Covenant Health

Chief Nursing Officer

Full time, 80 hours per pay period

Covenant Health Overview:

Covenant Health is the region’s top-performing healthcare network with 10 hospitals, outpatient and specialty services, and Covenant Medical Group, our area’s fastest-growing physician practice division. Headquartered in Knoxville, Covenant Health is a community-owned integrated healthcare delivery system and the area’s largest employer. Our more than 11,000 employees, volunteers, and 1,500 affiliated physicians are dedicated to improving the quality of life for the more than two million patients and families we serve every year. Covenant Health is the only healthcare system in East Tennessee to be named a Forbes “Best Employer” seven times.

About Fort Sanders Medical Center:

Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is an award-winning, certified, and accredited facility with 541 beds. As a Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center, Fort Sanders offers state-of-the art care that maximizes recovery from stroke.  We are also the region’s leader in areas such as bariatric surgery, robotic surgery, high risk labor and delivery, and minimally invasive spine surgery. Our door-to-balloon times for heart attack patients are below the national average and our hip fracture center offers advanced diagnosis, surgery, and recovery procedures for hip patients.

Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is a member of Covenant Health, a locally-owned, non-profit health system based in Knoxville, TN, with a “patient-focused” culture. It has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as its 2020 “Best-in-State-Employer” for Tennessee. The CEO of our company, Jim VanderSteeg, attends every new employee orientation and will ask you to sign our pledge of excellence to always put patients first, strive for excellence in everything we do, and make Covenant Health the first and best choice for patients in our region. As you’d expect, we offer our employees a robust benefits package, including: offering unmatched medical insurance, tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment assistance, certification bonuses, leadership and professional development programs, an employer-matched 401(k), and a generous Combined Time Off (CTO) program.

Covenant Health is looking for a Chief Nursing Officer. If you are passionate about putting patients first, are a great team player, and have exceptional leadership skills this is the role for you!

Position Summary:

Responsible for planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and evaluating patient care in designated areas.  Operationally responsible for staff from various disciplines in multiple phases of the patient care continuum, and maintaining the planning, quality, and budgeting for each of these areas.  Position reports to the facility President & CAO.

• Implement standards of nursing practice, annually reviewing and revising as necessary to reflect changes in nursing practice.
• Addressees and supports cultural practices as long as such practice do not harm others or interfere with the planned course of medical therapy.
• Ensures that clear, concise and current written policies and procedures are available to assist the staff and minimize risk factors.
• Provides input and recommendations for the modification, addition or deletion of policies to insure reasonable hours and acceptable working conditions to provide patient care coverage.
• Initiates and participates in problem-solving, policy-forming conferences for patient care services.
• Maintains close coordination with all departments to insure continuity and collaboration of services.
• Participates with the governing body, management, medical staff and clinical leaders in the facility’s decision-making and strategic planning process.
• Plans and recommends new facilities and equipment or modifications to facilities or equipment needed to provide quality patient care.
• Develops appropriate budget and maintains cost controls to insure maximum effectiveness of funds expended in support of patient care.
• Implements an effective, ongoing program to measure, assess and improve the quality of nursing care delivered to patients.
• Assures compliance with the Joint Commission and state regulations in areas of responsibility.
• Participates in conferences and committees for formulation and standardization of policies, procedures, and program plans.
• Cooperates with the directors of nursing schools in planning for student assignments to the clinical unit, through planned conferences.
• Work with directors and managers in maintaining orientation, professional and clinical development and competency of staff.
• Periodically tours the facility and service areas (all shifts) to solicit feedback from staff.
• Assure the achievement of service, quality, financial and patient satisfaction goals in areas of responsibility.
• Encourages and maintains the integration of the medical center with the community/public through effective communication and public relations programs.
• Develops patient care programs, identifying how nursing care needs are assessed, evaluated, and met.
• Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards. Completes required education assignments annually. Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
• Perform other related duties as required or requested.

Minimum Education:

Master’s Degree in Nursing or Healthcare Management, or equivalent in educational experience required. Must be a graduate of an accredited school of nursing.

Minimum Experience:

Five (5) years of experience in patient care services to include healthcare leadership position; experience in financial analysis of revenue generating clinical departments.

Licensure Requirement:

Hold current license in the State of TN as a Registered Nurse.