Description
Are you a passionate nurse looking to advance your career in cardiovascular specialty care? Join our high-acuity Cardiovascular Surgery Stepdown Unit, where you'll care for complex cardiac and vascular surgery patients while working alongside an exceptional interdisciplinary team dedicated to delivering outstanding patient outcomes.
Located on the 5th floor of the Heart & Vascular Hospital, our Cardiovascular Surgery Stepdown Unit specializes in caring for patients recovering from complex cardiac, vascular, and structural heart procedures who require close monitoring and advanced nursing care after transitioning from the ICU.
This is the ideal unit for nurses who enjoy critical thinking, teamwork, and caring for high-acuity patients in a progressive care environment.
Our patients may require:
❤️ Continuous cardiac monitoring
❤️ Titration of inotropes and vasopressors
❤️ Advanced non-invasive oxygen therapy
❤️ Frequent hemodynamic assessments
❤️ Care following cardiac, vascular, and structural heart surgery
The unit is thoughtfully designed to mirror the ICU layout, allowing quick access to equipment and resources. Every patient room is equipped with advanced bedside monitoring technology and bedside workstations, supporting efficient, high-quality patient care.
You'll work alongside an outstanding interdisciplinary team that includes:
Clinical Nurses
⚕️ Physicians & Cardiothoracic Surgeons
Advanced Practice Providers (APPs)
Unit-based Pharmacists
️ Respiratory Therapists
Care Managers
❤️ Chaplains
Patient Care Technicians
Telemetry Support Staff
Our leadership team is shared between the Cardiovascular Surgery ICU and the Stepdown Unit, creating a supportive environment that promotes mentorship, clinical excellence, and professional growth.
✔️ Deliver compassionate, patient-centered care to high-acuity cardiovascular surgery patients
✔️ Perform comprehensive cardiovascular assessments and recognize subtle changes in patient condition
✔️ Manage complex therapies, including vasoactive medication titration and advanced oxygen delivery systems
✔️ Collaborate closely with physicians, APPs, pharmacists, and respiratory therapists
✔️ Educate patients and families throughout their recovery journey
✔️ Participate in quality improvement initiatives and professional development
✔️ Support and mentor fellow team members while fostering a culture of teamwork
Strong teamwork and collaboration
Shared ICU and Stepdown leadership committed to your success
High-acuity patient population that builds advanced clinical skills
State-of-the-art Heart & Vascular Hospital
Opportunities for career growth and specialty development
Supportive culture focused on excellence, respect, and continuous learning
✅ Current RN License
✅ BLS Certification
✅ At least one year of acute care nursing experience
Progressive Care (PCU), Stepdown, Telemetry, ICU, or Cardiovascular nursing experience
Experience caring for post-operative cardiac or vascular surgery patients
Strong assessment and critical thinking skills
Excellent teamwork and communication
Passion for cardiovascular nursing and professional growth
Specialized cardiovascular surgery patient population
Professional growth and advancement opportunities
Collaborative interdisciplinary team
State-of-the-art Heart & Vascular Hospital
Leadership that supports your development and success
This position qualifies for our UNC Rex Incentive Program, which includes:
Up to $20,000 commitment incentive (based on eligibility)
Up to $25,000 in tuition loan forgiveness (based on eligibility)
Up to $10,000 in relocation assistance (based on location)
Employee referral program
If you're looking to build your cardiovascular nursing career in a collaborative, high-acuity environment where your skills make a meaningful difference every day, we'd love to meet you.
Apply today and become part of the award-winning cardiovascular team at UNC Rex!
Become part of an inclusive organization with over 40,000 teammates, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of the unique communities we serve.
Summary:
Provides competent clinical nursing care consistent with professional standards. Reporting and accountable to the Nurse Manager/Director, the Clinical Nurse is responsible for coordinating and delivering patient care utilizing the nursing process in a hospital setting.
Responsibilities:
1. Education - Participates in identifying and meeting learning needs of self. Attends education programs based on identified learning needs. With assistance, uses patient education materials relevant to patient population. Assesses readiness to learn of the patient/family/caregivers. Assesses developmental level of patient and factors affecting ability to learn.
2. Evaluation of Care - Identifies expected patient outcomes. Seeks guidance as needed in revision of plan of care. Participates in discussion with members of the interdisciplinary team in evaluation of patient care. Communicates relevant information to promote continuity of care.
3. Implementation - Demonstrates competence in care of patients with complex problems, including population-appropriate physical, psychosocial, educational and safety aspects of care. Performs bedside point of care testing as required for patient care plan. Utilizes healthcare organization and nursing standards, policies and procedures in delivery of care. Organizes and prioritizes care according to patient/family needs. Consults with appropriate resources in a timely fashion regarding patients with complex care issues, unusual teaching needs and/or those at high risk for discharge planning.
4. Leadership - With assistance, develops goals to promote professional growth or minimize limitations. Achieves goals and objectives within identified time frame or renegotiates with supervisor. Is knowledgeable about activities which facilitate intra/interdepartmental collaboration. Participates in development and achievement of unit goals and performance improvement activities. Effectively uses communication systems. Participates in promoting cost-effective care. Gives feedback to co-workers. Is aware of public policy and regulatory guidelines affecting the health care environment. Promotes a safe, clean and secure hospital environment for all.
5. Patient Assessment - Recognizes data from complex situations to determine priorities for care. Includes appropriate physical, psychosocial, education and safety needs. Synthesizes assessment data into meaningful whole prior to communication to others. Assesses and anticipates discharge needs of individual patients and families. Develops relationships with families that promote their ability to advocate for the patient and their own needs.
6. Planning - Collaborates with patient/family to prepare or update the plan of care. Makes use of available multidisciplinary resources in planning care. Begins to use full range of communication as a means to convey planning. Identifies and addresses cultural and ethnic issues in planning patient care. Demonstrates ability to prioritize tasks for patients with complex problems.
7. Research - Reads journals that contain studies or articles that may be applicable to practice. Brings ideas and questions to the staff at large for assessment of applicability.
Other information:
Education Requirements:
● Graduation from a school of professional nursing.
● If hired after January 6, 2014, must be enrolled within four years of employment, and obtain a Bachelor's degree with a major in Nursing or a Master's degree with a major in Nursing within seven years of employment date.
Licensure/Certification Requirements:
● Licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in the state of North Carolina.
● Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Provider certification
Professional Experience Requirements:
● One (1) year of nursing experience.
Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:
Legal Employer: NCHEALTH
Entity: UNC REX Healthcare
Organization Unit: Rex CSICU 5HV
Work Type: Full Time
Standard Hours Per Week: 36.00
Salary Range: $33.88 - $47.91 per hour (Hiring Range)
Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity
Work Assignment Type: Onsite
Work Schedule: Night Job
Location of Job: US:NC:Raleigh
Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No
This position is employed by NC Health (Rex Healthcare, Inc., d/b/a NC Health), a private, fully-owned subsidiary of UNC Heath Care System. This is not a State employed position.
Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email applicant.accommodations@unchealth.unc.edu if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.