Registered Nurse (RN), Transplant Coordinator, Heart, Full Time, First Shift

UC Health•Cincinnati, OH

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

This Heart Transplant RN Coordinator is a hybrid clinical and regulatory role within a high-performing transplant program. In this position, the coordinator will manage patient care across the transplant continuum, including evaluation, waitlist management, transplant coordination, and post-transplant follow-up. The role partners closely with physicians and multidisciplinary teams to ensure seamless communication, patient education, and continuity of care for heart transplant candidates and recipients. In addition to clinical responsibilities, this role plays a key part in supporting regulatory compliance and audit readiness, ensuring alignment with standards from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, United Network for Organ Sharing, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This includes maintaining accurate documentation, supporting process consistency, and contributing to ongoing quality and performance improvement efforts within the transplant program. The RN Transplant Coordinator is a licensed professional nurse responsible for managing and coordinating all aspects of care for solid organ transplant patients and living donor candidates across the continuum—from referral and evaluation through waitlist management, inpatient care, surgery, and post-transplant/post-donation follow-up. The coordinator ensures patient-centered, regulatory-compliant, and efficient delivery of care by serving as a central liaison among patients, living donors, families, referring providers, and the multidisciplinary transplant team. Coordinators are assigned a focus area (Pre-Transplant, Waitlist, Post-Transplant, Inpatient, Outreach, or Living Donor) while maintaining accountability to the broader transplant program’s quality goals and compliance standards (UNOS/OPTN, CMS, Joint Commission, and institutional policies). This role supports high-quality, safe, and ethical care for both transplant recipients and living donor candidates.

Requirements

Associate degree.
Current RN license in the State of Ohio.
A minimum of three to five years of clinical nursing experience required, with at least three years in transplant, nephrology, hepatology, critical care, or complex medical-surgical nursing preferred.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's Degree.
ACLS preferred.

Responsibilities

Engages in population appropriate communication.
Has knowledge of growth and development milestones and tasks.
Gives clear instructions to patients/family regarding treatment.
Involves family/guardian in the assessment, initial treatment and continuing care of the patient.
Identifies any physical limitations of the patient and deploys intervention when necessary.
Recognizes and responds appropriately to patients/families with behavioral health problems.
Interprets population related data and plans care appropriately.
Identifies and responds appropriately to different needs resulting from unique psychological needs or those associated with religious / cultural norms.
Performs treatments, administers medication or operates equipment safely.
Recognizes and responds to signs/symptoms of abuse or neglect.
Coordinate and manage patient care activities across the transplant continuum (evaluation, waitlist, inpatient, and post-transplant).
Attend and participate in weekly transplant clinics to assess patients in person, manage complex medical needs, and collaborate with providers in real time.
Perform and interpret clinical assessments, review test results, and escalate abnormal findings to the provider.
Monitor for complications, support ongoing medical management, and reinforce treatment adherence.
Facilitate patient-centered, evidence-based care that aligns with program protocols and regulatory standards.
Serve as a central liaison among transplant recipients, living donors, families, surgeons, physicians, APPs, pharmacists, behavioral health specialists, social workers, and other healthcare professionals.
Communicate care plans, testing needs, and clinical updates across inpatient and outpatient settings and ensure seamless transitions throughout the transplant and donation processes.
Present cases, evaluation findings, and updates during weekly multidisciplinary meetings and selection committees.
Collaborate with the HLA laboratory on crossmatching, donor preselects, match reviews, and NKR-related logistics.
Facilitate clear communication regarding candidacy, closure of referrals, and evaluation outcomes with transparency and consistency.
Promote continuity, safety, and consistency of care across all phases of transplantation and living donation.
Provide individualized and group education regarding the transplant process, testing, surgery, medications, and long-term expectations.
Facilitate informed consent discussions and reinforce patient and caregiver understanding.
Support education on medication adherence, infection prevention, and self-management strategies.
Assist in developing educational materials and participate in community or outreach education efforts as assigned.
Maintain accurate and timely documentation in the EMR and transplant databases (UNOS, Phoenix, SpectraPath, NKR, etc.).
Ensure compliance with institutional, CMS, and UNOS requirements for data accuracy, timeliness, and completeness.
Participate in audits, data validation, and chart reviews to maintain readiness for regulatory inspections.
Collaborate with quality and data teams to ensure appropriate reporting of clinical outcomes and key performance indicators.
Identify opportunities for process improvement and contribute to quality initiatives within the transplant program.
Report and track patient safety events, readmissions, and adverse outcomes.
Support root cause analysis, process corrective action plans, and QAPI documentation.
Promote adherence to program protocols and assist in development and revision of clinical policies and pathways.
Maintain current transplant and donor specific knowledge through continuing education and professional development.
Attend required meetings, including selection committee, morbidity & mortality, and program quality reviews.
Support program coverage needs across coordinator roles as necessary.
Participate in departmental and institutional initiatives that enhance program growth, efficiency, and excellence.