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Chief nursing officer vs clinical director

The differences between chief nursing officers and clinical directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a chief nursing officer and a clinical director. Additionally, a chief nursing officer has an average salary of $104,466, which is higher than the $96,497 average annual salary of a clinical director.

The top three skills for a chief nursing officer include patients, CNO and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.

Chief nursing officer vs clinical director overview

Chief Nursing OfficerClinical Director
Yearly salary$104,466$96,497
Hourly rate$50.22$46.39
Growth rate28%28%
Number of jobs107,33683,232
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age4747
Years of experience66

What does a chief nursing officer do?

A Chief Nursing Officer supervises nurses and nurse managers, recommends strategies to improve services, and establishes goals for a healthcare facility. They ensure that operations comply with established standards and regulations, as well as prepare and supervise business reports, including annual budgets.

What does a clinical director do?

A clinical director is a managing professional who manages the work of healthcare providers to ensure quality patient care is achieved. Clinical directors are responsible for organizational tasks such as adjusting staff schedules, explaining insurance benefits to the patients, and managing financial reports. They can work either in small clinics with a smaller workforce or larger hospitals with multiple departments. Clinical directors may also assist in the hiring process of healthcare providers and should establish a positive work environment.

Chief nursing officer vs clinical director salary

Chief nursing officers and clinical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Chief Nursing OfficerClinical Director
Average salary$104,466$96,497
Salary rangeBetween $71,000 And $151,000Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying CitySan Jose, CANew York, NY
Highest paying stateOregonRhode Island
Best paying companyMcKinsey & Company IncSutro Biopharma
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between chief nursing officer and clinical director education

There are a few differences between a chief nursing officer and a clinical director in terms of educational background:

Chief Nursing OfficerClinical Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chief nursing officer vs clinical director demographics

Here are the differences between chief nursing officers' and clinical directors' demographics:

Chief Nursing OfficerClinical Director
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 23.2% Female, 76.8%Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 7.8% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between chief nursing officer and clinical director duties and responsibilities

Chief nursing officer example responsibilities.

  • Achieve regional goals including POS cash collections, registration accuracy, and denials.
  • Lead the spread of this work on transforming care through evidenced-base healthcare teamwork strategies and tactics.
  • Complete comprehensive assessments for all LTC residents which include managing falls, pain, skin integrity, and medications.
  • Incorporate evidence-based care into practice environment to ensure high quality care for patients and their families.
  • Restructure and redevelopment of the outpatient wind care program through temporary oversight toward operation of a successful program.
  • Provide direct supervision and teaching of RN, LVN, and HHA staff.
  • Show more

Clinical director example responsibilities.

  • Develop distinctive ambulatory strategies to achieve and sustain competitive healthcare advantage.
  • Manage and assist with data collection and input for MDS.
  • Manage quality of documentation through education and electronic review of clinical processes utilizing HCHB EMR.
  • Manage front office, marketing, and communication -demonstrated/supervise exercises for patients -Developed instructional packets for home exercise programs
  • Manage projects and ambulatory system initiatives, and collaborate with system leadership teams to ensure EMR alignment with all regulatory requirements.
  • Experience in GCP, FDA audits, and regulatory guidance review and implementation.
  • Show more

Chief nursing officer vs clinical director skills

Common chief nursing officer skills
  • Patients, 18%
  • CNO, 7%
  • Rehabilitation, 6%
  • Patient Safety, 5%
  • Performance Improvement, 5%
  • Quality Care, 4%
Common clinical director skills
  • Patients, 18%
  • Patient Care, 11%
  • Physical Therapy, 5%
  • Social Work, 4%
  • Rehabilitation, 4%
  • Clinical Services, 3%

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