Charge RN - West Des Moines Emergency Department

Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic; West Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic is seeking a Charge Nurse who provides shift leadership, ensures safe, efficient and compassionate patient care, and collaborates with the care team to optimize outcomes.

You will lead unit operations, coordinate staffing and resources, support onboarding, and act as liaison among nurses, physicians, and administration while guiding care through the EMR.

This role requires ADN, RN licensure in Iowa, BLS/ACLS, and 1–2 years of RN experience; BSN preferred.

Qualifications

• ADN required; BSN preferred.
• Minimum 12 months RN experience; 24 months preferred.
• Current Iowa RN license (MercyOne Genesis: IA or IL) and secondary license within 12 months.
• BLS and ACLS certifications required.
• Mandatory Reporter training within 3 months of hire.
• Strong critical thinking and math proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily operations of the unit, including staffing, workflow coordination, and resource allocation based on patient acuity and unit needs.
• Serve as the on-shift clinical leader and primary liaison between nurses, physicians, and administrative teams.
• Support onboarding, education, and development of staff and students.
• Provide direct patient care, including assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of nursing interventions.
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, safety protocols, Joint Commission standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Promote evidence-based practice, quality improvement initiatives, and consistent documentation standards.
• Conduct audits such as chart reviews, safety checks, incident follow-up, and nursing-sensitive quality indicators.
• Lead daily huddles, interdisciplinary rounding, patient-family communication, and care conferences.
• Partner with leadership on scheduling, hiring input, and HR-related matters.
• Act as a resource and role model for clinical practice, teamwork, and use of the electronic medical record.
• Facilitate smooth patient flow through admission, discharge, and transfer processes.
• Function independently with sound judgment, guided by the Nurse Practice Act and organizational policies.

Skills

Nursing leadership

RN - Registered Nurse

Critical thinking

Communication

EMR proficiency

Education

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) preferred

Tools

EMR systems

Computer literacy

Job description

Employment Type: Full time Shift: 12 Hour Night Shift

Description: The Charge Nurse is a registered nurse who provides shift leadership to ensure safe, effective, efficient, and compassionate care for patients. This role blends clinical expertise with operational oversight-supporting staff, coordinating resources, and fostering collaboration across the care team to achieve excellent patient outcomes and maintain a positive work environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily operations of the unit, including staffing, workflow coordination, and resource allocation based on patient acuity and unit needs.
• Serve as the on-shift clinical leader and primary liaison between nurses, physicians, and administrative teams.
• Support onboarding, education, and development of staff and students.
• Provide direct patient care, including assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of nursing interventions.
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, safety protocols, Joint Commission standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Promote evidence-based practice, quality improvement initiatives, and consistent documentation standards.
• Conduct and/or oversee audits such as chart reviews, safety checks, incident follow-up, and nursing-sensitive quality indicators.
• Lead daily huddles, interdisciplinary rounding, patient-family communication, and care conferences.
• Partner with leadership on scheduling, hiring input, and HR-related matters.
• Act as a resource and role model for clinical practice, teamwork, and use of the electronic medical record.
• Facilitate smooth patient flow through admission, discharge, and transfer processes.
• Function independently with sound judgment, guided by the Nurse Practice Act and organizational policies.

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) required; Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) preferred.
• Minimum 12 months of RN experience required; 24 months preferred.
• Current Iowa RN license (MercyOne Genesis: Iowa or Illinois RN license required at hire; secondary state license must be obtained within 12 months).
• American Heart Association BLS and ACLS certifications required.
• Completion of Mandatory Reporter—Child and/or Dependent Adult Abuse training within 3 months of hire.
• Strong critical thinking, high-level language skills, and intermediate-to-advanced math proficiency.
• Basic computer proficiency required.

Our Commitment Rooted in our Mission and Core Values, we honor the dignity of every person and recognize the unique perspectives, experiences, and talents each colleague brings. By finding common ground and embracing our differences, we grow stronger together and deliver more compassionate, person-centered care.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.

Trinity Health is one of the largest not-for-profit, faith-based health care systems in the nation. Together, we're 121,000 colleagues and nearly 36,500 physicians and clinicians caring for diverse communities across 27 states. Nationally recognized for care and experience, our system includes 101 hospitals, 126 continuing care locations, the second largest PACE program in the country, 136 urgent care locations, and many other health and well-being services. Based in Livonia, Michigan, in fiscal year 2023, we invested $1.5 billion in our communities through charity care and other community benefit programs.

For more information, visit http://www.trinity-health.org.

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