Chief Nursing Officer Career Guide
How to Become a Chief Nursing Officer
Many healthcare organizations, from hospitals to outpatient clinics, provide patients with high-quality care. Behind that high-quality care is a team of nurses, working coordinated schedules to ensure that each patient receives sufficient treatment. Leading this team of nurses is a chief nursing officer (CNO), an experienced nurse who helps manage finances, enforce policies, and connect patients with the care they need.
Chief nursing officers fulfill a wide variety of regulatory duties in addition to providing hands-on patient care. As one of the top nursing leadership roles available today, the position of a chief nursing officer requires strong leadership and communication skills.
If you’re someone who thrives in a healthcare environment and you’re looking to put years of nursing experience to work in an administrative setting, the role of a chief nursing officer may be a rewarding career option for you.
What is a CNO?
As a chief nursing officer, you will provide leadership to the nursing team at your healthcare organization. On a typical day, you might manage finances, implement treatment plans, integrate new medical technologies, assign schedules, and onboard new nurses into the department.
As a specialized career option, the position of chief nursing officer typically requires both an undergraduate and master’s degree. In addition, you will need at least five to six years of experience in a healthcare environment fulfilling specific nursing duties. Leadership experience is also preferred by many employers looking for a chief nursing officer.
The position of a CNO is often referred to as the VP of Nursing and is associated with ensuring high levels of patient care while implementing policies that contribute to long-term facility success.
What Do CNOs Do?
On a day-to-day basis, the CNO of a healthcare organization is kept busy by a wide range of responsibilities. Between communicating with team members, implementing new protocols, and evaluating department performance, a CNO completes leadership tasks each day that allow the rest of the organization to function well.
The responsibilities of a CNO can include:
- Leading all nursing staff toward immediate and long-term success by improving patient outcomes at their facility
- Evaluating the performance of individual nurses, and the entire healthcare organization
- Implementing new medical technologies that can streamline operations and contribute to more efficient nursing procedures
- Hiring new nurses and releasing employees whenever necessary
- Informing existing nursing staff of any new policies to be implemented across the department
- Managing financial assets
- Assessing collected data sets to draw conclusions that can contribute to more efficient organizational operations
- Reporting results to the president or board of executives at your healthcare organization and informing them of any recent developments involving nursing staff members and procedures
These and other responsibilities define the career of a chief nursing officer, an individual committed to helping all nurses connect patients with the best possible care options.
What Education Does a CNO Need?
Before you can begin a career as a CNO, you'll need to satisfy a few educational requirements. First, you’ll need a qualifying bachelor’s degree in nursing or healthcare where you’ll learn the basics of patient care, medical assessment practices, and diagnostic evaluation. It’s ideal for a chief nursing officer to have worked as an RN before they pursue this next level in their career. If you’re a current RN working toward this bachelor’s degree in nursing, a tailored RN-to-BSN degree program helps you take steps toward an improved education, one that can yield real dividends in a healthcare organization.
After earning a bachelor’s degree and working as a nurse or in another healthcare role, you’ll need to continue your education with a Master of Science Nursing Leadership and Management degree. If you're a current registered nurse and need both a bachelor’s and master’s degree, an RN to MSN bridge program can help you earn both of the degrees you need at one time. An MSN program focused on leadership and management allows you to further hone your skills in nurse leadership, healthcare management, and global health trends. If you have earned your master's degree and want to further your education, a post-master's certificate in nursing leadership & education may help you reach your goals. All of these programs will teach you the skills that are useful when fulfilling a chief nursing officer position.
Best Degrees for a CNO
Nursing (Prelicensure) – B.S.
A one-of-a-kind nursing program that prepares you to be an RN...
A one-of-a-kind nursing program that prepares you...
A one-of-a-kind nursing program that prepares you to be an RN and a baccalaureate-prepared nurse:
- Locations: Due to in-person clinical requirements, students must be full time residents of FL, IN, TX, MO, ID, IA, KS, OH, NM, NV, or UT to enroll in this program. The coursework in this program is offered online, but there are in-person requirements.
- Tuition: $6,430 per 6-month term for the first 4 terms of pre-nursing coursework, $8,755 per 6-month term for the remaining 4 terms of clinical nursing coursework.
- Time: This program has a set pace and an expected completion time of 4 years. Certain coursework may be accelerated to finish faster.
- WGU offers the prelicensure program in areas where we have partnerships with healthcare employers to provide practice sites and clinical coaches to help teach you and inspire you on your path to becoming a nurse.
- If you don't live in one of our prelicensure states or don't qualify to apply, consider getting our Bachelor's in Health and Human Services instead. This degree allows you to work inside the healthcare industry, while also working directly with patients who need help.
College of Health Professions
Nursing – Leadership and Management (RN-to-MSN) – M.S.
This program for RNs includes a BSN component and is a...
This program for RNs includes a BSN component and...
This program for RNs includes a BSN component and is a substantial leap toward becoming a nurse leader.
- Time: 75% of RN-to-MSN grads finish within 42 months.
- Tuition: $4,685 per 6-month term during undergraduate portion; $4,795 per 6-month term during graduate portion.
Some careers and jobs this degree will prepare you for:
- Director of Nursing
- Chief Nursing Officer
- Quality Director
- Clinical Nurse Leader
- Project Manager
If you're driven to lead, this online nursing degree will provide you everything needed to make that career a reality.
Compare degrees
This program is not the only degree WGU offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees by clicking the button below.
College of Health Professions
Nursing Leadership and Management – Post-Master's Certificate
A certificate for registered nurses with a master's degree in...
A certificate for registered nurses with a...
A certificate for registered nurses with a master's degree in nursing who are ready for greater responsibility in a leadership and management role.
- Time: 12 months.
- Tuition and fees: $4,795 per 6-month term. The cost to sit for the NAHQ Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) exam is included in tuition.
Sample careers and jobs this degree program will prepare you for:
- Director of Nursing
- Chief Nursing Officer
- Quality Director
- Clinical Nurse Leader
- Project Manager
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of medical and health services managers to grow 17% by 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.
College of Health Professions
Nursing (RN-to-BSN Online) – B.S.
An online BSN degree program for registered nurses (RNs) seeking...
An online BSN degree program for registered...
An online BSN degree program for registered nurses (RNs) seeking the added theoretical depth, employability, and respect that a bachelor's degree brings:
- Time: 66% of graduates finish within 18 months.
- Tuition: $4,685 per 6-month term.
- Transfers: On average, students transfer 81 credits.
With over 35,000 BSN alumni, this is one of WGU's most popular online degree programs. View our RN to BSN degree guide.
If you don't currently have an RN and don't qualify for your nursing prelicensure program, consider getting our Bachelor's in Health and Human Services instead. This degree allows you to work inside the healthcare industry in a unique way.
College of Health Professions
Nursing – Leadership and Management (BSN-to-MSN) – M.S.
For registered nurses with a bachelor's degree who are ready for...
For registered nurses with a bachelor's degree...
For registered nurses with a bachelor's degree who are ready for greater responsibility:
- Time: 82% of grads finish within 24 months.
- Tuition: $4,795 per 6-month term.
Sample careers and jobs this degree program will prepare you for:
- Director of Nursing
- Chief Nursing Officer
- Quality Director
- Clinical Nurse Leader
- Project Manager
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of medical and health services managers to grow 17% by 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Compare degrees
This program is not the only degree WGU offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees by clicking the button below.
College of Health Professions
Our Online University Degree Programs Start on the First of Every Month, All Year Long
No need to wait for spring or fall semester. It's back-to-school time at WGU year-round. Get started by talking to an Enrollment Counselor today, and you'll be on your way to realizing your dream of a bachelor's or master's degree—sooner than you might think!
What Skills Does a CNO Need?
The role of a chief nursing officer is defined by a certain skill set. In communicating with patients and team members, informing nurse operations, implementing new care strategies, and training new nurses, a CNO fulfills vital healthcare and business roles. As a result, their skillset needs to contribute to both the short-term and long-term success of their healthcare organization.
The skills that a CNO needs can include:
- Healthcare management. The ability to appropriately manage all aspects of a healthcare environment including budgeting, nurse management, hiring, employee training, and data analysis.
- Leadership. The ability to guide all nurses as they work to achieve improved outcomes for all patients, leading by example in policy implementation and correct patient care procedures.
- Interpersonal communication. The ability to correspond well with healthcare organization team members, including nurses.
- Data reporting. The ability to collect, analyze, and report collected data in user-friendly report formats that executives can understand.
- Staffing. The ability to hire and release nurses, according to their contributions to your healthcare organization.
- Instruction. The ability to teach new and existing nurses about patient care procedures and regulations.
- Problem-solving. The ability to identify and creatively solve problems that nurses or patients may face.
- Technological proficiency. The ability to operate all necessary pieces of medical technology, including any computers, tablets, phones, and online programs.
These and other skills allow a chief nursing officer to find success, as they work to continually connect patients with high-quality levels of care from trained nurses.
How Much Does a CNO Make?
$126,218
The exact income of a chief nursing officer can vary based on a variety of factors that often include your employer, employer’s location, employer’s available funding, years of experience, education, and acquired certifications.
In general, the salary of a chief nursing officer can average $126,218, with a range of roughly $87,000 to $221,000 earned each year.
What Is the Projected Job Growth?
7%
From 2019 to 2029, employment for all registered nurses is expected to grow 7%. This growth rate is well above the average forecasted growth across all occupations, and indicates a favorable outlook for a majority of nurse occupations.
Aging populations are behind much of this anticipated rise in required healthcare. As the baby-boomer generation grows older, their need for long-term care that addresses chronic concerns will also increase. When more nurses are needed to facilitate this care, the need for qualified chief nursing officers to lead those nurses should increase in parallel.
Where Do CNOs Work?
Varies
Chief nursing officers typically work onsite at their healthcare employer’s place of business. As a CNO, you will need to maintain constant communication with teams of nurses and other members of the healthcare organization’s staff. This communication is made easier if you maintain an office on the same floor where nurses provide care.
Chief nursing officers can work at any of the following locations: hospitals, emergency medical clinics, outpatient care facilities, inpatient or partial hospitalization programs, medical research facilities, doctors’ offices, or nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.