The Organization Children’s Wisconsin (Children’s) is a nationally ranked, freestanding, pediatric health system based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Children’s is the region’s only independent health care system dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children. It offers a wide range of care and support for children of all ages. The $1.9 billion health system has a comprehensive service offering, a health plan, ambulatory facilities with locations throughout the state and a strong academic partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin. Its services include medical care, dental care, child and family counselling, foster care, adoption, social services, child advocacy and injury prevention. Children's cares for every aspect of health — physical, social, mental and dental. It is a community of 7,500 dedicated team members that share an unwavering passion to care for kids.
Children’s has hospitals located in Milwaukee and the Fox Valley. The Milwaukee 309-bed campus offers comprehensive clinical services and is the base for Children’s Research Institute. The Milwaukee hospital offers a Level I Children’s Surgery Center, an ACS-verified Pediatric Level I Trauma Center (which is one of two in the state), a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and a 68-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. The Milwaukee hospital is one of the nation's leading pediatric facilities, earning top ratings from U.S. News & World Report and others.
The Fox Valley Hospital, located in Neenah, is the only hospital in northeast Wisconsin dedicated exclusively to the care of kids. It has 42 beds, including a 22-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a 20-bed pediatric unit.
The Opportunity The Chief Nursing Officer is a highly visible, enterprise-wide executive for Children’s Wisconsin, accountable for setting the direction and performance of nursing practice across the system. This leader will report to Jonathan Brouk, President and Chief Operating Officer, Children’s Wisconsin Hospitals. The CNO will be part of the Children’s CEO’s senior leadership team. As a member of the senior team, this individual will partner closely with the executive team and leaders across the system to share the voice of nursing while seeking to elevate clinical standards, strengthen professional practice, and advance the development of nursing and allied health talent.
Serving as the senior nurse executive for over 2,000 nurses across the Children’s system, the CNO has full oversight for nursing care delivery, ensuring consistent excellence in quality, safety, and patient outcomes. The role shapes the vision, care model, and strategic agenda for nursing, while sustaining Magnet-level performance and advancing a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
The CNO will champion interdisciplinary teamwork, build a high-performing leadership bench, and position the organization as a destination for top nursing talent. The ideal CNO is expected to embody Children’s collaborative, humble, and mission-centered culture while also helping the organization evolve for the future. The CNO is viewed as a highly credible, relational, and transformational leader who can balance operational rigor with deep nursing advocacy.
This is an opportunity for a forward-thinking leader who can drive innovation in care delivery, elevate the patient and family experience, and align clinical, operational, and administrative priorities to deliver measurable impact across the system.
Key Responsibilities
Essential responsibilities of the CNO include, but are not limited to, the following:
Oversees establishment and implementation of guidelines for the delivery of nursing care, advanced practice nursing, standards of nursing practice, nursing and clinical policies, evidence- based practices, nursing and allied health research, and monitoring of performance related to patient care delivery.
Performs oversight of the following standards and policies, but not limited to: Nursing Strategic Plan, Philosophy of Patient Care, Provision of Patient Care, and the development, implementation and evaluation of standards of patient care and nursing practice.
With use of metrics, ensures safe and appropriate care is delivered to patients. Aligns nursing policies and procedures across the system.
Leads the organization in planning for the provision of nursing care in keeping with developing customer, market, financial, and competitive environmental conditions.
Oversees all services in accordance with appropriate standards of practice, including Joint Commission standards, and the Wisconsin State Practice Act.
Maintains the high level of nursing excellence with adherence to Magnet standards and oversees the shared governance structure to ensure participation in decision making that is evidence based. Oversees system alignment of nursing quality and safety systems and metrics.
Collaborates in the formulation of patient care and administrative policies through committees and shared governance councils of patient care services, medical staff, and administration. Represents nursing and related professional care at the Board level.
Facilitates, participates, and utilizes studies or research projects designed for the improvement of patient care and improvement of other administrative and hospital services in the areas of nursing, health, and management systems.
Promotes quality by incorporating current nursing research findings, nationally recognized professional standards, and other expert literature into policies and procedures governing the provision of nursing care, treatment, and services.
Participates as a member of the Senior System Team. Supports all strategic and long-range planning activities of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Represents patient care and nursing in organizational strategic planning.
Maintains strong links to schools of nursing for the pediatric education of student nurses and health care students, providing resources to ensure pipeline and competencies match organizational needs for future nurses and other health care professionals.
Collaborates internally and externally to develop robust recruitment pipeline and retention strategies for nursing and related health professions. Reviews areas for growth and improvement for nursing staff. Works collaboratively with team members and leaders to identify plans for staff professional development.
Develops and recommends operating and capital budgets and control expenditures within approved budget objectives.
Responsible for understanding and adhering to the Children’s Organizational Code of Ethics and for ensuring that personal actions, and the actions of employees supervised, comply with the policies, regulations and laws applicable to Children's business.
Oversees shared governance and ensures council alignment matches Children’s priorities.
Creates a culture of well-being for nurses to thrive in the environment of caregiving.
Oversees advanced practice provider and nursing research.
Supports and influences integration of interprofessional teams that advance nurses working at the highest scope of practice.
Influences organizational staffing systems, shared governance, technology, innovation, quality, patient safety, and competency and professional development.
Strengthens alignment and consistency across inpatient, ambulatory, primary care, urgent care, community health, and regional nursing operations.
Responsible for building stronger partnerships with academic institutions, schools of nursing, and workforce pipeline programs.
Focuses on workforce stabilization, modernization, scalability, and stronger business discipline within nursing operations.
The Candidate
Experience and Professional Qualifications The ideal CNO candidate will be a highly respected nurse leader possessing dynamic leadership skills and expertise to lead in a manner that supports and contributes to the success and culture of Children’s Wisconsin and the communities it serves.
In addition, the CNO will have:
At least 10 years of progressive nursing leadership in patient care operational leadership positions.
Strong operational and financial acumen with the ability to lead and partner around a vision for superior patient-centered care that includes continuous improvements in care coordination, quality, safety, and cost-of-care reductions.
Forward-thinking visionary who anticipates future needs and embodies system-level integration and process improvement.
Executive presence with strong decision-making and strategic-thinking skills.
Business and financial acumen to align nursing with organizational goals, navigate the evolving health care environment, and leverage data in decision making.
Exceptional leadership and communication abilities, with a proven ability to build relationships across all levels of an organization.
Ideally will have experience leading within an ANCC Magnet-designated organization.
Ability to drive organizational change, innovation, and transformation in nursing practice.
Experience as a nurse leader in quality, patient safety, and care management.
Proven ability to build internal and external relationships, with a demonstrated track record of working successfully with physicians and physician leaders, diverse management teams, community, and other key stakeholders.
A “systems thinker” who demonstrates innovation and an understanding and appreciation for nursing practice across the full continuum of care.
Ability to collaborate with academic partners, health care professionals, and regulatory and governmental agencies.
Extensive knowledge of health care issues, trends, legal and regulatory compliance, and clinical integration with emphasis in service line development and nursing operations.
A courageous and innovative individual with a “can do attitude” that can inspire an organization to do its best even in difficult circumstances.
Exhibits strength of character and is viewed as a trusted, ethical and highly visible and effective leader within the organization.
Requires a transformational leader that is an integral part of the senior leadership team. This enables insight and influence to direct nursing care across the system.
Experience in strengthening clinical ladder participation and professional growth.
Ability to sustain exceptional nursing engagement and quality benchmark performance.
Experience in transforming and modernizing operations (nursing strategic plans, staffing models, new leadership teams, etc.)
Education and Certifications
A master’s degree in nursing, health administration, or a related field is required (with a BSN if the master’s is not in nursing).
Korn Ferry shall provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified candidates, and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected basis. Artificial Intelligence tools may be used in connection with the recruitment process for this position.
