On-boarding and enculturation of new chief nursing officers.

Given that chief nursing officers (CNOs) play a critical role in hospital organizations and require a diverse set of executive leadership and professional competencies, what competencies are most critical? What kind of support is needed for a leader who is new to this executive role? What is needed to successfully on-board an experienced leader who is new to the organization? How can a CNO demonstrate the unique value he/she brings to the executive "C" suite? The author presents findings from on-boarding 6 new CNOs by using an in-depth 360-degree process to assess competency, an on-boarding development road map, and a CNO scorecard.