Assistant Nurse Manager- Preop Pacu

University of Maryland Medical System; Towson (MD); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Maryland Medical System in Towson seeks an Assistant Nurse Manager for the PREP PACU to support the Nurse Manager in clinical and operational leadership, advancing patient care, staffing, and case flow while fostering a culture of accountability and High Reliability Organization principles.

Key duties include daily unit management, collaboration with surgeons, anesthesia, and perioperative services; leading quality improvement, patient safety, and regulatory readiness;

Qualifications

• BSN required.
• RN license in Maryland.
• BLS certification required.
• Master's in Nursing or Healthcare Administration preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support daily clinical and operational management of the unit.
• Lead quality improvement, patient safety, and process improvements.
• Mentor and evaluate perioperative staff; oversee staffing and scheduling.
• Collaborate with surgeons, anesthesia, and other departments to optimize perioperative services.
• Ensure regulatory readiness and compliance with standards.

Skills

Leadership

Staff development

Operational management

Quality improvement

Patient safety

Lean / HRO

Education

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Job Description

The Assistant Nurse Manager (ANM) of the PREP PACU supports the Nurse Manager in the clinical, operational, and administrative leadership of perioperative services. This role serves as a visible, hands-on leader who promotes excellence in patient care, operational performance, staff development, and continuous improvement while fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and High Reliability Organization (HRO) principles.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the daily clinical and operational management of the unit, ensuring safe, efficient patient care, appropriate staffing, and optimal case flow.
• Serve as the Nurse Manager's designee, providing leadership coverage and representing the department during meetings, committees, and interdisciplinary initiatives as assigned.
• Collaborate with surgeons, anesthesia providers, Sterile Processing, Scheduling, PACU, Preoperative Services, and other departments to resolve operational issues and optimize perioperative services.
• Monitor daily operations, including staffing, room utilization, case progression, add-on cases, emergency procedures, equipment readiness, and resource allocation.
• Lead and support quality improvement, patient safety, infection prevention, and operational excellence initiatives using data to drive measurable improvements.
• Champion High Reliability Organization (HRO) principles by promoting transparency, accountability, teamwork, learning, and a strong culture of safety.
• Support regulatory readiness and ensure compliance with AORN standards, Joint Commission requirements, CMS regulations, and organizational policies.
• Participate in patient safety event investigations, root cause analyses, corrective action planning, and implementation of sustainable process improvements.
• Develop, mentor, coach, and evaluate perioperative staff while promoting professional growth, engagement, accountability, and succession planning.
• Partner with the Nurse Manager in performance management, employee relations, attendance management, corrective action, competency validation, and recognition initiatives.
• Assist with recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, orientation, retention, and leadership development of perioperative staff.
• Collaborate with educators, preceptors, and specialty leaders to support competency development, evidence-based practice, and continuous learning.
• Assist in workforce planning, scheduling, productivity management, call coverage, and equitable staff assignments while maintaining safe patient care.
• Support physician partnership by facilitating communication, addressing operational concerns, and enhancing collaboration between physicians and the perioperative team.
• Promote responsible stewardship of departmental resources, including staffing, equipment, supplies, instrumentation, and budget utilization.
• Lead or support implementation of new technologies, workflow redesign, Lean initiatives, and innovation projects that improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency.
• Conduct leadership rounding to identify opportunities, remove barriers, recognize excellence, and maintain open communication with staff and physicians.
• Perform other leadership responsibilities as assigned in support of departmental and organizational goals.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) required.
• Master's degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• Current Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of Maryland.
• Current BLS certification required.

Benefits

• Minimum of two (2) years of progressive leadership experience as a Charge Nurse, Team Lead, Clinical Coordinator, Assistant Nurse Manager, or equivalent leadership role is preferred.
• Experience managing multiple surgical specialties in a high-volume Operating Room environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading quality improvement, patient safety, infection prevention, and operational excellence initiatives.
• Experience implementing process improvements using Lean, High Reliability Organization (HRO), or other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience utilizing operational, financial, and quality metrics to improve departmental performance and patient outcomes.
• Experience supporting employee performance management, coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and leadership development.
• Demonstrated success leading teams through organizational change while maintaining high employee engagement and exceptional patient care.