SVP, Nursing Executive

Job Summary: The Senior Vice President (SVP), Nursing Executive, is a member of the WMCHealth nursing executive team and is responsible for the integration, coordination, strategic direction, and oversight of Nursing and Patient Care at Westchester Medical Center. The Nursing Executive directs nursing and designated ancillary patient care services to ensure the delivery of high-quality, safe, patient- and family-centered, evidence-based, and cost-effective care consistent with the Network’s mission, vision, and values.

Reporting directly to the Executive Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive, the SVP, Nursing Executive, translates Network nursing strategy and organizational priorities into site-specific goals, operating plans, and measurable clinical, quality, workforce, patient experience, and financial outcomes.

The SVP, Nursing Executive, provides direct oversight of site nursing leadership, nursing departments, staffing, professional practice, regulatory and accreditation compliance, and assigned patient care services. The SVP, Nursing Executive, collaborates with Nursing Professional Development, Nursing Quality and Patient Safety, and Nursing Operations to implement Network standards and initiatives. Budget development, productivity management, resource allocation, expense control, and financial performance are managed in collaboration with Nursing Operations within the authority delegated to the position. Nursing professional standards and nursing quality programs are developed in collaboration with Nursing Professional Development and Nursing Quality and Patient Safety.

 

 

Responsibilities:

• Serves as the Senior Nurse Executive for Westchester Medical Center (WMC).
• Provides strategic and operational leadership for the vision, strategic direction, goals, and priorities for Nursing and Patient Care at WMC and collaborates with executive and clinical leaders to implement strategies that achieve them.
• Participates in strategic planning and leads the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of nursing and patient care plans, programs, services, and delivery models.
• Translates nursing priorities into site-specific goals, implementation plans, and measurable outcomes.
• Provides direct leadership, oversight, coaching, and performance management for WMC nursing leaders.
• Establishes and maintains nursing policies, practices, protocols, procedures, and standards of practice that comply with applicable laws, regulations, and accreditation requirements, including those of the New York State Department of Health and applicable accrediting organizations (AOs). Ensures that nursing care delivery models, clinical practices, staffing plans, and standards of care reflect patient needs, current evidence, professional standards, and organizational priorities.
• Advises the EVP, Chief Nursing Executive, regarding site-level nursing performance, priorities, risks, resource management, and opportunities for improvement.
• Represents nursing within the local WMC leadership structure and appropriate Network forums.
• Collaborates with Nursing Quality and Patient Safety to establish WMC priorities, evaluate performance data, identify trends, and implement sustainable improvement strategies.
• Ensures the timely, consistent, and effective management, investigation, follow-up, and resolution of patient and family complaints and concerns, in collaboration with Patient Experience, Risk Management, and other responsible departments, using findings to improve care delivery and patient satisfaction.
• Promotes a patient- and family-centered philosophy throughout daily operations, policies, procedures, staff interactions, and care delivery practices. Communicates expectations to staff, patients, families, medical staff, and other stakeholders.
• Ensures that nursing care delivery models, clinical practices, and staffing standards reflect current evidence, research, professional standards, patient needs, and the mission, vision, and values of WMCHealth.
• Collaborates with Nursing Professional Development to assess and address WMC-specific orientation, education, competencies, professional practice, and leadership development needs.
• Mentors, coaches, evaluates, and develops Vice Presidents of Nursing and other leaders. Promotes accountability, succession planning, professional growth, and a culture of collaboration, transformation, inclusion, and confidence.
• Promotes clinical excellence, continuing education, competency development, and the integration of evidence-based standards of practice.
• Collaborates with Nursing Excellence to develop and implement strategies for the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program and Magnet designation. Supports professional governance and a culture of nursing excellence.
• Oversees an appropriate nursing peer-review system and integrates the American Nurses Association (ANA) Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice and ANA Code of Ethics into nursing leadership and practice.
• Collaborates with the Chief Medical Officer, physicians, Advanced Practice Providers, clinical service teams, and ancillary and support departments to strengthen communication, coordinate care, improve managed care processes, and support effective departmental functioning while maintaining quality standards.
• Establishes and maintains effective communication and decision-making processes among nursing, ancillary staff, physicians, and other healthcare personnel to support coordinated, timely, and safe patient care.
• In collaboration with Nursing Operations and Finance, develops, implements, administers, and manages nursing and designated patient care budgets. Oversees expense control, resource allocation, productivity, and operational performance while balancing cost effectiveness with quality and safety.
• Exercises budgetary control within the authority delegated by the EVP, Chief Nursing Executive, and the organization.
• Monitors labor and non-labor expenses, productivity, staffing utilization, overtime, agency use, premium pay, vacancies, turnover, and other operational indicators.
• Holds WMC leaders accountable for approved budgets, staffing plans, productivity expectations, position control, and expense management goals.
• Reviews financial and operational variances and implements corrective actions in collaboration with Nursing Operations, Finance, Human Resources, and site leadership.
• Escalates material financial, staffing, capacity, or resource concerns to the EVP, Chief Nursing Executive.
• Directs and evaluates the performance of patient care personnel and service leaders in fulfilling organizational goals. Uses trend analyses and performance data to identify opportunities, guide decisions, and assess the impact of changes in clinical practice.
• Provides leadership and direction to staff in making decisions and coordinating departmental activities. Ensures accountability for performance, quality, patient satisfaction, and compliance with established standards.
• Directs nursing service performance improvement activities and participates in hospital and leadership functions, committees, task forces, councils, and other designated forums.
• Maintains productive working relationships across the organization and serves as a catalyst for change among healthcare leaders, staff, and community partners.
• Promotes a healthy work environment characterized by professionalism, accountability, inclusion, respect, collaboration, and psychological safety.
• Models a professional, ethical, inclusive, collaborative, and visionary approach to leadership and foster personal and professional development among nurses and patient care leaders at all levels.
• Supports constructive labor-management relationships and compliance with applicable bargaining agreements.
• Serves as a catalyst for change and ensures that major nursing initiatives are implemented, monitored, evaluated, and sustained at WMC.

 

 

Qualifications/Requirements:

 

Experience: Minimum of seven to ten years of progressive nursing experience, including at least five years in a supervisory or leadership role. Experience in a large tertiary academic hospital or healthcare facility is preferred. Experience in a unionized facility and prior experience in a Magnet-designated organization, including a strong understanding of professional governance principles, are preferred. Experience with nursing operations, budget preparation and management, quality-improvement activities, patient safety, staff development, and regulatory compliance is required.

 

Education: Master’s degree required. If the master’s degree is not in nursing, a baccalaureate or doctoral degree must be in nursing. Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or PhD preferred.

 

Licenses / Certifications: Must hold a valid license and current registration as a Registered Professional Nurse (RN), issued by the New York State Education Department. National board certification and/or a healthcare-related certification is optional and preferred. Any professional board certification or healthcare-related certification submitted must be accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies: National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA); ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) under ISO/IEC 17024; Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC); International Certification Accreditation Council (ICAC). Certification is not a condition of hire or a mandatory requirement of this position.

 

Other: Working knowledge of the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program and Magnet designation requirements.

Knowledge of accreditation standards for healthcare organizations and New York State Department of Health requirements. Demonstrated ability to lead within a complex healthcare delivery system.  Ability to translate strategic priorities into measurable operational, quality, workforce, and financial outcomes. Strong leadership, communication, collaboration, decision-making, and change-management skills. Ability to foster an inclusive, accountable, patient-centered environment that promotes clinical excellence and continuous improvement.