Unit Director, Cardiovascular/Thoracic/Transplant

With the assistance of subordinate leaders and in partnership with physician and interdisciplinary leadership, the Unit Director of the Cardiovascular/Thoracic/Transplant Unit directs nursing and administrative operations for a complex, high-acuity inpatient environment serving cardiology, vascular surgery, cardiothoracic and thoracic surgery, and heart and lung transplant populations. The Unit Director is accountable for the overall planning and coordination of clinical operations, staffing, fiscal and material resources, and ensures the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care.

This role maintains clinical and regulatory oversight, drives quality, safety, patient experience, and performance improvement initiatives, and leverages operational and clinical outcomes to identify trends, mitigate risk, and implement strategies for sustained improvement. The Unit Director provides strategic oversight of workforce and financial performance, including staffing and productivity, resource utilization, budget management, recruitment and retention, performance management, labor and employee relations, and leadership development.

Operating with a high degree of autonomy, the Unit Director partners across disciplines and services to address complex operational issues, support capacity and program growth, optimize care delivery, and advance organizational priorities while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, shared governance, and excellence. The Unit Director reports directly to the Patient Care Director. Department Overview: The Cardiovascular / Thoracic / Transplant Unit, is a 45 –bed inpatient unit.

It is primarily a telemetry / step-down unit that also provides continuous pulse oximetry. The unit serves the cardiology, cardiothoracic and vascular patient population. Patients admitted to this unit are usually admitted under the Cardiology, Vascular Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery (including the Heart & Lung Transplant) and Thoracic Surgery Services.

A wide range of medical disorders are represented including congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension (raised blood pressure in blood vessels supplying the lungs), myocardial infarction (type of heart attack) and arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythm). The staff on this unit provide an individualized approach to patient care, emphasizing patient and family education regarding lifestyle changes, diet modifications, and medications.

This is a fast-paced unit involving multiple diagnostic tests & procedures, in addition to a moderately high number of discharges and admissions per day. Because of this, teamwork is crucial to daily operations, and is greatly promoted amongst the staff and other members of the health care team. Among the nurses and physicians, other members of the patient care team include professionals in the areas of social work, pharmacy, dietary, physical therapy (PT), respiratory therapy (RT), speech therapy, occupational therapy, and pastoral care.

Responsibilities % of time Essential Function (Yes/No ) Key Responsibilities (To be completed by Supervisor) 20 Yes Develops and implements operational processes to ensure quality patient care across large departments and / or multiple units. Participates in the development and implementation of patient care practices which meet internal policy, external regulations, and accepted standards across the continuum of care. 15 Yes Represents nursing units within purview, and / or medical center wide on interdisciplinary committees.

Addresses a range of patient care topics impacting the medical center and / or health system, such as patient satisfaction levels, quality improvement initiatives, workflow efficiencies and clinical information systems. 10 Yes Coordinates the resource needs for areas of responsibility, including the review and approval of budgetary recommendations. Prepares and reviews variance analyses of budgeted revenues and expenses. 10 Yes Promotes an environment for collaborative decision making and shared governance across large departments and / or multiple patient care units.

Ensures a shared voice in nursing practice and the exchange of ideas to continually improve nursing and patient care outcomes. 10 Yes Responsible for employee recruitment, performance evaluation, progressive discipline and staff development. Instills strong management practices to create a culture of teamwork, collaboration, and timely achievement of goals and objectives. Works with clinical educators and leadership to evaluate core competencies in nursing care for the unit. 10 Yes Collaborates with subordinate management to recommend and maintain adequate staffing levels, Advises senior leaders of administrative and nursing issues, the needs of individual units, and resolution of these matters. 10 Yes Works collaboratively with labor relations on bargaining unit issues and contract negotiations at the local level.

Facilitates and oversees resolution of human resources, labor relations, employee safety and risk management issues. 5 Yes Provides mentorship / leadership to nurse leaders. Reviews and approves individual leadership / professional development plans, with succession planning needs in mind. 5 Yes Partners with leadership across services (e.g., outpatient, children's, cancer center, etc.) to develop and implement policies and procedures for coordination of care for all patient populations. 5 Yes Collaborates with IT managers to develop and implement new or improved patient care information systems and coordinates efforts across large and / or multiple units. 100% Minimum

Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree in Nursing required Registered Nurse in the State of California BLS by American Heart Association Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification Current assistant nurse manager or above in an adult nursing inpatient area with at least a minimum of three (3) years progressive inpatient nursing leadership experience Progressive leadership experience must be in a Transitional Care/Stepdown or Critical Care unit in an academic medical center or highly matrixed organization Strong hospital management experience, with progressive and in-depth expertise in patient care services Knowledge of hospital / clinic operations in a hospital or medical center setting; knowledge of appropriate professional standards for the department and team Strong knowledge of relevant healthcare information technology and patient care workflows and processes in complex cardiac care, for example open heart surgery, heart/lung transplant Strong knowledge of relevant regulatory requirements, as well as related legislative, accreditation, licensing and compliance environments Excellent communications and interpersonal skills to foster and promote an environment for effective communication and collaborative decision making across multiple units and disciplines Excellent leadership, fiscal and operations management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with physicians, management and staff from all disciplines Ability to create and maintain a goal-oriented climate of teamwork, collaboration and consistent achievement of objectives

Master's Degree in Nursing or relevant area preferred ANCC RN specialty certification in Nurse Executive or Nurse Executive-Advanced

Day shift