New Chief Nursing Officer Joins the Team at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital

Drawing on more than 45 years of experience in the nursing profession, Jacqueline Nowlin, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, has been appointed Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital.

As CNO of the 173-bed acute care community hospital, Nowlin will lead nursing strategy, operations and caregivers. “My core values as a leader reflect my lifelong commitment to treating others with empathy, respect, dignity and compassion,” says Nowlin. “I believe that making a human connection with any interaction is imperative when bringing Cleveland Clinic values to life.”

Building a hospital from the ground up

Nowlin has been connecting with fellow nurses and patients throughout her career in a variety of healthcare settings, including acute care, critical care, perioperative services, ambulatory care, women and children’s health, gero-psychiatry and post-acute services. She spent most of her career at Cleveland Clinic Lakewood Hospital, rising through the ranks from staff nurse to director of patient care services.

Several years ago, Nowlin jumped at the opportunity to join a team of dedicated healthcare providers responsible for the strategic and operational planning of the opening of Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital. She was instrumental in helping to structure the state-of-the-art hospital to support Magnet® values, interdisciplinary teamwork and a culture of safety. She also planned and facilitated mock scenarios and drills prior to its opening to test workflows and all technology and information systems.

Nowlin served as director of nursing, acute care and critical care services at Avon Hospital from its opening in 2016 until joining South Pointe as CNO in April 2019.

Advocating for the growth of other nurses

Throughout her career, Nowlin has remained committed to furthering her education and sharing her knowledge and experience with others. She received an MBA in healthcare administration from Baldwin Wallace University in 2009 and a DNP from Chamberlain University in 2017. Nowlin is a board-certified nurse executive-advanced by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

In 2017, Nowlin shared her unique experience as a team member planning the new Avon Hospital during a podium presentation at Cleveland Clinic’s Patient Experience Summit, titled “From Concrete to Compassion: Constructing Culture in Your New Facility.”

A staunch supporter of shared decision-making, Nowlin was a facilitator for Avon Hospital’s Nursing Professional Practice Council and worked to create a PCNA Council. She served as nurse administrator for the PCNA Council, as well as the HUC Council. Her goal as a nursing leader has always been to develop engaged, high-functioning teams that influence, promote and provide care that is innovative, safe and of the highest quality.

“Jacquie’s depth and breadth of leadership experience in her career makes her the ideal person to assume the CNO role at South Pointe Hospital,” says Cleveland Clinic Executive Chief Nursing Officer K. Kelly Hancock, DNP, RN, NE-BC. “She is a well-respected, committed and dedicated leader that enjoys watching and supporting the growth and development of those that she serves.”