New Graduate RN - Acute Care Surgery - Rotating

VCU Health • Richmond, VA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Acute Care Surgical Services is a 28-bed inpatient unit recognized with an AACN Silver Beacon Award and as a Center of Bariatric Excellence. The unit provides care for Surgical Oncology, Plastic Surgery, Microsurgery, Bariatric Surgery, Colo-Rectal Surgery, and Urology patients. It includes general and progressive levels of care and treats a broad range of surgical conditions, including critically ill and injured patients. VCU Medical Center is the region’s only Level I Trauma Center verified by the State of Virginia and the American College of Surgeons for adult, pediatric, and burn trauma. The team supports professional growth through clinical ladder advancement, certification, and education.

The Clinical Nurse provides direct, age-specific care and accurately documents care in accordance with medical orders and an integrated multidisciplinary plan. Responsibilities include supporting illness and injury prevention, wellness, and comfort; safely administering prescribed medications and identifying incompatibilities or interactions; and providing direction and education. Clinical Nurse responsibilities vary by level: Clinical Nurse I integrates technical skills and theoretical knowledge and begins acquiring unit-level leadership skills; Clinical Nurse II demonstrates mastery of clinical skills, recognizes changes in patient situations, intervenes appropriately, mobilizes resources for patients and families, and assumes unit-level leadership responsibilities; Clinical Nurse III demonstrates unit-level clinical knowledge, anticipates changes and intervenes, and serves as a clinical role model.

Nurses work all three shifts, weekends, and holidays. Individual rotations and schedules are established with the Nurse Manager or Practice Manager and may be adjusted to meet unit requirements. Practice follows provider orders, Virginia nursing regulations, the ANA Code of Ethics, national nursing practice standards, and VCU Health System policies and procedures.

Requirements

• Current RN licensure in Virginia, or eligibility for Virginia licensure or licensure in a compact state.
• For continued employment: current RN licensure in Virginia and AHA BLS HCP certification or equivalent.
• Diploma or associate degree from a professional nursing program recognized or approved by the corresponding state Board of Nursing.
• RNs without a bachelor's degree in nursing or higher must enroll in an approved RN-to-BSN program within two years of their start date and complete it within five years, unless grandfathered under previous requirements.
• Clinical Nurse II: 12 to 24 months of RN experience.
• Clinical Nurse III: 3 years of clinical experience.
• Ability to work all three shifts, weekends, and holidays; schedules and rotations may be adjusted to meet unit requirements.
• Physical capacity for lifting 20–50 lbs, prolonged standing and sitting, frequent bending, walking, climbing, and reaching.
• Ability to handle exposure to potentially hazardous and infectious substances.
• Strong recall, reasoning, problem-solving, hearing, clear speech, legible writing, reading, and logical thinking.
• Ability to work in a fast- or steady-paced, noisy environment, manage multiple priorities, and handle frequent and intense customer interactions.

Nice To Haves

• Clinical Nurse I: Experience as an LPN, nursing assistant, or care partner in an acute care setting or as applicable to the area of practice.
• Clinical Nurse II and III: Academic health care experience.
• Clinical Nurse II and III: Experience with a similar patient population in an acute care setting or as applicable to the area of practice.
• Completion of a bachelor's degree in nursing or higher from an accredited program.
• Clinical Nurse III: Certification in a specialty area.

Responsibilities

• Deliver and accurately document direct, age-specific patient care based on medical orders and an integrated multidisciplinary plan of care.
• Support prevention of illness and injury, maintenance of wellness, and provision of comfort.
• Safely administer prescribed medications and identify incompatibilities or interactions.
• Provide direction and education to patients, families, and members of the health care team.
• Recognize or anticipate changes in patient situations and intervene appropriately, according to clinical level.
• Mobilize resources to meet individualized patient and family needs.
• Organize work and delegate and supervise assignments carried out by RNs, LPNs, care partners, unit secretaries, and others.
• Practice in accordance with provider orders, Virginia nursing regulations, the ANA Code of Ethics, national nursing standards, and VCU Health System policies and procedures.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree