Assistant Chief Nursing Officer – Patient Care

Overview

Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, part of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), is seeking a dynamic nursing professional as Assistant Chief Nursing Officer (ACNO), Patient Care. This leadership role offers an opportunity to make a significant impact in the healthcare community by overseeing and optimizing inpatient and outpatient nursing care services at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital. Reporting directly to the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), you will guide a diverse team of clinical and psychiatric nursing professionals across multiple specialized departments, ensuring that patient care meets the highest standards of quality and safety. You will also work closely with various state agencies, including the Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Developmental Services (DDS), and Department of Corrections (DOC), to enhance service coordination and patient outcomes.

As a key figure in the hospital’s patient care services division, you will influence policies, drive nursing performance improvements, and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements. Your expertise will support interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure cost-effective, evidence-based care. This role demands strong leadership and communication skills, as you will actively engage with staff, administration, and external stakeholders to foster a positive work environment and promote the continued development of the nursing staff. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced nursing leader to contribute to a hospital dedicated to exceptional patient care.

Please Note: Selected Candidate must have a current and valid registration as a professional nurse under the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing.

Schedule: Monday-Friday 8-4:30PM with Weekends Off

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

• Ensure nursing care meets established standards and comply with current regulations by regularly reviewing and updating policies and procedures.
• Collaborate with Medical Staff to evaluate and enhance patient care services, acting as a liaison for seamless communication and coordination.
• Stay current on nursing trends, technologies, and regulations, and assess the impact of legislative and regulatory decisions on nursing practice.
• Establish and implement best practices in patient safety to achieve optimal quality and cost-effective services.
• Monitor and adjust staffing levels based on patient acuity, census, and available resources, ensuring evidence-based staffing practices.
• Provide advisory support to nurse managers and staff to resolve patient care issues, offering guidance on clinical and operational functions.
• Lead and participate in performance improvement initiatives, patient care assessments, and joint commission compliance to ensure positive outcomes.
• Provide guidance and direction to managers in clinical and operation functions, facilitating positive outcomes and growth.
• Promote leadership development among managers by delegating tasks, setting realistic goals, and ensuring timely completion of projects.
• Conduct performance evaluations, oversee agency personnel usage, and monitor overtime within budget constraints, ensuring labor relations are maintained.
• Collaborate on budget development for nursing units, tracking hours per patient day (HPPD), controlling costs, and investigating variances to ensure financial efficiency.
• Foster interdisciplinary communication, promote a positive image of the nursing division, and address patient and staff concerns to ensure optimal public relations.
• Represent the Nursing Department and the organization in professional and community groups, ensuring staff demonstrate professionalism, courtesy, and cooperation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven experience in an acute healthcare setting including knowledge of the principals and practices of management, especially planning, organizing, directing, motivating, controlling and decision-making.
• Knowledge of the principals, practices and techniques of supervision and employee relations, and proven ability to lead a successful team.
• Ability to effect positive change through expertise and collaboration.
• Strong emphasis on communication, improvement initiatives, and excellence in patient care.
• Knowledge of the principals and practices of healthcare program budgeting.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships, both internally and externally.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must have at least (A) five (5) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in a particular specialty (i.e. scientific, professional, or technical) and must possess current license and/or registration requirements established for the performance of the position, of which (B) at least one (1) year must have been in a project management, supervisory or managerial capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below:

• A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required (A) experience.
• A Bachelor’s degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required (A) experience.
• A Graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the (A) required experience.
• A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the (A) required experience.

 

DPH Mission Statement:

The mission of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is to prevent illness, injury, and premature death, to assure access to high-quality public health and health care services, and to promote wellness and health equity for all people in the Commonwealth. We envision a Commonwealth in which all people enjoy optimal health. According to comparative analyses, Massachusetts ranks among the healthiest of states, but we still face numerous challenges, including chronic and infectious diseases, substance abuse, violence, preventable hospitalizations, and health disparities.

 

More information can be found at: www.mass.gov/DPH

 

About the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital:

Lemuel Shattuck Hospital is a fully Joint Commission accredited teaching facility that provides acute, subacute, and ambulatory care to patients referred by public agencies and private sector providers. Shattuck Hospital’s services help economically and socially disadvantaged patients to get high quality, cost-effective care from a staff that respects their dignity.

Located in the heart of Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood, the Shattuck Hospital includes 248 inpatient beds including 95 Psychiatric beds and 29 Correctional Health beds. In addition, the Shattuck has a full outpatient clinic with many specialties that offers treatment to patients of the Department of Mental Health as well as Department of Correction and House of Correction inmates and community patients.

The Shattuck hospital is on the forefront of substance use disorder treatment including a Suboxone clinic serving 200 patients. In addition to direct medical services LSH hosts and supports an array of services located on the campus, serving patients struggling with addictions and homelessness.

 

Learn more about:  what it’s like to work as a DPH nurse

Learn more about Shattuck Hospital: https://www.mass.gov/locations/lemuel-shattuck-hospital

Relocation information: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/dph-renovation-for-shattuck-hospital-replacement-building