Description

JOB DESCRIPTION

As a critical member of the Medical Center's executive leadership team, the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) reports directly to the System Chief Nursing Executive and will be a member of the System Nursing Executive Council.

The CNO, Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center will be responsible and accountable for the overall delivery and management of nursing professional practice, education, professional development, research, administration, and clinical services.

The CNO will be a visionary leader, guiding the execution of the strategic plan to achieve the organizational mission and vision. The CNO's vision will support the existing high standards and goals for nursing practice and patient care while he/she will work closely with the Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center President, senior leadership, physician leaders, as well as leaders across the Atlantic Health ensuring and enhancing Atlantic Health as a clinical practice environment that is patient centered, with unsurpassed clinical quality and patient safety and patient experience.

Direct Reports

• Director, Nursing Administration
• Director, Critical Care
• Director, Mother Baby/L&D
• Director, Nursing Surgical
• Director, Emergency Department
• Director of Clinical Ops
• Director of Pediatric and PICU, NICU
• Nurse Manager, Ortho/Spine Surgery
• Nurse Manager, Informatics
• Director of clinical excellence

The successful Chief Nursing Officer candidate:

• Ensures the organizational values, goals, and objectives are transformed into daily operations resulting in an excellent quality, efficient, effective, caring, and respectful environment.
• Provides leadership for the practice of nursing and is accountable for nursing practice, quality, education/professional development, engagement and research throughout the hospital.
• Provides leadership to define the scope of nursing practice and establishes structures, role accountability and systems to ensure clinical competence of all nursing personnel aligning with Atlantic Health nursing.
• Recommends and is responsible for annual operating and capital budgets for nursing and ensures prudent management of Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center's resources.
• Creates a healthy work environment that is safe, respectful, and collaborative
• Builds credibility, trust and partners with physicians as a champion for patient care, quality, service, and nursing professionalism.
• Collaborates with the Chief Medical Officer, Officers of Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center's medical staff, departmental chairpersons and system medical directors , System Nursing and System VP of Quality and Safety to improve quality, patient safety and service efforts.
• Fosters a multidisciplinary approach to quality improvement with a focus on coordination of services and improving patient outcomes and the patient experience.
• Develops effective working relationships with key stakeholders and system leaders.
• Manages organizational relationships in a way that builds and maintains a climate of trust and inspires commitment from others to achieve organization goals.
• Partners with HR team in the development of strategies to promote the recruitment, retention, workforce management, and recognition of excellence in nursing.
• Promotes professional nursing practice and assures that standards of care are developed, implemented, and evaluated.
• Assures standards of patient care and standards of nursing practice are consistent with current research and professional standards.
• Provides consultation and collaboration with nurses, physicians, and leaders in establishing policies for patient care.
• Drives continuous quality improvement, standards of care, discovery, and innovation through research and use of best, evidence-based practices.
• Board member in Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center Foundation efforts.
• Member of community advisory board at Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Extensive executive-level experience within high-performing organizations.
• A clinical operations-oriented leader with strong financial acumen.
• A track record of success improving performance, patient flow and collaboration with service lines.
• Proven ability to lead in a complex matrixed healthcare organization in an acute care setting.
• Demonstrated experience in successfully advocating and representing nursing at the senior administration level.
• A track record of effectively partnering and communicating with physicians; one who enjoys collaborating with physicians and is viewed as a champion for patient quality and clinical excellence.
• Proven hands-on success in leading challenging projects to successful completion.
• Demonstrated ability to hold teams accountable, work collaboratively and effectively with a wide variety of professionals to achieve strong bottom-line profitability of the organization.
• A track record of success working in an environment that values independent thinking, collaboration, transparency, mutual respect, and a shared passion for excellence and innovation.
• One who is patient-oriented and has passion and empathy.
• A history of developing and mentoring strong, cohesive leadership teams that drive excellence.
• A track record of success in creating a working environment in which morale is high, and team members feel valued and find joy and meaning in their work.
• Knowledge of Lean principals and techniques.
• A proven track record of being able to improve patient experience and team member engagement.
• A proven track of coaching and mentoring aspiring nurse leaders.
• Provides leadership and influence to the nursing profession at regional, state, and national level

QUALIFICATIONS

• The CNO required to have a Graduate degree. Doctorate preferred. If this degree is not in nursing, the officer must have either a bachelor's or a doctorate that is in nursing.
• Advanced Certification in Nursing Leadership highly preferred.
• An advanced level of knowledge acquired through completion of formal and continuing education in Nursing, health policy, regulatory compliance, process redesign and management are essential
• Extensive clinical nursing and management experience with a minimum of seven (7) years in senior nursing leadership roles is required with prior CNO experience.
• Nursing leadership experience in an academic medical center or complex healthcare organization is required, preferably in a healthcare system.
• Knowledge and experience in Magnet principles is required, as well as prior experience in a Magnet facility.
• Knowledge of nursing staffing methods, retention, recruitment, and finance. Proven strategic-thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Experience in complex matrix organization
• Experience in tertiary medical center with programs that include Cardiac Surgery, Level 1 trauma, etc with teaching medical and allied health programs

ABOUT US

At Atlantic Health, our promise to our communities is; Anyone who enters one of our facilities will receive the highest quality care delivered at the right time, at the right place, and at the right cost. This commitment is also echoed in the respect, development and opportunities we give to our more than 22,000 team members. Headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey, we are one of the leading non-profit health care systems in the nation. Our facilities and sites of care include:

• Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center, Morristown, NJ
• Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center, Summit, NJ
• Atlantic Health Newton Medical Center, Newton, NJ
• Atlantic Health Chilton Medical Center, Pompton Plains, NJ
• Atlantic Health Hackettstown Medical Center, Hackettstown, NJ
• Atlantic Health Goryeb Children's Hospital, Morristown, NJ
• Atlantic Health CentraState Healthcare System, Freehold, NJ
• Atlantic Medical Group
• Atlantic Visiting Nurse
• Atlantic Mobile Health
• Atlantic Rehabilitation

We have more than 900 community-based healthcare providers affiliated through Atlantic Medical Group.

We have received awards and recognition for the services we have provided to our patients, team members and communities. Below are just a few of our accolades:

• Chosen for 17 years by Fortune as one of the magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For."
• Atlantic Health Morristown and Atlantic Health Overlook Named by Newsweek as two of the "World's Best Hospitals" in 2026.
• Atlantic Health Morristown and Atlantic Health Overlook ranked within the top three hospitals in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report's 2025-2026 Best Hospital rankings.
• Atlantic Health scored four "A" grades by The Leapfrog Group in its Fall 2025 Hospital Safety Grades, performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and injections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.
• Atlantic Health Morristown and Atlantic Health Overlook are New Jersey's only hospitals to be named among America's 50 Best hospitals by Healthgrades in 2026.
• Named by Becker's Healthcare as one of the "165 Top Places to Work in Healthcare - 2026.
• Atlantic Health Morristown, Atlantic Health Overlook, Atlantic Health Chilton and Atlantic Health Newton all Forbes Top Hospitals for 2026.
• Named by Newsweek as one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Inclusion & Diversity 2025.
• Atlantic Health rated LEVEL 9 - 2025 CHIME Digital Health Most Wired.

Morristown Medical Center is a nationally-recognized leader in cardiology and heart surgery, orthopedics, gynecology, geriatrics, gastroenterology and GI surgery, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology.

We are the only hospital in New Jersey named one of America's '50 Best Hospitals' for six consecutive years by Healthgrades and one of the World's Best Hospitals by Newsweek. We were included on Becker's Healthcare 2020 list of "100 Great Hospitals in America". In addition, Leapfrog recognized us with an "A" hospital safety grade - its highest - twelve consecutive times, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services awarded us again with its highest five-start rating in 2020.

Morristown Medical Center is a Magnet Hospital for Excellence in Nursing Service, the highest level of recognition achievable from the American Nurses Credentialing Center for facilities that provide acute care services. Our nonprofit hospital was also designated a Level I Regional Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons and a Level II by the State of NJ.

Atlantic Health offers a competitive and comprehensive Total Rewards package that supports the health, financial security, and well-being of all team members. Offerings vary based on role level (Team Member, Director, Executive). Below is a general summary, with role-specific enhancements highlighted:

Team Member Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Coverage (22.5 hours per week or above for full-time and part-time team members)
• Life & AD&D Insurance.
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability (with options to supplement)
• 403(b) Retirement Plan: Employer match, additional non-elective contribution
• PTO & Paid Sick Leave
• Tuition Assistance, Advancement & Academic Advising
• Parental, Adoption, Surrogacy Leave
• Backup and On-Site Childcare
• Well-Being Rewards
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Fertility Benefits, Healthy Pregnancy Program
• Flexible Spending & Commuter Accounts
• Pet, Home & Auto, Identity Theft and Legal Insurance

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Note: In Compliance with the NJ Pay Transparency Act (effective Sunday, June 1, 2025), all job postings will include the hourly wage or salary (or a range), as well as this summary of benefits. Final compensation and benefit eligibility may vary by role and employment status and will be confirmed at the time of offer.

EEO STATEMENT

Atlantic Health, Inc. is an equal employment opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor and therefore abides by applicable laws to protect applicants and employees from discrimination in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral, and other aspects of employment, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and sexual orientation), national origin, citizenship status, disability, age, genetics, or veteran status.

ABOUT THE TEAM

Atlantic Health System is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care powered by a workforce of more than 18,000 team members and 4,800 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, the system offers more than 400 sites of care, including eight award-winning medical centers. Specializing in cardiovascular care, cancer care, orthopedics, neuroscience, pediatrics, women's health and rehabilitation medicine. Atlantic Medical Group, comprised of 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers, represents one of the largest multi-specialty practices in New Jersey and includes finance, legal, marketing, human resources, talent acquisition, ISS and more. Caring for our patients, our team members and the communities we serve is our central mission.