Chief Nursing Officers are important executives within the health care industry offering administrative leadership, strategic planning, and senior nurse management expertise within a number of health care organizations. Chief nursing officers develop means of improving patient care and staff relations, recruit and retain nurses, manage daily operations of nursing departments, maintain regulations and compliance with laws or accreditations, and develop nursing polices. Chief nursing officers must complete graduate programs in nursing and often gain certification through the American Organization of Nurse Executives as determined by organization of employment and state regulations. Salaries for chief nursing officers generally range from $90,000 to $134,000 annually.