Registered Nurse - Surgical CVICU

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:  Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization:

CVICU Cohort 70

Job Summary:

Applies the nursing process to plan and implement the care of patients, including patient and family education and continuum of care planning. Effectively communicates pertinent patient/family information to the health care team. Collaborates in establishing patient goals and evaluates progress to ensure effective outcomes. Furthers professional growth by engaging in learning activities according to the Board of Nursing standards.

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Surgical CVICU (5 North / Moving to 6 Critical Care Tower on March 2026)

Full-Time, Night Shift: 7p–7a

Join a high-acuity Surgical Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit caring for critically ill adult patients following complex cardiac and thoracic surgical procedures, including heart and lung transplant populations.

Patient Population Includes:

• Post-cardiac surgery (CABG, valve, aortic, etc.)
• Heart & lung transplant recipients
• Busy heart transplant transitions
• Patients requiring advanced mechanical circulatory and renal support

Why Join Surgical CVICU?

• High-Acuity Surgical Critical Care: Care for complex post-operative cardiac and thoracic surgery patients
• Team-Centered Culture: All-hands-on-deck, collaborative, and supportive environment
• Growth & Development: Opportunities for committees, leadership pathways, and specialty training
• Meaningful Work: Long-term patient relationships and complex care coordination

Preferred Experience:

• ICU experience preferred
• Stepdown or high-acuity acute care experience considered
• Strong interest in cardiovascular and surgical critical care

Learn more about the unit:

https://www.vumc.org/vanderbilt-nursing/surgical-cardiovascular-intensive-care-unit-cvicu-5-north-vuh-moving-march-2026-6cct

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborates in establishing the plan of care, coordinates and implements care delivery while anticipating patient care needs across the continuum.
• Analyzes comprehensive information pertinent to the patient's care and management to determine nursing diagnosis.
• Continually utilizes the nursing process to evaluate patient's progress towards goals and applies appropriate interventions to ensure effective outcomes.
• Employs strategies to promote health and a safe and healthy environment.
• The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

• Care Planning (Novice): Demonstrates ability to anticipate resource needs, identify distinct tasks, set priorities, schedule activities, meet deadlines, and organize work within areas of direct responsibility. Competently handles multiple assignments often simultaneously by prioritizing work into manageable and measurable units. Ability to adapt to changes to patient care and area needs with minimal disruption and loss of productivity. Follows up to assure problems and issues are resolved.
• Nursing Patient Education (Novice): Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency in providing patient education in practical applications of moderate difficulty.
• Nursing Patient Assessment & Evaluation (Novice): Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency to successfully demonstrate the ability to assess and evaluate patients in practical applications of moderate difficulty. Conducts primary care patient interviews and physical examinations. Demonstrates sufficient acumen to recognize problems, ask questions and to contact the patient's primary care provider and other members of the healthcare team. Has experience in gathering pertinent clinical data that aid in referral, treatment, or other primary care pathways.
• Evidence-Based Practice (Novice): Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency to successfully search for evidence to answer clinical questions. Generally works under the direction of others while accomplishing assignments.

Our Nursing Philosophy:  

We believe highly skilled and specialized nursing care is essential to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s mission of quality in patient care, education and research. We believe nursing is an applied art and science focused on helping people, families and communities reach excellent health and well-being. 

As a Vanderbilt University Medical Center employee, you make a difference to our patients and their families by bringing compassion and care to those in need of hope and healing. Please see our current employee benefits offered:

• Affordable High Quality Health Plan Options
• Dental and /or vision plan
• 403 (b) retirement plan
• Paid Time off (flex PTO)
• Tuition Reimbursement and adoption assistance (maximums applied)
• Short-Long term disability
• Subsidized backup childcare
• And many more...Ask us about our current inpatient nursing supplemental Pay Program!

Achieve the Remarkable: 

Learn more about VUMC Nursing here.

Core Accountabilities:

Organizational Impact: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment. Breadth of Knowledge: Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area. Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues:- Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.- Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services:- Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.- Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.- Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.- Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.- Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation:- Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.- Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.- Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications:

LIC-Registered Nurse - Licensure-Others

Work Experience:

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level:

1 year

Education:

Graduate of an approved discipline specific program

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity.  EOE/Vets/Disabled.