Chief Nursing Officer

Company: Oregon State Hospital
Location: Salem
Posted on: November 26, 2025

Job Description:

Job Description Job Posting Chief Nursing Officer - Oregon State Hospital (OSH) We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced, dynamic Chief Nursing Officer to join our leadership team. This is a critically important position for our 750 bed facility that will impact the field of behavioral health for all Oregonian's. If you're an experienced Nursing Administrator and have questions about this role, we invite you to schedule time to discuss the details, application timeline, and selection process with our Recruiter, Melissa Perez melissa.m.perez@oha.oregon.gov or (503) 949-3078. Oregon State Hospital , a Joint Commission and CMS certified public psychiatric hospital, provides psychiatric evaluation, diagnosis and treatment for mentally and emotionally ill adult and geriatric populations committed by the Oregon courts as part of the state mental health system. The Oregon State Hospital is the largest division of Oregon Health Authority with approximately 3,000 positions across the hospital, 1,300 of which are in Nursing across two campuses, one in Salem and the other in Junction City . The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) embeds the OSH mission , vision , and values of the organization into their work decisions and models productive and professional behaviors. OSH Vision : We are a psychiatric hospital that inspires hope, promotes safety, and supports recovery for all. OSH Mission : to provide therapeutic, evidence-based, patient-centered treatment focusing on recovery and community reintegration, all in a safe environment. OSH Values Humanity Equity Wellness Partnership Transparency Performance Excellence Position Overview The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) provides executive direction, and leadership in the development of strategies to provide direct patient care and continuously improve care quality. As a member of the senior leadership team, the CNO is a key participant in strategic planning, program development and evaluation, regulatory compliance activities, and establishment of policies/procedures to guide workplace practices. The CNO is directly accountable for the 24/7/365 delivery of Nursing Services across both campuses of Oregon State Hospital. The CNO will engage with inter-disciplinary teams to understand the systems and processes that support patient flow from admission through discharge, with intentional focus on safety, recovery, and compliance. Leadership Maintain responsibility, accountability and authority for ensuring adherence to professional standards of practice and care in areas of responsibility, establishing policies and procedures to guide practice, measuring and evaluating outcomes and working in collaboration with other disciplines to plan, implement and ensure the delivery of cost effective, therapeutic services. Ensure necessary regulatory agency compliance, quality accreditations and adherence to applicable state and federal laws, administrative guidelines and professional standards of practice including, but not limited to, OSBN Nurse Practice Act, American Nursing Association, ANCC certifications, Accrediting/Licensing agencies (CMS, the Joint Commission) ANA Psychiatric Nursing Standards. Provide both nursing executive leadership and organizational administration oversight of nursing department operations to ensure the delivery of high-quality care and services to patients in a safe and secure environment. In coordination with OSH Training and Education, provide direction for hospital-based and/or contracted staff, education, development and training programs, including those which qualify students for licensure or certification as a qualified healthcare provider. Participate as an active member of the hospital's governing body, quality, nurse and clinical executive councils, as well as patient safety, care of patients and ethics committees. Fiscal Management Develop, review and present budgetary reports relative to areas of responsibility. Monitors expenditures from the current biennium approved budget and consults with the hospital CFO regarding expenditure needs outside the budget. Oversee nursing resource allocation and capacity management through staffing plans and coordination with the OSH Nurse staffing committee. Create protocols for the delivery of safe and efficient use of staff to provide direct care. Personnel Administration Actively participate in recruiting, interviewing, selecting and orienting personnel for key nursing and clinical support department management positions. Provide ongoing, consistent performance feedback with direct reports, completing goal setting, performance and position description reviews. Cultural Responsiveness Demonstrate recognition of the value of individual and cultural difference; create a work environment that is respectful and accepting of diversity where talents, abilities and experiences are valued and leveraged. Assures that service delivery is provided in a culturally and linguistically responsive manner. Pursue personal and professional growth through education and training and participation in relevant professional organizations; pursue education and training related to the impact of systemic racism, elimination of health inequities, and development of diverse and inclusive work environments. Work Environment This position’s daily work is performed within a psychiatric hospital environment in the presence of people experiencing or living with mental illness whose behavior may be unpredictable and may act out verbally or physically. The nature of this work will require that you be able to flex hours s when necessary to complete time sensitive projects or ensure the safe and efficient operation of our 24/7/365 operation , traveling from Salem to Junction City on a weekly/bi-weekly basis. Oregon State Hospital-Who We Are For a full review of the position description, Chief Nursing Officer If this opportunity aligns with your strengths, background, and commitment to fostering inclusivity, we encourage you to apply! At the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), we value diversity and encourage applicants from all backgrounds and experiences to help us build a stronger, more equitable future for all. Minimum Qualifications Seven years of management experience; OR four years of management experience and a bachelor's degree in a related field (Nursing, Public Health) Licensure in Oregon as a Registered Nurse is mandatory for the Chief Nursing Officer role. *Oregon state government recognizes special assignments, skills, qualifications, or credentials that add value to the state’s workforce. The Chief Nursing Officer position qualifies for: (l) Education Differential This differential applies to employees in positions of Supervising Registered Nurse, Nurse Manager (X6241) and Nurse Administrator (as determined by the agency). The differential is not more than 4.75 percent of base pay for a relevant baccalaureate degree, and not more than 9.5 percent of base pay for a relevant master’s degree. Desired Attributes Master’s degree in nursing or related field (MPH, MHA, MBA, etc.) is requested for this role. Thorough and complete understanding of regulatory and accreditation requirements such as those from Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), The Joint Commission (TJC), and licensing boards. Knowledge of the principles of organizational development and change management. Knowledge of healthcare quality essentials. Demonstrated ability to articulate expectations and set care delivery goals in coordination with system initiatives. Demonstrated ability to set standards for clinical resource management to meet safety, service and quality goals to assure consistent application across the hospital/organization. Highly developed communication skills used for effective consumption of information across a large organization, removal of barriers to creating efficiencies, cross functional alignment, clarity and expectations around shared goals.

Keywords: Oregon State Hospital, Wilmington , Chief Nursing Officer, Healthcare , Salem, Delaware