CHIEF NURSING OFFICER

Vista Springs is seeking a compassionate, energetic, career-driven Chief Nursing Officer with strong clinical judgment and demonstrated leadership skills.

This hands-on leader will oversee multi-sites care delivery, develop staff, maintain regulatory compliance, and lead measurable improvements in quality, safety, and the individual experience. The position requires substantial daily presence throughout the community, direct engagement with individuals and families, and consistent follow-through.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and supervise the care team, establishing clear expectations for clinical practices, service, and accountability.

• Maintain an active presence on the floor, observing care, supporting staff, and identifying opportunities for improvement.

• Conduct performance evaluations, assess competencies, and provide ongoing training and mentoring.

• Address performance concerns promptly while maintaining a respectful, supportive work environment.

• Implement nursing policies and procedures and verify consistent application across shifts.

Individualized Care & Wellness

• Oversee assessments, individualized care plans, and timely updates as needs change.

• Conduct routine rounds to evaluate care quality, physical and emotional well-being, and satisfaction.

• Identify changes in condition early and coordinate appropriate follow-up with physicians, families, and other healthcare professionals.

• Promote preventive wellness, independence, and proactive interventions.

• Ensure clear communication and continuity of care across shifts.

• Coordinate admissions, hospital returns, and transitions between care settings, including medication reconciliation and timely care-plan updates.

Quality Indicators & Continuous Improvement

• Select and track a focused set of key quality indicators, establish baselines, and set measurable improvement goals.

• Maintain a concise quality dashboard showing trends, corrective actions, responsible team members, and progress toward goals.

• Develop improvement initiatives around indicators such as:

▪          Falls: Reduce the fall rate by an agreed target—for example, 15% from baseline over six months—and monitor repeat falls and falls with injury.

▪          Call response: Improve average response time and reduce prolonged waits through clearer assignments, effective coverage, and staff coaching.

▪          Repeat service calls: Reduce avoidable repeat calls by identifying unmet needs, anticipating routine assistance, and resolving underlying causes while preserving ready access to help.

▪          Transitions: Improve the completeness and timeliness of handoffs, medication reconciliation, and follow-up after hospital returns or other care transitions.

▪          Length of stay: Support longer, appropriate stays through earlier intervention, consistent care, and services that adapt to changing needs.

▪          Other clinical outcomes: Monitor medication errors, unplanned hospital transfers, and other indicators relevant to the population served.

• Review results regularly with leadership and care staff, adjust interventions, and verify that improvements are sustained.

Clinical Quality & Compliance

• Maintain compliance with applicable requirements governing the community’s licensed operations.

• Ensure documentation is accurate, current, and complete.

• Lead clinical audits, quality improvement activities, and internal risk-management reviews.

• Maintain ongoing readiness for licensing surveys and inspections.

• Investigate incidents, identify contributing factors, and implement effective corrective actions.

Medication Management

• Oversee medication management systems, documentation, and safety protocols.

• Verify staff training and competency for assigned medication responsibilities.

• Coordinate with prescribing clinicians and pharmacy partners to address medication concerns and changes.

• Investigate medication errors or discrepancies and monitor the effectiveness of corrective measures.

Communication & Collaboration

• Build responsive, trusting relationships with individuals, families, physicians, pharmacy partners, and other healthcare professionals.

• Partner with community leadership and department heads to coordinate care and daily services.

• Participate in interdisciplinary care conferences, leadership meetings, and family discussions.

• Ensure concerns are communicated promptly, assigned clearly, and followed through to resolution.

Staffing & Operational Accountability

• Coordinate care-team schedules to maintain safe, appropriate coverage across all shifts.

• Participate in recruitment, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and retention.

• Align staffing assignments with individual needs, staff competencies, and continuity of care.

• Manage staffing resources responsibly, reducing avoidable overtime and agency reliance while maintaining appropriate coverage.

• Monitor attendance, coverage, competencies, and performance, addressing gaps promptly.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Licensure: Active Michigan Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) license.

• Education: Graduate of an accredited nursing program; BSN or a degree in healthcare administration preferred.

• Experience: At least two years of experience caring for older adults, including at least one to two years in nursing management or supervision within assisted living, long-term care, or a related senior living setting.

• Clinical Knowledge: Strong working knowledge of applicable licensing requirements, assessments, care planning, medication management, and clinical documentation.

• Quality Improvement: Demonstrated ability to interpret performance data, establish measurable goals, implement improvements, and evaluate results.

• Leadership: Ability to coach teams, organize priorities, resolve concerns, and hold staff accountable with professionalism and respect.

• Communication: Strong interpersonal, organizational, problem-solving, and crisis-management skills.

• Certification: Current CPR and First Aid certification.

Our Ideal Candidate

You lead through presence, preparation, and follow-through. You know the people in your care, support your team, communicate clearly with families, and act before small concerns become larger problems.

You turn observations and performance data into practical improvements that people can experience every day.