Chief Nursing Officer - Newark Campus

ChristianaCare; Newark (DE); On-site; USD 285,000 - 484,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Leadership impact

Job summary

ChristianaCare Newark Campus seeks a transformative Chief Nursing Officer to lead nursing excellence, quality, and patient safety across the Newark site. You will mentor senior nursing leaders, drive clinical strategy, workforce engagement, and operational excellence in a large academic health system.

Reporting to the Campus President, you will partner with physician leaders, champion care delivery, and foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Nursing is required.
• Current RN licensure and eligibility for licensure in Delaware.
• Certification in nursing leadership or clinical specialty is required.
• Progressive senior nursing leadership experience in a large, complex health system or academic medical center.
• Proven ability to lead operations, quality and patient safety programs, and caregiver engagement.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership and strategic direction for nursing services across the Newark Campus.
• Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing nursing leaders and teams.
• Advance nursing practice, clinical quality, and patient safety initiatives.
• Drive workforce engagement, succession planning, and talent development.
• Partner with executive and physician leaders to achieve organizational goals.
• Foster accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

Skills

Nursing leadership

Strategic planning

Quality improvement

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Master's degree in Nursing

Doctoral degree preferred (DNP/PhD)

Job description

Job Details

Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)

Newark Campus | ChristianaCare

Lead Nursing Excellence at One of the Nation's Most Respected Health Systems

ChristianaCare is seeking an accomplished, visionary nursing executive to serve as the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for the Newark Campus , our flagship acute care campus and a cornerstone of healthcare delivery throughout the region.

As a key member of the campus executive leadership team, the CNO is responsible for providing strategic leadership for nursing practice, patient care services, quality and safety outcomes, workforce engagement, and operational excellence. This leader will champion nursing excellence, foster innovation, and advance ChristianaCare's commitment to delivering exceptional, compassionate care.

The CNO partners closely with the Campus President and the Chief Nurse Executive to ensure alignment of nursing strategy, clinical excellence, and organizational priorities across the health system. The position leads the Newark and Middletown campus-based nursing leadership teams and supports the advancement of nursing practice and strategic nursing initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership and strategic direction for nursing services across the Newark Campus.
• Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing nursing leaders and multidisciplinary teams.
• Advance nursing professional practice, clinical quality, patient safety, and patient experience initiatives.
• Drive workforce engagement, succession planning, talent development, recruitment, and retention strategies.
• Partner with executive and physician leaders to achieve organizational goals and operational excellence.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, accreditation, and professional nursing standards.
• Serve as a visible advocate for nursing practice and professional development throughout the organization.

Qualifications

Required

• Master's degree in Nursing required.
• Current Registered Nurse (RN) licensure and eligibility for licensure in Delaware.
• Certification in nursing leadership and/or a clinical specialty is required.
• Progressive senior nursing leadership experience within a large, complex healthcare system, academic medical center, or integrated delivery network.
• Demonstrated success leading nursing operations, quality and patient safety programs, caregiver engagement initiatives, and transformational change.
• Proven ability to build strong relationships and influence outcomes across diverse stakeholder groups.

Preferred

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), PhD, or other doctoral degree.
• Nationally recognized nursing leadership certification such as: Nurse Executive Advanced, Board Certified (NEA-BC)
• Nurse Executive, Board Certified (NE-BC)
• Certified in Executive Nursing Practice (CENP)
• Comparable clinical specialty certification from a nationally recognized certifying body

The Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will be a transformational nursing executive who combines strategic vision with operational rigor. They are equally comfortable shaping long-term strategy and engaging in the details necessary to ensure successful execution. This leader naturally creates clarity in complex environments, leaves meetings with defined action plans and accountable owners, and drives initiatives to completion through disciplined follow-through and partnership. They are highly organized, data-informed, and known for translating priorities into sustainable results that improve patient care, caregiver engagement, quality, and operational performance.

Why ChristianaCare

At ChristianaCare, we are guided by our values of love, excellence, and service. As one of the nation's leading health systems, we are committed to clinical innovation, professional growth, research, education, and community impact.

This is a unique opportunity for a distinguished nursing executive to shape the future of nursing at an organization nationally recognized for quality, safety, and patient-centered care while leading one of the most influential nursing teams in the region.

Join ChristianaCare and help define the future of nursing leadership.

Annual Compensation Range $284,876.80 - $484,265.60

This pay rate/range represents ChristianaCare's good faith and reasonable estimate of compensation at the time of posting. The actual salary within this range offered to a successful candidate will depend on individual factors including without limitation skills, relevant experience, and qualifications as they relate to specific job requirements.

Christiana Care Health System is an equal opportunity employer, firmly committed to prohibiting discrimination, whose staff is reflective of its community, and considers qualified applicants for open positions without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, disability, pregnancy