Ernest Health logo
Ernest Health
Stockton, California

Chief Nursing Officer

Registered NurseFull-Time

Listed compensation

$175k–$210k

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

We are seeking a Chief Nursing Officer to join our team of passionate patient caregivers!

Leadership | Clinical Excellence | Patient-Centered Care

About Us: Stockton Regional Rehabilitation Hospital located in Stockton, CA

  • is a modern inpatient rehabilitation hospital devoted to restoring hope and function for patients after life-changing injuries or illnesses.

Our hospital provides specialized rehab services for stroke recovery, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, orthopedic surgery recovery, and other complex conditions. With a caring team of certified rehabilitation nurses and licensed therapists, we deliver intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy tailored to each patient’s needs and goals.

Accredited and part of Ernest Health’s nationally recognized network, Stockton Regional Rehabilitation Hospital focuses on compassionate, effective care that helps patients regain independence and quality of life.

Position Overview: We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) to lead our nursing team in delivering exceptional clinical outcomes and operational excellence. The CNO will serve as a key member of the hospital’s executive leadership team, ensuring high standards of patient care, staff engagement, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement in clinical services.

Responsibilities:

  • Provide strategic direction and oversight for all nursing and clinical operations.
  • Foster a culture of safety, accountability, and excellence in patient care.
  • Lead initiatives to enhance patient outcomes, satisfaction, and quality metrics.
  • Recruit, mentor, and retain compassionate patient caregivers.

As a participating hospital of Ernest Health, we offer robust recognition, wellness, and retention programs. These programs focus to enhance the employees’ work experience, recognize, and celebrate achievements. We also encourage employees to share their work experience through “My Ernest Journey” and through our Engagement Survey, where our approach is “You Spoke, We Listened”. These platforms provide additional avenues for employees to give feedback about their work experience and share what is important to them.

Our hospital offers comprehensive benefits, designed to support your health and financial well-being.

Benefits

  • PPO and High Deductible Medical Plan options
  • Flexible Spending and Health Savings Account options available
  • Dental and Vision coverage
  • 401K with employer matching
  • Life insurance
  • Short-and-long term disability

Wellness & Work Life Balance

  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Wellness Program with quarterly wellness challenges with participation incentives
  • Earned Time Off - start accruing vacation time on start date

Qualifications

Required Skills

Current state Registered Nurse license required.

Current CPR certification required. ALCS certification required in TX.

Master’s degree in nursing or a related field with at least one year of experience in administration; or

Baccalaureate degree in nursing or a related field with at least two years of experience in nursing administration; or

At least four years of experience in nursing administration or supervision, with evidence of continuing education directly related to the job specifications.

Additional Qualifications/Skills

Knowledge of and adherence to current nursing theory and practice, infection control, and wound care standards of practice.

Knowledge of accreditation standards to ensure adherence to all standards set forth by state and accrediting agencies of TJC and CMS.

  • Knowledge of clinical operations and procedures.
  • Demonstrates an understanding of treatment costs and financial support as they relate to quality and efficiency.
  • Demonstrates general computer skills including: data entry, word processing, email, and record management.
  • Effective organizational and time management skills.
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to maintain proper levels of confidentiality.
  • Ability to work closely and professionally with others.
  • Ability to maintain quality, safety, and/or infection control standards.
  • Ability to demonstrate leadership, clinical expertise, and appropriate interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

Responsible for the overall operations of the nursing department, including high-quality, cost-effective delivery of patient care, managing nursing personnel, and developing and implementing approved department projects and goals. Responsible for management of waived testing and equipment.

May supervise other departments or services that provides clinical care or services to patients. The CNO is a member of the hospital Governing Body. Integrates the hospital’s mission and “Guiding Principles” into daily practice.

Posted Total Compensation

The wage range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience, education and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs.

It’s not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $

Minimum Salary

USD $175,000.00/Yr.

Maximum Salary

USD $210,000.00/Yr.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
5+ years of experience

Key Skills

Nursing LeadershipStaff MentoringStrategic Planning

Nursing Administration — Registered Nurse Career Context

Of the 50 active Nursing Leadership listings this role was benchmarked against, 34% are remote, 54% have no call, 72% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$193k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $174k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Registered Nurse Jobs

25 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution25 jobs · 20 employers

6
<$95k
1
$95k
9
$105k-125k
3
$125k-150k
6
$150k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks19 jobs

401k / retirement match
95% this job
CME allowance
37% this job
Sign-on bonus
26%
Loan repayment
11%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Nurse Informaticist

Sutter Health · Sacramento, California

$189k-$305k
#2

Clinical Nurse Educator III- Emergency Department

Sutter Health · Sacramento, California

$198k-$277k
#3

Clinical Nurse Educator III, New Graduate Training Program

$198k-$277k
#4

Director of Nursing (Remote)

$127k-$211k
+ 23 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 1.5this job 1.5
Better work-life than 50% of Nursing Administration (RN) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 584 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Stockton

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$412k≈ 2.4× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,010/mo≈ 14% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
32 min
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Ernest Health logo

About Ernest Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Mesquite, Texas
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

PPO and High Deductible Medical Plan options
Flexible Spending and Health Savings Account options
Dental and Vision coverage
401K with employer matching
Life insurance
Short-and-long term disability
Employee Assistance Program
Wellness Program with quarterly wellness challenges