Director Medical Surgical Services

Overview

Why Join University Hospital?

At University Hospital, you're more than an employee—you're part of a mission-driven team dedicated to delivering exceptional patient care, advancing medical education, and shaping the future of healthcare. As New Jersey's only state-owned academic medical center and the principal teaching hospital for Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, you'll work alongside nationally recognized physicians, nurses, and healthcare professionals in a collaborative, innovative environment. Founded in 1882, University Hospital is a 519-bed, Level I Trauma Center and regional leader in emergency, trauma, critical care, and specialized services. Our nationally recognized programs include liver transplantation, cardiology, neurosurgery, stroke care, orthopedics, oncology and palliative care, and infectious diseases, providing team members with opportunities to gain experience across a broad range of complex patient populations. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in our Magnet / Pathway Journey and American Heart Association Gold Plus Achievement Awards for Heart Failure and Stroke. We are dedicated to investing in our employees through professional development, continuous learning, and a culture that values teamwork, compassion, diversity, and innovation.

Overview

University Hospital is seeking an experienced and visionary nursing leader to serve as Director, Patient Care Services (PCS) – Medical Surgical Services. This leadership position is responsible for advancing a patient- and family-centered care delivery model that is clinically safe, operationally effective, financially responsible, and adaptability to the changing healthcare environment. As a key member of the hospital's management team, the Director serves as strategic leader and change agent, fostering innovation, collaboration, and continuous quality improvement throughout Medical Surgical Services. Working in close partnership with the designated Physician Leaders, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, enhances clinical excellence, and supports organizational goals through exceptional leadership, staff development, and evidence-based practice.Provides strategic, clinical, operational, and fiscal leadership while mentoring nursing leaders to build high-performing teams that consistently deliver outstanding patient outcomes and an exceptional patient experience.

Responsibilities

• Key Responsibilities

  • Provide strategic and operational leadership for Medical Surgical Services.
  • Lead initiatives that improve patient safety, quality outcomes, patient experience, and operational efficiency.
  • Promote a culture of patient- and family-centered care, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
  • Partner closely with physician leadership and interdisciplinary teams to achieve clinical, operational, and organizational objectives.
  • Mentor, coach, and develop nurse managers and frontline leaders to strengthen leadership capabilities and staff engagement.
  • Lead change management initiatives and implement innovative care delivery models.
  • Ensure compliance with regulatory, accreditation, and organizational standards.
  • Utilize performance metrics and data analytics to drive quality improvement and operational excellence.
  • Foster an environment of professional development, teamwork, accountability, and shared governance.

  Regulatory and Quality Leadership

  The Director maintains comprehensive knowledge of and ensures compliance with:

  • The Joint Commission standards
  • Joint Commission Sentinel Event requirements and Action Plans
  • National Patient Safety Goals
  • New Jersey Department of Health regulations
  • Patient Bill of Rights
  • University Hospital policies and procedures
  • Patient- and Family-Centered Care principles
  • Quality improvement and patient safety best practices

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Current Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of New Jersey.
• Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) required.
• Master's degree in Nursing required, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) preferred.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible clinical and administrative nursing leadership experience.
• Minimum of three (3) years of management experience within Medical Surgical Services.
• Experience in a large academic medical center or complex healthcare organization preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage complex healthcare operations.
• Strong leadership, communication, collaboration, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to lead organizational change, improve clinical outcomes, and optimize operational performance.
• Experience with process redesign, Lean, Six Sigma, or other quality improvement methodologies is highly desirable.
• Certification in Quality Improvement techniques is preferred.