Unit Director, Neurological Intensive Care Unit
About The Position
The Unit Director (Nurse Manager) is responsible for the 24-hour planning, organization, direction, and control of operations for the Neurological Intensive Care Unit (Neuro ICU), including support of the Rapid Transfer Unit (RTU). Reporting to the Patient Care Director, the Unit Director provides clinical leadership and nursing practice oversight, ensures high-quality, safe, and cost-effective patient care, and serves as a role model for professional nursing practice. The position oversees personnel, fiscal, and material resources, including approximately 140 staff and a $20 million operating budget. Direct reports include Assistant Unit Directors, clinical nurses, and support staff. The Director ensures regulatory compliance and accreditation, including adherence to The Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center requirements, and develops departmental policies, procedures, and auditing processes. The role leads recruitment, performance management, staff development, succession planning, staffing, patient flow, productivity, and supply management. It promotes teamwork, open communication, engagement, and shared governance, and partners with Labor Relations and Human Resources on employee and contract issues. The Director leads evidence-based quality improvement in patient outcomes, patient experience, and cost savings, and partners with IT on patient care information systems. The role also collaborates with physician leadership and interprofessional teams to expand neuroscience critical care services, rapid transfer capacity, and research, and coordinates care across services and patient populations. The Neuro ICU is a large, specialized, fast-paced unit providing care to critically ill adults with complex neurological disorders and patients undergoing complex procedures, interventions, and research treatment modalities. It uses advanced neurological monitoring and innovative interventions and supports time-sensitive transfers through the Rapid Transfer Unit. The unit emphasizes individualized, evidence-based care involving patients and families, professional growth and development, advanced neuro classes and conferences, quality improvement, research, and community collaboration.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree or master's degree in nursing.
- Progressive and recent nursing administration and leadership experience in an Intensive Care Unit at an academic medical center, at assistant nurse manager level or above, within the last five years.
- Registered Nurse license in the State of California.
- Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the American Heart Association.
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification from the American Heart Association.
- Strong hospital management experience and progressive, in-depth expertise in patient care services.
- Knowledge of hospital or clinic operations in a hospital or medical center setting and of appropriate professional standards for the department and team.
- Strong knowledge of relevant regulatory requirements and related legislative, accreditation, licensing, and compliance environments.
- Strong knowledge of relevant healthcare information technology and patient care workflows and processes.
- Flexibility to work at all UCSF locations as needed.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to foster effective communication and collaborative decision-making across units and disciplines.
- Excellent leadership, fiscal, and operations management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with physicians, management, and staff across disciplines.
- Ability to create and maintain a goal-oriented climate of teamwork and collaboration.
Nice To Haves
- Master's degree in nursing or a relevant area.
- ANCC RN specialty certification in Nurse Executive or Nurse Executive-Advanced.
- AACN RN Specialty Certification in Critical Care Nursing (CCRN).
Responsibilities
- Plan, organize, direct, and control Neuro ICU operations on a 24-hour basis, including support of the Rapid Transfer Unit.
- Ensure quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness of patient care and provide clinical leadership and nursing practice oversight.
- Ensure compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards, including The Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center requirements; develop policies, procedures, and auditing processes.
- Foster teamwork, open communication, engagement, shared governance, and a shared voice in nursing practice.
- Lead recruitment, performance management, progressive discipline, staff development, and succession planning; mentor Assistant Unit Directors and nurse leaders.
- Manage staffing, patient flow, productivity, supplies, personnel, fiscal, and material resources within budgetary specifications.
- Partner with Labor Relations and Human Resources on employee, contract, bargaining unit, and related issues.
- Lead evidence-based quality improvement in patient outcomes, patient experience, and cost savings.
- Represent nursing units on interdisciplinary committees and address patient satisfaction, quality improvement, workflow efficiency, and clinical information systems.
- Collaborate with IT managers to develop and implement patient care information systems.
- Coordinate resource needs, review and approve budget recommendations, and prepare and review budget variance analyses.
- Collaborate with physician leadership and interprofessional teams to enhance neuroscience critical care services, rapid transfer capacity, and research.
- Partner with leaders across services to coordinate care for all patient populations.
- Advise senior leaders on administrative and nursing issues, unit needs, and their resolution.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
