, including prior service as a Director of Nursing, Associate CNO, or equivalent senior leadership role.
  
• Demonstrated track record of leading nursing operations in a hospital setting with strong quality, safety, patient experience, and workforce outcomes.
  
• Proven experience working in a highly engaged, hands‑on leadership style, with credibility at both the bedside and the boardroom.