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Grammar
Riverside County, California

Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), Behavioral Health

Registered NurseFull-Time

Listed compensation

$138k-$220k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 36m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Chief Nursing Officer, Behavioral Health (CNO)

Sets the vision for nursing practice in the delivery of safe, timely, efficient, equitable and patient centered care.

Collaborate with interdisciplinary treatment teams, other departments and administration to ensure that all residents’ physical, biopsychosocial, age, developmental and cultural needs are met and when they are not met, acknowledges and works to resolve customer complaints.

Direct, supervise and evaluate work activities of all nursing personnel.

Provide clinical leadership, strategic and long-term goals for the nursing staff.

Anticipates and effectively manage changes in census and acuity and allocates nursing resources based on measurement of patient acuity/care needed.

Role model expectations related to customer service and demonstrated sense of urgency related to the importance of patient safety.

  • Determine, assign, and assess performance objectives for nursing department.
  • Organize, coordinate, develop and review policies, procedures and nursing protocols within the facility to meet all regulatory, compliance and quality care standards.
  • Responsible for the quality of care, operational and financial efficiency of the nursing department.
  • Lead and develop the nursing staff within the facility, providing performance goals, feedback and development opportunities.
  • Set and carry out policies, goals and procedures for their function or department.
  • Evaluate the quality of care, staff's work and the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the function or department.
  • Develop and oversee functions or departmental budget and reporting.
  • Provide staff management to include hiring, development, training, performance management and communication to ensure effective and efficient department operation.
  • Master’s degree in nursing or mental health nursing strongly preferred.
  • Bachelor’s degree in nursing or commensurate experience required.

10+ Years RN experience preferred. 6 years RN experience required.

  • Nursing leadership experience in a freestanding psychiatric hospital strongly preferred.
  • Prior CNO/DON experience strongly preferred.
  • 2 years behavioral health experience as and RN in an inpatient psychiatric setting required
  • 3 years of progressive nursing management or administrative nursing experience required.

Provide direct care as needed. Direct and conduct recruitment, hiring and training of personnel.

Compensation

Base Salary - USD $138,000 to $200,000

Candidate Details

10+ to 15 years experience

Seniority Level - Executive

Management Experience Required - No

Minimum Education - Bachelor's Degree

Willingness to Travel - Never

Screening Questions

Do you have 10+ Years RN experience preferred. 6 years RN experience required.

  • Do you have Nursing leadership experience in a freestanding psychiatric hospital.
  • Do you have at least 2 years behavioral health experience as and RN in an inpatient psychiatric setting required
  • Do you have 3 years of progressive nursing management or administrative nursing experience required.
  • Do you have Prior CNO/DON experience.

Ideal Candidate

The CNO needs to have inpatient BH exp multiple years of it, nursing leadership experience.

Key Responsibilities

The Chief Nursing Officer sets the vision for nursing practice and oversees the operational and financial efficiency of the nursing department. They are responsible for leading interdisciplinary teams, managing nursing staff, and ensuring compliance with regulatory and quality care standards.

Requirements

Candidates must have a Bachelor's degree in nursing and at least 6 years of RN experience, with 3 years in progressive nursing management. A Master's degree and prior experience in a freestanding psychiatric hospital are strongly preferred.

Qualifications

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

Key Skills

Clinical OperationsBudgetingStrategic PlanningQuality AssurancePolicy DevelopmentInterdisciplinary CollaborationCrisis ManagementPatient Advocacy

Behavioral Health — Registered Nurse Career Context

Of the 50 active Nursing Leadership listings this role was benchmarked against, 32% are remote, 64% have no call, 76% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$179k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $162k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

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Salary Distribution27 jobs · 17 employers

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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks19 jobs · 17 employers

401k / retirement match
89%
CME allowance
32%
Loan repayment
11%
Sign-on bonus
5%

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Work-life snapshot

median 1.5this job 1.5
Better work-life than 30% of Nursing Leadership listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,187 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

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