Nursing Operations Manager Inpatient-Cardiac Intervention Unit-Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital-Lakeland, FL

Opening Summer 2026 at 4000 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland, FL.

The Orlando Health System of Care includes award-winning hospitals and ERs, specialty institutes, urgent care centers, primary care practices and outpatient facilities that span Florida’s east to west coasts, Central Alabama and Puerto Rico. Collectively, our dedicated team members honor our over 100-year legacy by providing professional and compassionate care to the patients, families and communities we serve. Join us!

Combining the collective strengths of two powerhouse organizations, Orlando Health and the high-quality physicians at Watson Clinic are expanding access to award-winning specialty care for patients in Polk County and beyond.

Opening in summer 2026, Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital – a state-of-the-art, seven-story, multi-specialty hospital – will serve as a vital 550,000 square-foot healthcare hub offering:

• 300+ inpatient beds and 69 emergency and observation beds
• 11 operating rooms and four cardiac interventional suites
• Dedicated labor and delivery services – including a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that will debut shortly after the hospital opens
• Comprehensive cardiovascular, neurology, and oncology services
• Advanced surgical procedures

Join us in shaping the future of healthcare in Polk County as part of the Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital opening team and share in the privilege of saying you were there from the very beginning.

Benefits Beyond the Expected

Orlando Health is committed to providing you with benefits that go beyond the expected, with career-growing FREE education programs and well-being services to support you and your family through every stage of life. We begin your benefits on day one and offer flexibility wherever possible, so that you can be present for your passions. “Orlando Health Is Your Best Place to Work” is not just something we say, it’s our promise to you.

• Benefits that begin on Day 1
• Four (4) weeks paid parental leave
• Debt-free degrees through our Preferred Education Program
• Tuition reimbursement and loan repayment programs
• Back-up childcare and elder care
• Fertility benefits and adoption assistance
• NCLEX reimbursement
• Free NCPDs for RN license
• Free Kaplan review courses
• Dedicated RN career counselor and GN Coordinators to develop you
• Specialty certifications reimbursement
• And more!

Position Summary:

Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital is seeking a dedicated and experienced Nursing Operations Manager, Cardiac Intervention Unit to lead our 30-bed Progressive Care Unit (PCU) in the Cardiac Intervention Unit. This key leadership role will be focused on overseeing the care of patients requiring advanced cardiac care, including invasive procedures and post-procedure monitoring. The ideal candidate will be an advocate for exceptional patient outcomes, quality care, and a supportive work environment. As the Nursing Operations Manager, you will be responsible for guiding and empowering a skilled nursing team, working closely with hospital and medical staff leadership to drive excellence, foster innovation, and achieve both departmental and organizational goals.

Essential Functions

• Evaluates the environment and makes recommendations to ensure delivery of quality service, optimal patient flow and comfort, safety, and compliance with various standards of care, regulatory/governing bodies (e.g., OSHA, JCAHO), infection control, and risk management.
• Plans, leads, organizes, directs, & evaluates the delivery of patient care to achieve sustained outcomes.
• Facilitates a healthy environment that promotes patient and team member safety, high reliability of processes and quality outcomes.
• Embraces workplace diversity and participates in nursing organizational policy formulation and decision-making.
• Ensures that a continual improvement approach is implemented to measure actual performance against established standards for nursing and patient care.
• Serves as an agent of change, assisting leaders and team members in understanding the importance, necessity, impact, and process of change.
• Analyzes, develops, and maintains an effective and efficient nursing delivery model that reflects patient and family needs, ultimately achieving desired outcomes.
• Participates in the planning and implementation of new technologies, procedures, and services to support day-to-day operations.
• Identifies, recruits, develops, and retains top talent.
• Responsible for management of team members including recruitment, development, mentorship, retention, supervision, evaluation, and productivity.
• Develops and manages unit/department budget and responds in a cost-effective manner to changing patient and team member requirements. 
• Knows and practices sound business and operational excellence.
• Achieves financial and operational benchmarks by developing capital & operating budgets and monitoring all operational expenses.
• Assures development, implementation, and evaluation of an evidence-based, quality clinical nursing practice consistent with nursing research, and organizational and national practice standards.
• Demonstrates initiative and situational leadership skills.
• Ensures the customer experience is exceptional.
• Serves as a liaison between team members and nursing administration.
• Demonstrates professional accountability by maintaining proficiency in assigned role and involvement in professional organizations.
• Facilitates and supports team member involvement in professional and organizational activities.
• Holds self and others accountable to Orlando Health’s mission, vision, and values.
• Demonstrates The Orlando Health Way: Assure, Engage, Unite.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.
• Manages various human resources functions including hiring, work assignments, coaching plans, and performance counseling.
• Maintains reasonably regular, punctual attendance consistent with Orlando Health policies, the ADA, FMLA, and other federal, state, and local standards.
• Maintains compliance with all Orlando Health policies and procedures.

Other Related Functions

• Uses working knowledge of risk management concepts.
• Participates in Process Improvement activities as assigned
• Interprets the appropriate information needed to identify each patient’s requirements relative to their age-specific needs and to provide nursing care needed as described in the unit/department’s policies and procedures.

Hospital Care at Home (Program Functions)

• Responsible for leadership & operational oversight for the Hospital Care at Home virtual nursing unit.
• Proficient in the use of TeleHealth technology to oversee and conduct virtual patient care visits to the hospital at home patients; ability to assess clinical symptoms, possess critical thinking skills and escalate potential patient decompensation.
• Works collaboratively with all members of the Advanced Care at Home team.
• Responsible for providing virtual and in-home nursing care needed as described in the unit/department’s policies and procedures

Education/Training

• Graduate of an approved school of nursing with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) required.
  Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with Graduate degree in Business or health-related field preferred.

Licensure/Certification

• Current licensure as a registered nurse in the State of Florida or Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC).
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• May require one or more of the following certifications based on the assigned patient population:

o Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
o Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
o Neonatal Advanced Life Support (NALS)
o Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC)

• National leadership board certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) within 2 years.

Experience

• Two (2) years as a registered nurse in an acute care setting and one (1) year leadership experience.