Serves as a frontline operational leader with direct accountability for shift-level operations and team performance. Partners with the Nurse Manager to ensure operational excellence, staff engagement, and patient outcomes for an assigned operational area. Supports and ensures the delivery of high-quality patient care aligned with the organizations strategic goals. Collaborates and manages clinical operations, ensures regulatory compliance, and fosters a culture of safety, professionalism, and continuous improvement. Supports staff development, evidence-based practices, and maintains clinical competency to provide direct care when needed. Completes onboarding, performance management, and succession planning, while furthering multidisciplinary initiatives and organizational projects.

Functions as a key driver of culture, safety, and innovation. This role is designed as a leadership pathway position, preparing high-performing clinical leaders for future leadership opportunities.

Principal Responsibilities and Tasks:

• Assumes delegated operational accountability for clinical performance, staffing, quality outcomes, patient experience, and team engagement in partnership with the Nurse Manager. Engages in the delivery of high-quality, patient- and family-centered care. Participates in rounding, provides real-time feedback and service recovery, monitors safety and quality metrics, and communicates performance outcomes to team members and providers to drive continuous improvement. Escalates quality, safety, and experience concerns as needed and resolves issues as able.
• Accountable for unit-level performance metrics, including quality indicators, safety outcomes, patient experience, workforce engagement, productivity, and throughput. Collaborates with providers, interdisciplinary partners, and unit team members to set goals and improve patient care in conjunction with the leader.
• Utilizes engagement data, turnover trends, and retention metrics to proactively address workforce challenges and develop unit-based improvement strategies.
• Controls onboarding, orientation, and competency validation for new and existing team members, ensuring readiness and professional growth.
• Develops emerging leaders through mentoring, coaching, and structured succession planning.
• Enforces regulatory standards and supports ongoing compliance efforts. Collaborates with leadership and team members to implement and sustain processes that promote survey readiness and adherence to accreditation and regulatory requirements.
• Monitors staffing plans, productivity, overtime utilization, and supply expense trends; collaborates with the Nurse Manager to meet budgetary targets while maintaining safe care delivery. Fosters a healthy, inclusive work environment. Supports retention initiatives, valuing diversity and encouraging innovation. Builds relationships, promotes open communication, and creates a culture that supports collaboration, creativity, and continuous improvement. Provides coaching and feedback, addresses performance issues, and supports peer review processes.
• Promotes shared governance and team member involvement in decision-making and unit operations.
• Supports innovation and evidence-based practice by staying current with healthcare delivery advancements. Incorporates research findings into clinical practice, disseminates relevant literature, and champions team member-generated innovations and multidisciplinary research at the unit level.
• Maintains individual clinical competency to support direct patient care when needed and role-model best practices.
• Translates organizational goals and values into unit-level strategies, aligning team efforts with the organizations mission and vision. Implements principles of a High Reliability Organization and performance improvement strategies, using data to guide change, mentor team members, and improve outcomes.
• Demonstrates and models High Reliability behaviors.
• Ensures patient safety in the performance of job functions and through participation in hospital, department, or unit patient safety initiatives. Takes action to correct observed risks to patient and team member safety. Reports adverse events and near misses to appropriate management authority. Identifies possible risks in processes, procedures, devices and communicates the same to those in charge. Escalates safety concerns expediently when necessary and shares learning from safety concerns and events.
• Performs all other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the patient population(s) served.
• Knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and ability to assess data reflective of the patient's requirements relative to his or her population-specific and age-specific needs.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated effectiveness as a group leader and participant.
• Ability to collaborate with multiple members of the health care and administrative leadership team.
• Ability to think critically, develop conceptual designs for clinical services and plans, and organize successful projects.

Minimum Education, Experience, and License/Certifications:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing required. If bachelors degree is not in nursing, graduate degree must be in nursing.
• Master of Science in Nursing preferred
• Licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Maryland or eligibility for licensure due to compact state agreements outlined through the Maryland Board of Nursing.
• Three (3) years of previous clinical experience required.
• Advanced certification (e.g., NE-BC, CEN, PCCN, etc.) required. Incumbents must obtain advanced certification within three (3) years of assuming the position.
• ACLS, BLS, and/or other certifications to match patient populations served.

All of your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Compensation:

Full-Time; Rotating; Evenings, Nights, Weekend Days

Pay Range: $49.35-$74.05/hr. (Exempt)

Other Compensation (if applicable): NA

Review the 2025-2026 UMMS Benefits Guide

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