Nursing Professional Practice and Excellence Program Manager

CommonSpirit Health; Lakewood (CO); On-site; USD 116,823,000 - 209,519,000; Full time

Job summary

CommonSpirit Health seeks a Nursing Professional Practice and Excellence Program Manager to lead the nursing excellence trajectory. You will serve as the official Magnet or Pathway Program Director, bridging the facility with ANCC and guiding vision, roadmap, and goals for the department.

You will drive professional practice across governance, quality outcomes, and evidence-based practice, partnering with leadership to optimize patient care and sustain organizational excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) required.
• Minimum 3 years of progressive nursing leadership or program management.
• Active RN license in practice state; ANCC Magnet/Pathway familiarity preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead nursing excellence strategy and act as Magnet/Pathway Program Director.
• Coordinate with CNO and Regional VP to align strategy with regional frameworks.
• Direct shared governance, data governance, and adoption of NSIs.
• Champion evidence-based practice and nursing research across the organization.
• Oversee ANCC communications, gap assessments, and site visit prep.

Skills

Nursing leadership

Change management

Communication

Evidence-Based Practice

Collaboration

Education

BSN

MSN or related field

Tools

NDNQI

QI/EBP methodologies

Job description

Job Summary And Responsibilities

As our Nursing Professional Practice and Excellence Program Manager, you will serve as the strategic lead for our nursing excellence journey. Acting as the official Magnet or Pathway Program Director, you will be the primary liaison between the facility and the ANCC, collaborating with executive leadership to establish the vision, roadmap, and operational goals for the department.

Job Summary And Responsibilities

As our Nursing Professional Practice and Excellence Program Manager, you will serve as the strategic lead for our nursing excellence journey. Acting as the official Magnet or Pathway Program Director, you will be the primary liaison between the facility and the ANCC, collaborating with executive leadership to establish the vision, roadmap, and operational goals for the department.

Every day, you will act as the organizational authority on professional practice, overseeing the integration of the Professional Practice Model, shared governance, and nursing-sensitive quality outcomes. You will drive a culture of excellence by championing evidence-based practice, nursing research, and quality improvement initiatives to ensure that clinical standards are aligned with national accreditation requirements.

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate high-level expertise in nursing leadership and accreditation standards. You will possess the ability to bridge the gap between strategic planning and bedside practice, fostering a collaborative environment that optimizes patient care outcomes and sustains our commitment to organizational excellence.

• Drives organizational alignment by partnering with the CNO and Regional VP to architect and implement a long-term strategy for clinical excellence, ensuring facility-level objectives are integrated with regional and system frameworks to cultivate a unified professional practice landscape.
• Functions as the official Magnet Program Director (MPD) or Pathway Program Director; manages all ANCC communications, gap assessments, and formal document submissions while facilitating comprehensive site visit preparations.
• Directs the facility's shared leadership structure as lead facilitator; verifies that all councils remain highly engaged, utilize evidence-based data, and support strategic institutional priorities.
• Spearheads quality improvement efforts led by nursing staff; offers advanced mentorship in Evidence-Based Practice and partners with the Nurse Scientist on nursing research to optimize Nursing-Sensitive Indicators (NSIs).
• Manages organizational engagement with the NDNQI; oversees the accurate collection and validation of data, translating findings into practice enhancements alongside regional quality partners.
• Acts as the primary steward of the Nursing Professional Practice Model, ensuring the PPM is thoroughly operationalized through orientation, daily clinical activities, and leadership engagement while promoting a healthy workplace that supports nursing wellbeing and professional empowerment.

Job Requirements

Required

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• Minimum three (3) years of progressive nursing leadership, clinical education, or program management experience
• Active Registered Nurse license in the state of practice
• Experience leading hospital-wide Shared Governance councils and high-level change management projects; exceptional communication and consensus-building skills

Preferred

• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or related field
• Previous experience in facilitating a successful ANCC Magnet or Pathway to Excellence designation
• Expert knowledge of ANCC Magnet/PTE standards; proficiency in QI/EBP methodologies and nursing research; advanced data analysis skills (NDNQI, clinical metrics)

Where You'll Work

With more than 700 care sites across the U.S. from clinics and hospitals to home-based care and virtual care services CommonSpirit is accessible to nearly one out of every four U.S. residents. Our world needs compassion like never before. Our communities need caring and our families need protection. With our combined resources CommonSpirit is committed to building healthy communities advocating for those who are poor and vulnerable and innovating how and where healing can happen both inside our hospitals and out in the community.

Pay Range

$40.77 - $73.12 /hour