Chief Nurse

Role Overview

This nursing leadership role oversees day-to-day nursing services, guiding staff and coordinating care so patients receive safe, compassionate, and timely support. The postholder also strengthens clinical standards, patient flow, staff capability, and resource management across the relevant hospital units.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, supervise, and support nursing staff, building accountability, teamwork, and consistent standards of care.
• Coordinate nursing operations and staff deployment across units, maintaining appropriate coverage and supporting primary nursing practice.
• Monitor patient experience, address care concerns, encourage clear communication, and ensure patients receive orientation and relevant health education.
• Review admission, transfer, and discharge processes, patient waiting times, and service turnaround; identify and act on opportunities to improve patient flow.
• Promote timely medication administration and appropriate responses to patient needs in line with clinical guidance.
• Maintain reliable nursing records, documentation, and handovers, while supporting accurate recording and billing of chargeable nursing services and items.
• Communicate and monitor compliance with nursing policies, procedures, clinical guidelines, confidentiality requirements, professional ethics, infection prevention measures, and patient-safety standards.
• Support departmental budgeting and performance reporting; manage supplies responsibly, contribute to stock-taking, reduce avoidable waste, and follow up on service indicators and improvement actions.
• Identify staff development needs and coordinate coaching, mentorship, continuing professional development, performance appraisals, and agreed improvement plans.
• Encourage effective use of hospital information systems and digital documentation, and contribute to quality improvement and benchmarking initiatives.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Nursing.
• Current registration and a valid practising licence from the Nursing Council of Kenya.
• At least five years of relevant nursing experience, including substantial experience in a supervisory or nursing leadership position.
• Demonstrated capability in nursing operations, staff supervision, patient safety, quality improvement, and applying clinical policies and procedures.
• Hospital experience is required; experience in a Level 5 hospital or a specialist orthopaedic and trauma facility is an advantage.
• Training or certification in leadership and management, quality improvement, patient safety, or relevant life-support courses is an advantage.
• Strong clinical judgement, planning, communication, coaching, conflict resolution, documentation, and reporting skills.
• Ability to manage resources, assess performance indicators, solve operational problems, and uphold professional ethics and confidentiality.
• Proficiency with hospital information systems and digital records, or the ability to adapt quickly to these tools.