Assistant Nurse Manager – Medical Surgical – General Surgery/Orthopedic Unit (5 North)

Howard University Hospital•Washington, DC

22h•$84,680 - $135,488•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Nurse Manager (ANM) – Medical Surgical – General Surgery/Orthopedic Unit (5 North) is a dedicated Night Shift Leadership role supporting clinical and operational oversight within a high-volume surgical and orthopedic medical-surgical environment. This role partners with the Nurse Manager to ensure the safe and effective delivery of patient-centered care for post-operative surgical and orthopedic patients. As the primary nursing leadership presence during night operations, the ANM supports complex post-surgical recovery, orthopedic care management, interdisciplinary coordination, and adherence to evidence-based medical-surgical practice standards. This role ensures staffing optimization, regulatory compliance, and operational stability within the unit. In the absence of the Nurse Manager, the ANM serves in a leadership capacity to ensure continuity of care, staff accountability, and execution of safe and effective patient-centered care.

Requirements

Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing preferred; must obtain BSN within three (3) years of assuming ANM position if not already obtained.
Current, active Registered Nurse (RN) license in the District of Columbia.
Minimum two (2) years clinical experience in Medical-Surgical, Surgical, Orthopedic, or related specialty preferred.
Experience with post-operative recovery, pain management, orthopedic mobility protocols, and discharge coordination strongly preferred.
Minimum one (1) year supervisory or leadership experience required.
Current BLS certification required.
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification preferred.
National specialty certification (e.g., CMSRN or orthopedic/surgical-related certification) within one (1) year of hire.
Strong knowledge of patient throughput management, interdisciplinary coordination, and patient safety standards.
Demonstrated leadership, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution skills.

Responsibilities

Provide onsite night shift leadership and oversight for 5 North operations.
Align staffing and assignments to patient acuity, surgical volume, and orthopedic recovery demands.
Supervise, coach, and mentor nursing staff; assist with performance evaluations and improvement plans.
Support recruitment, interviewing, and onboarding of medical-surgical nursing staff.
Ensure compliance with regulatory standards and professional practice guidelines.
Promote evidence-based post-operative and orthopedic nursing practice.
Support quality initiatives related to fall prevention, surgical site infection prevention, pain management, mobility protocols, and patient throughput.
Collaborate with surgeons, orthopedic specialists, hospitalists, case management, physical therapy, pharmacy, and ancillary teams to coordinate safe discharge planning and rehabilitation planning.
Address operational or clinical issues that may impact safe patient care in real time.
Report and escalate significant events such as near misses, adverse events, patient/family complaints, and any situation affecting safe delivery of care in a timely manner.