Nursing Excellence Program Administrator

Indiana University Health; Fort Wayne (IN); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Indiana University Health in Fort Wayne seeks a Nursing Excellence Program Administrator to lead the development, implementation, and sustainment of nursing excellence initiatives for the new hospital opening in May 2027.

Collaborating with nursing leaders and interdisciplinary partners, this role will build a culture of professional nursing excellence, shared decision-making, and exemplary patient outcomes through governance, EBP, and research.

Qualifications

• BSN required for the role.
• Active IN RN license or NLC RN license required.
• Master's in Nursing preferred.
• 5 years of inpatient clinical experience.
• Experience in Magnet coordination.
• Experience in project management.
• Experience in publication and/or programmatic writing skills.
• Strong communication skills for diverse roles and leaders.
• Experience with computerized databases.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Nursing Excellence Program development and oversight, including governance and Magnet initiatives.
• Establish shared decision-making structures to promote nurse engagement.
• Collaborate with leaders to align strategies with quality, safety, patient experience, and workforce goals.
• Partner with Nurse Scientists to promote evidence-based practice and quality improvement.
• Coordinate Magnet or Pathway readiness documentation and education.
• Monitor and communicate nursing excellence metrics for ongoing improvement.
• Provide education and coaching on governance and evidence-based practice principles.

Skills

Nursing leadership

Program management

Evidence-based practice

Magnet coordination

Nurse governance

Project management

Communication skills

Database literacy

Education

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Active Indiana RN license or NLC RN license

Master's degree in Nursing preferred

Tools

Computerized databases

Job description

Location: Fort Wayne, IN

Start Date: January 2027

The Nursing Excellence Program Administrator will lead the development, implementation, and sustainment of nursing excellence initiatives for IU Health's new Fort Wayne hospital opening in May 2027. This role is responsible for establishing Professional Governance structures, supporting evidence-based practice, nursing research, quality improvement, and innovation, and advancing Magnet® or Pathway to Excellence readiness and designation efforts.

Working collaboratively with nursing leaders, frontline staff, educators, and interdisciplinary partners, the administrator will build the foundation for a culture of professional nursing excellence, shared decision-making, and exemplary patient outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the implementation and ongoing oversight of the Nursing Excellence Program, including Professional Governance, evidence-based practice, and Magnet® initiatives.
• Establish and support shared decision-making structures that promote nurse engagement, accountability, and professional practice excellence.
• Collaborate with nursing and operational leaders to align nursing excellence strategies with organizational goals related to quality, safety, patient experience, and workforce engagement.
• Partner with Nurse Scientists and clinical leaders to promote evidence-based practice, nursing research, quality improvement, and innovation.
• Coordinate Magnet® or Pathway to Excellence documentation, education, and readiness activities, serving as a resource on nursing excellence standards and best practices.
• Monitor, analyze, and communicate nursing excellence metrics and outcomes to support continuous improvement and strategic decision-making.
• Provide education, consultation, and coaching to leaders and staff on Professional Governance, Magnet®, and evidence-based practice principles.

Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelors of Nursing (BSN).
• Requires an active Registered Nurse (RN) license in the state of Indiana or an active Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) RN license.
• Masters degree in Nursing preferred. Requires 5 years clinical experience in inpatient clinical settings.
• Requires experience in Magnet coordination.
• Requires experience in project management.
• Requires experience in publication and/or programmatic application writing skills.
• Previous professional publication and presentation skills at national level preferred.
• Requires excellent communication skills for a variety of different roles and leaders.
• Requires experience in or ability to use computerized databases.

This is a unique opportunity to help establish the professional nursing practice environment and nursing excellence framework for IU Health's newest hospital from the ground up.