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Chief Nursing Officer, Saint Mary's Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin

SSM Health · WI · Full time

Posted Aug 27, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

SSM Health describes itself as a Catholic, not-for-profit health system. How would that mission shape how you lead nursing at St. Mary's in Madison?

What they are checking: Whether they can connect nursing leadership to the system's stated mission in practical, daily decisions.

Tell me about a time you improved a quality or safety measure across nursing.

What they are checking: Evidence of real results in patient outcomes, not just plans.

How do you keep frontline nurses connected to executive decisions?

What they are checking: Visible, two-way leadership that keeps staff trust and gives nurses a real voice.

Tell me about a time you led a big change that nurses resisted.

What they are checking: Change leadership that brings staff along instead of forcing compliance.

How do you develop nurse managers and future nursing leaders?

What they are checking: Building a leadership pipeline, which keeps a nursing organization strong over time.

What would you do

What would you do in your first 90 days as CNO?

What they are checking: A thoughtful approach to learning the organization, building trust and setting priorities before making big changes.

How do you work with physician leaders when there's disagreement about a clinical practice?

What they are checking: Building partnerships with medical staff while advocating for nursing and patient safety.

St. Mary's is one of many hospitals in a large system. How do you balance system standards with local needs?

What they are checking: Working within system structures while advocating for the hospital's own patients and staff.

About the work

How do you address nurse retention and staffing shortages at the hospital level?

What they are checking: Practical strategies for recruiting and keeping nurses, which shape safety and cost.

How do you manage a nursing budget when volumes rise and labor costs are high?

What they are checking: Financial leadership that balances quality and staffing with cost.

How would you prepare nursing for a Joint Commission survey?

What they are checking: Building readiness into daily practice rather than preparing only before a survey.

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The full job description

As published by SSM Health.

It's more than a career, it's a calling WI-SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Madison Worker Type: Regular Job Highlights: Named 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare 2025 - Becker's Healthcare Named One of the World’s Happiest Workplace 2025 – WorkL Named One of America's Best In-State Employers 2025 - Forbes Named One of America's Greatest Workplaces for Women 2025 – Newsweek Named One of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Culture, Belonging & Community 2026 – Newsweek SSM Health is a Catholic, not-for-profit health system serving the comprehensive health needs of communities across the Midwest through a robust and fully integrated health care delivery system. The organization’s 40,000 team members and more than 13,900+ providers are committed to providing exceptional health care services and revealing God’s healing presence to everyone they serve. ​​​​​​​ With care delivery sites in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin, SSM Health includes 23 hospitals, more than 300 physician offices and other outpatient and virtual care services, 12 post-acute facilities, comprehensive home care and hospice services, a pharmacy benefit company, a health insurance company and an accountable care organization. It is one of the largest employers in every community it serves. This position is located on-site at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, WI and is not remote work eligible. To request additional information, confidentially submit your interest, or nominate a fellow colleague, please contact: Angela Jones Executive Talent Partner Angela.Jones1@ssmhealth.com Job Summary: Develops short- and long-term patient services and nursing goals and plans ensuring alignment with broader organization priorities. Utilizes metrics and organization vision to lead and direct strategic nursing and patient care practice and standards, patient safety, clinical outcomes and patient, employee and physician satisfaction. Develops and implements patient services and nursing practice standards and guidelines across organization to ensure the safe provision of quality patient care. Job Responsibilities and Requirements: PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES • Serves as a member of the leadership team providing strategic direction on patient care and nursing related issues. Works effectively as a team member in a dynamic executive environment in a matrix organization, and promotes teamwork within and across the organization by maintaining positive relationships and utilizing effective problem solving skills. • Oversees human resource management for the assigned area creating a culture of employee engagement. Ensures HR policies are administered consistently across function. Organizes department through appropriate structure and delegation of functions. Identifies succession planning needs within the team. • Promotes team building and collaboration. Motivates, encourages and empowers staff to achieve personal, organizational and team goals. Recognizes accomplishment. Encourages and provides opportunity for staff input and feedback regarding improvement opportunities. • Regularly displays and encourages ethical behavior in the areas of business ethics, legal compliance, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, vendor relationships and the reporting of questionable activities. Serves as a role model and mentor to nursing leaders. • Identifies common opportunities for standardizing processes to achieve a consistent experience for all served. Develops strategies to ensure premier patient satisfaction. Leads development of nursing practice standards to facilitate effective utilization of the electronic health record. • Establishes and implements key quality metrics to evaluate the quality of patient care. Participates in ongoing continuous quality improvement education and training. Evaluates patient services processes across the organization for quality, cost effectiveness, efficiency and regulatory compliance, and recommends measures to streamline operations and reduce duplication. • Monitors nursing practice, clinical outcomes and process improvement initiatives to achieve value based outcome metrics. Assumes fiscal responsibility through budgetary planning and implementation. Develops and manages the operating and capital budgets for patient services operations, analyzes variances, develops plans and takes appropriate actions for productivity and performance improvements. • Maintains knowledge and achieves compliance with federal, state and local regulatory requirements, licensure, accreditation requirements, record procedures and internal controls. Regularly informs and updates staff on organizational and industry issues. • Works to continuously improve patient services while enhancing service to patients and optimizing relationships with business partners. • Partners across the organization to support smooth transition of care for patients across care settings to ensure optimal setting of care to address patient needs. • Recruits, engages, develops, leads, and manages assigned staff. • Applies the existing body of evidence-based practice and scientific knowledge in health care to nursing practice, ensuring that nursing care is delivered based on patient’s age-specific needs and clinical needs as described in the department's scope of service. • Works in a constant state of alertness and safe manner. • Performs other duties as assigned. EDUCATION • Master's degree EXPERIENCE • Eight years nursing experience, with four years' in leadership REQUIRED PROFESSIONAL LICENSE AND/OR CERTIFICATIONS State of Work Location: Wisconsin • Registered Nurse (RN) Issued by Compact State • Or • Registered Nurse (RN) - Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services Work Shift: Day Shift (United States of America) Job Type: Employee Department: 8050000007 Administration Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40 SSM Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. SSM Health provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Click here to learn more.

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