Title: Chief Nursing Officer
State Role Title: Registered Nurse Manager II
Hiring Range: Salary up to $191,000 (salary commensurate with experience)
Pay Band: 6
Agency: Dept Behavioral Health/Develop
Location: Western State Hospital
Agency Website: https://dbhds.virginia.gov/facilities/wsh/
Recruitment Type: General Public - G
Job Duties
Location: Western State Hospital
103 Valley Center Drive, Staunton, VA 24401.
Who We Are
Western State Hospital, part of the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), has been a leader in psychiatric treatment since 1828. WSH is a 302-bed Joint Commission/CMS-accredited psychiatric facility located in the scenic Shenandoah Valley. Just 30 minutes from vibrant university towns, our hospital serves adults with serious mental health needs and is nationally recognized for our Psychosocial Rehabilitation “Learning” programs.
WSH provides a modern clinical setting and a therapeutic environment for patients, supported by highly qualified staff. Employees also enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the Shenandoah Valley, with nearby cities such as Charlottesville and Harrisonburg offering dining, entertainment, and outdoor activities, making Staunton an attractive place to live and work.
Position Overview
To provide effective leadership and direction for the overall operations of the nursing department, ensuring that safe and quality patient care is provided in accordance with regulatory standards, facility and DBHDS policies, all applicable laws, and best practices. Develop and approve nursing standards of care, policies and procedures, programs designed to measure, assess, and improve outcomes, and comprehensive staffing plans. Participate with executive and clinical leaders in decision-making and strategic planning. Promote an environment that fosters mutual respect and ongoing learning and supports patient recovery. Actively participates as a member of the facility Executive Leadership, Clinical Leadership, and Senior Leadership Teams. Evaluates the delivery of services for accountability and improvement; organizes staff and resources for efficient performance and nursing care. Provides guidance when interpreting and implementing the hospital’s mission, goals, and objectives.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide executive leadership and strategic direction for the nursing department, ensuring alignment with the facility's mission, DBHDS policies, and all applicable regulatory and professional standards.
- Develop, implement, and evaluate nursing standards of care, policies, procedures, and staffing models, ensuring safe, effective, trauma‑informed patient care and regulatory compliance (TJC, CMS, OSHA, VDH, OSIG, etc.).
- Oversee nursing operations and administrative functions, including organizational structure, budget management, staffing patterns, resource allocation, and performance improvement activities.
- Lead, mentor, and manage nursing staff and leadership, including hiring, training, performance management, succession planning, competency development, accountability for standards of care, and fostering a culture of respect, learning, and collaboration.
- Drive quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) efforts within nursing, using data‑driven approaches to monitor outcomes, assess risk, evaluate adherence to standards, and implement corrective actions to improve patient care.
- Promote interdisciplinary collaboration by ensuring effective communication, participation in treatment teams, and coordination between nursing and other departments to optimize patient outcomes and operational efficiency.
- Serve as a key executive leader within the facility, participating in strategic planning, decision‑making, executive committees, administrative on‑call rotation, and representing the organization at regional and statewide meetings.
- Provide oversight for critical clinical and regulatory programs and compliance with mandatory training, competencies, and safety initiatives.
- Use data, technology, and evidence‑based practices to enhance clinical operations, streamline workflow, improve documentation, and support system‑wide initiatives that advance quality and operational efficiency.
- Exercise executive governance over departmental strategy, policy implementation, budget stewardship, operational problem‑solving, risk mitigation, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring the department operates efficiently and within established resource parameters.
Benefits Include
• Relocation reimbursement
• Health, vision, and dental insurance
• Retirement with cash match
• 13 paid holidays
• Paid time off (annual, sick, family/personal, and community service)
• Life insurance
Minimum Qualifications
• Current licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Graduation from an accredited nursing program.
• Extensive experience in professional and progressive nursing management and administration.
• Experience working in a hospital and/or psychiatric inpatient facility, with demonstrated effectiveness in supervising, managing, teaching, and/or consulting with nursing staff across multiple disciplines.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the principles, practices, and standards of psychiatric or mental‑health nursing.
• Demonstrated ability to provide executive‑level leadership, including strategic planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating nursing services.
• Considerable experience with administrative and operational practices, including program planning, implementation, management, and budget development.
• Experience implementing nursing standards in accordance with regulatory guidelines and performance improvement processes.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with professional and non‑professional staff across and outside the facility.
• Ability to use electronic health records and related clinical technologies effectively.
• Knowledge of Infection Prevention and Control requirements.
• Extensive knowledge of nursing management principles and performance improvement methodologies.
• Ability to interpret governing directives, integrate nursing services, lead change, deal with ambiguity, and make timely, sound decisions based on complex information.
Additional Considerations
• Concentration or advanced training in psychiatric or mental‑health nursing.
• Clinical, administrative, and management experience specifically within a psychiatric hospital setting.
• Advanced degree in psychiatric‑mental health nursing, nursing administration, healthcare administration, or a related field.
• Bilingual
• Veteran or veteran spouse
Special Instructions
You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.
Application Requirements: Applications and résumés for this position are accepted electronically through the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Electronic Recruitment System only. Interview decisions will be based solely on the information provided in your electronic application and/or résumé. Please ensure you clearly and specifically detail all relevant work experience; we will not make assumptions about your qualifications.
Background Investigation: All applicants are subject to an extensive background investigation and a pre-employment drug screening. This investigation may include fingerprint checks (State Police, FBI), local agency checks, Department of Social Services/Child Protective Services checks, employment verification, and verification of education relevant to the position.
Under Virginia Code §§ 37.2-314 and 37.2-408.1, the Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services (DBHDS) cannot employ or utilize as volunteers, individuals convicted of specific ("barrier") crimes or those with pending "barrier" charges.
Reasonable Accommodations: Reasonable accommodations are available to individuals with disabilities during the application and/or interview process in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you require assistance or accommodation, please notify Human Resources at (540) 332-8300 during business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).
Equal Opportunity: The Commonwealth of Virginia is committed to conducting all aspects of human resource management without regard to race (or traits historically associated with race, including hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, political affiliation, disability, genetic information, and pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.* There shall be no retaliation against anyone making allegations of violations of this policy.
Veteran Preference: DBHDS is a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) certified employer and provides hiring preference to qualified veterans and service members. We strongly encourage veterans, active members of the Virginia National Guard, and U.S. Military Reserve members to apply to the state application and respond accordingly.
Contact Information
Name: Elizabeth Weber
Phone: 540-332-8056
Email: elizabeth.weber@dbhds.virginia.tov
In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.
Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.