One position that is making a comeback is that of a Chief Nursing Officer (CNO). Those that have obtained this position usually oversee hundreds of nurses and nurse managers while reporting directly to the company's chief executive officer or possibly the chief operating officer. While some may assume that this position is nothing more than an upper management position in the medical field, those who achieve the title of CNO have the ability to have a positive influence in their field. A CNO's duties can include strategic planning, reporting to the board of directors, assistance in developing and overseeing the annual budget, making clinical rounds, taking care of staff and patient issues, and even checking into new payroll systems. While the tasks that are involved may seem quite varied, a CNO's main goal is to keep the patient's and staff's needs while making sure that the members of the board are more than well aware of the implications that their decisions will have.
In order to achieve a CNO position, you will need a lot of determination and the understanding that it will take some time to reach your goal. In order to be qualified for this position you need to have obtained at least 8 to 10 years experience as a registered nurse with a portion of that time being spent in a management role. Nurses in this position usually have a master's in Nursing Administration. Since many unique requirements go into obtaining a CNO position, it is best to choose this goal early in your career so you can make the proper steps needed to obtain your goal.
If this position sounds like the one for you, there are some things that you will need to consider before you take the next step. Successful CNOs need to be flexible, maintain strong collaboration skills while being able to remain organized no matter how hectic the job may get. The job of a CNO cannot be considered your average 9 to 5 job. It normally requires many hours that exceed far beyond the normal 40 that most of us work with weekend, evenings and holiday shifts being considered normal. You will also need to have the ability to think outside the box with the ability to see creative solutions that will make for a better future.
While the road to this position may be tough, it gives you the ability to truly make a difference for the patients and staff that you work so hard to care for. If you don't mind the extra hours and you excel in a fast paced environment, then the position of a Chief Nursing Officer may be the one for you.
