Nursing Excellence Program Administrator

IU Health; Roanoke (IN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

IU Health seeks a Nursing Excellence Program Administrator to lead the development, implementation, and sustainment of nursing excellence initiatives for the new Fort Wayne hospital opening May 2027. Start date: January 2027, Fort Wayne, IN.

The role will establish Professional Governance, support evidence-based practice, nursing research, quality improvement, and Magnet readiness, collaborating with nursing leaders and educators to build a culture of professional nursing excellence and

Qualifications

• Requires a BSN and active RN license in Indiana or NLC.
• Master's in Nursing preferred.
• Minimum 5 years in inpatient clinical settings.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, implementation, and sustainment of Nursing Excellence Program.
• Establish shared governance structures and promote professional practice excellence.
• Collaborate with leaders to align nursing excellence strategies with quality, safety, and patient experience goals.

Skills

RN license

Inpatient nursing

Magnet coordination

Project management

Publication/writing

National presentations

Communication skills

Computers/databases

Education

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Master's degree in Nursing (preferred)

Tools

Electronic health records

Job description

Overview

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.

Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Start Date: January 2027

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.