Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)

As a member of the Hospital's senior management team, the CNO will participate in functional decision-making processes necessary to the successful attainment of the hospital's mission in addition to maintaining an awareness of changes in healthcare clinical matters that could have an impact on the success of the hospital. The CNO will oversee multiple departments within the hospital and reports directly to the hospital Chief Executive Officer.

From open-heart surgery and neurosurgery to a Chest Pain Center and behavioral health services, Northwest Medical Center - Springdale provides a range of services. Additionally, after an accident or critical illness, some patients need intensive therapy before they can leave the hospital. That's why we provide an acute-care inpatient rehabilitation unit.

In 2021, the Arkansas Institute for Performance Excellence awarded Northwest Health the highest-level, Governor’s Award for Performance Excellence. An award focused on continuous quality improvement and not presented every year, only 27 Arkansas organizations have received the highest-level award.

A Rich History of Heart Care
More than 20 years ago, Northwest Health took a giant step in revolutionizing cardiac care in Northwest Arkansas when the first-ever open-heart surgery was performed at Northwest Medical Center – Springdale. In 2011, the hospital raised the bar once more for cardiac care in our community as the first hospital in Northwest Arkansas to achieve accreditation as a Chest Pain Center with PCI. That same year, the first procedure in NWA was performed to implant the world’s smallest heart pump (the Impella) pump.

World-class diagnostic technology arrived again when the Springdale hospital purchased the state’s first flat panel catheterization lab used for cardiovascular imaging. This new technology provided instant patient benefits in the form of sharper X-ray images for physician evaluation, including internal 3-D images in seconds instead of limited 2-D images that could take more than half an hour. Patient comfort was improved due to reduced radiation exposure and greatly reduced test times.

In 2016, the interventional cardiology team at Northwest Medical Center - Springdale became the first in the state of Arkansas to offer patients with coronary artery disease a new treatment option when a patient received the first FDA-approved dissolving heart stent. While stents are traditionally made of metal, the absorbable stent is made of a naturally dissolving material, similar to dissolving sutures. The stent disappears completely in about 3 years, after it has done its job of keeping a clogged artery open and promoting healing of the treated artery segment. By contrast, metal stents are permanent implants.

And, most recently, the Springdale hospital became one of fewer than 50 hospitals that is part of the National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative (CSI), working with other major health systems to increase survival in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock (AMICS). The National CSI is a single-arm, multicenter study designed to assess the feasibility of whether outcomes in cardiogenic shock can be improved by using standardized best practices including inserting a special heart pump to protect the patient during a percutaneous coronary intervention.

As a member of the Hospital's senior management team, the CNO will participate in functional decision-making processes necessary to the successful attainment of the hospital's mission in addition to maintaining an awareness of changes in healthcare clinical matters that could have an impact on the success of the hospital. The CNO will oversee multiple departments within the hospital and reports directly to the hospital Chief Executive Officer.

The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) is responsible for:

• Providing leadership to nurse employees that will enroll their support, create ownership of goals, and have them actively participate in decisions that impact the hospital
• Maintaining necessary regulatory and compliance approvals and quality accreditations
• Partnering with physicians who use, or will use, the hospital
• Assisting in planning new services that generate additional sources of profitable revenue
• Creating an environment that will encourage recruiting and retention of clinical employees
• Managing costs by continually seeking data that will identify opportunities and take action to eliminate non-value costs
• Establishing standards for nursing practices and maintain authority, accountability and responsibility for nursing services
• Developing organizational patient care programs, policies and procedures that describe how nursing care is assessed, delivered and evaluated.
• Developing and managing the nursing services budget and ensuring sufficient number of qualified staff to assess patient needs
• Plan and provide nursing care interventions and prevent complications, promote improvement and patient comfort and wellness
• Analyzing areas in planning, promoting and conducting organization-wide performance improvement activities
• Representing the nursing services at all meetings including medical staff and hospital board of director meetings; participates with leaders in designing and providing patient care and services

Education:

• Must possess a Bachelor's degree in Nursing from an accredited institution
• Master's degree required

Certifications/Licenses:

• Must be a registered nurse (RN) with a current licensure within the state

Experience/Skills:

• Must possess detailed knowledge of hospital nursing operations
• 5+ years of demonstrated successful leadership in an acute-care hospital environment (For-profit experience preferred)
• Must be proficient in written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with hospital staff, physicians, patients, and patient's families
• Ability to maintain confidential information concerning personal, financial, or medical matters