Assistant Unit Director RN, AICU-29709

Rush University Medical Center; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 113,000; Full time

Job summary

Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois is seeking an Assistant Unit Director RN (AUD) to serve as the clinical liaison and assistant business manager for a patient care unit. Under the unit director, the AUD implements initiatives to support the unit vision and manages systems that support patient care.

The role requires IL RN licensure, RN 2 level performance, leadership, a BSN or higher, and national certification within 12 months.

Qualifications

• Current State of Illinois RN licensure.
• RN level 2 proficiency or equivalent.
• Bachelor's degree in nursing or higher.
• National Certification within 12 months of hire.
• Ability to lead, teach and persuade others.
• Ability to work 24/7 on the unit.
• Experience with complex departmental systems.

Responsibilities

• Utilizes quality monitoring data to assess clinical processes.
• Facilitates unit quality initiatives and evidence-based activities.
• Leads change to adopt evidence-based practices.
• Provides leadership in unit/department process improvement.
• Ensures caring, therapeutic relationships with patients and families.
• Partners with peers and departments to achieve positive outcomes.
• Resolves conflicts to improve team relationships.
• Supports open communication and shared governance.
• Ensures accountability for honest interactions across disciplines.
• Advocates a climate that enhances patient and family experience.
• Mentors staff to develop clinical skills and critical thinking.

Skills

IL RN licensure

Leadership

Analytical ability

Communication skills

Electronic systems literacy

Team leadership

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in nursing

Graduate degree in nursing (preferred)

Tools

Electronic health records

Job description

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Business Unit: Rush Medical Center

Hospital: Rush University Medical Center

Department: AICU-Adult Intensive Care Unit

Work Type: Full Time (Total FTE between 0.9 and 1.0)

Shift: Shift 4

Work Schedule: 8 Hr (7:00:00 AM - 3:30:00 PM)

Rush offers exceptional rewards and benefits learn more at our Rush benefits page (https://www.rush.edu/rush-careers/employee-benefits).

Pay Range: $51.26 - $81.64 per hour

Rush salaries are determined by many factors including, but not limited to, education, job-related experience and skills, as well as internal equity and industry specific market data. The pay range for each role reflects Rush’s anticipated wage or salary reasonably expected to be offered for the position. Offers may vary depending on the circumstances of each case.

Summary

Under the guidance and direction of the unit director, the Assistant Unit Director RN (AUD) is the clinical liaison and assistant business manager of a specific patient care unit(s). In the absence of the unit director, the Assistant Unit Director RN is the RN Unit Director designee. The Assistant Unit Director Registered Nurse implements initiatives in support of the unit vision and manages human, operational and organizational systems that support patient care. Exemplifies the Rush mission, vision and values and acts in accordance with Rush policies and procedures.

Other Information

Required Job Qualifications:

• Current State of Illinois Registered Nurse licensure.
• Consistent proficient performance at the RN 2 level or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated progressive, proficient management and leadership skills.
• Earned nursing degree at the baccalaureate level or higher (except AUDs hired before 01/2013).
• National Certification required within twelve months of hire.
• Demonstrates analytical ability.
• Ability to use electronic business programs and technology
• Demonstrates the ability to work in complex departmental systems or programs.
• Communication skills are required in order to lead, teach and persuade others.
• Ability to interact effectively with others in difficult situations.
• Work requires 24/7 responsibility for activities of the unit.
• Work requires the ability to assume the charge nurse role.
• Work requires the ability to take a full patient assignment on clinical unit.
• The ability to check documents for errors, use a keyboard to enter or retrieve data, and closely examine specimen, images or reports.

Preferred Job Qualifications

• Graduate degree in nursing preferred or related field considered (except AUDs hired before 01/2013).

Physical Demands

• Lifting or carrying objects 30lbs. and lifting and positioning patients, with appropriate lift devices.
• Ability to walk throughout the Medical Center and to be standing or walking most of the designated shift.
• Work conditions include performing procedures where carelessness could result in injury or illness and/or contact with potentially infectious materials and/or strong chemical agents.

Responsibilities

• Utilizes quality monitoring data to assess the effectiveness of clinical processes.
• Facilitates unit quality initiatives, research and /or evidence based activities utilizing best current evidence.
• Champions the strategies for changing clinician and team behavior to encourage adoption of evidence based practices.
• Provides leadership in the design, implementation and evaluation of process improvement initiatives at the unit and department level.
• Ensures that the unit personnel establish a caring, therapeutic relationship with patients and families through effective communication, acknowledgement of patient/family perceptions of health and illness and mutual goal setting.
• Participates in developing constructive and strategic partnerships with peers, professional nurses, the University, other disciplines and departments to achieve positive clinical and service outcomes.
• Resolves conflict to continuously improve team relationships at the unit and department level.
• Supports a climate that fosters open communication, values differing points of view and promotes shared governance.
• Ensures accountability for honest and fair interactions with all constituents across disciplines.
• Advocates enhancing the climate that optimizes the patient and family experience through supportive interactions and staff education.
• Provides structured opportunities for reflection and review of complex patient situations to develop critical thinking skills of all unit personnel.
• Critically analyzes complex patient cases and effectively adapts the plan of care.
• Develops the clinical knowledge and skill of the staff related to strategies to maintain patient safety.
• Monitors and ensures compliance with the State Nurse Practice Act, State Board of Nursing Regulations, regulatory agency standards and the policies of the organization.
• Uses information technology to streamline and improve processes.
• Monitors and ensures nursing staff compliance with safety strategies (fall precautions, infection control, and suicide risk patient identification) to minimize risk.
• Collaborate with the CNS to identify staff learning needs and provides education to strengthen and develop professional nurses' critical thinking skills.
• Implements and monitors strategies and tactics related to the unit goals while ensuring sustainability.
• Fosters the implementation of initiatives to promote a healthy work environment.
• Leads innovations using principles of change and continues to reinforce change until positive outcomes are achieved.
• Assumes a leadership role in analytical problem solving of both clinical and nursing related issues.
• Functions as a mentor and coach to promote or enhance the development of unit staff.
• Influences behaviors through collaborative practice, conflict management, negotiation and effective use of dialogue
• Demonstrates accountability for own professional practice, including progress toward achievement of annual goals.
• Provides and invites ongoing performance feedback to peers to achieve positive clinical and service outcomes.
• Considers fiscal and budgetary implications in decision-making regarding practice and system modifications.
• Manages staff performance through recruitment, rewards, recognition, counseling and disciplinary action.
• Assumes the accountability of administrative management of the unit as delegated by the unit director.
• Supports the execution of fiscal accountability.

Rush is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.