MANAGER EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND MEDSURG - NIGHTS

DeKalb Health; Clarinda (IA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Clarinda Regional Health Center (CRHC) seeks a full-time Night Manager for Emergency Department & Med-Surg. This exempt leadership role requires on-call availability, plus weekend and holiday coverage to ensure safe, high-quality patient care.

The incumbent will supervise ED and Med-Surg operations during nights, coordinate staffing, support patient flow, and act as the on-site nursing leader when administration is unavailable.

Qualifications

• Education: ADN required; BSN preferred.
• RN licensed in Iowa or Compact State required.
• Minimum 2 years ER/ICU experience preferred.
• Administrative experience alongside clinical care preferred.
• Familiarity with regulatory guidelines for healthcare practice.
• Experience in a rural healthcare setting preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide overnight leadership for ED and Med-Surgical units during night shifts.
• Coordinate hospital operations and serve as on-site nursing leader when administration is not present.
• Develop and manage night-shift schedules per staffing plans and policies.
• Monitor patient flow, staffing, census, and operational barriers; escalate as needed.
• Assist with emergencies, rapid responses, and higher-level care coordination.
• Promote safety, quality, and adherence to standards across departments.
• Support quality program participation and routine department huddles.

Skills

Nursing leadership

Emergency Dept

Critical care

Operations management

On-call availability

Staff mentoring

Regulatory compliance

Rural healthcare

Education

ADN

BSN

Tools

Electronic Health Records (EHR)

Job description

• Employee Type FT Exempt

Description

Clarinda Regional Health Center (CRHC) is looking for a full-time (40 hours/week) Manager, Emergency Department & MedSurg – Nights. This is an exempt leadership position requiring on-call availability and holiday and weekend coverage as needed.

PRIMARY FUNCTION

Responsible for Advancing Exceptional Care by prioritizing Safety and Quality in every aspect of patient care. This role is committed to fulfilling essential duties that enhance patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and overall healthcare standards, ensuring all actions align with the philosophy, goals, and objectives of Clarinda Regional Health Center (CRHC). By maintaining the highest level of care, this position supports CRHC’s dedication to fostering a safe, compassionate, and high-quality healthcare environment for our patients and community.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and/or Experience

· Graduate from an accredited school of nursing, minimum Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) - Required

· Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) - Preferred

· Minimum 2 years emergency room and/or critical care experience – Preferred

· Administrative experience combined with clinical care background – Preferred

· Knowledge of current theoretical and operational care models – Preferred

· Experience with general patient population – Preferred

· Experience in a rural healthcare setting – Preferred

· Familiarity with regulatory guidelines – Preferred

· Licensed as a Registered Nurse in the State of Iowa or Compact State – Required

WORK SCHEDULE & SHIFT REQUIREMENTS:

The facility operates 24/7; however, work schedules may vary based on departmental needs to ensure the highest standard of patient care and operational efficiency. Flexibility will be expected.

• Additional leadership hours may be required when an urgent operational need cannot otherwise be resolved.
• On-call availability as needed.
• Weekend and Holiday rotation as needed.
• Position is classified as exempt and not eligible for overtime in accordance with labor laws.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORKING CONDITIONS:

This position involves a combination of physical activities necessary to perform essential job functions effectively. The employee should be able to:

• Sit, stand, and walk for varying lengths of time throughout the workday.
• Lift, push, pull, or carry light to moderate loads, with assistance available for heavier items.
• Use fine motor skills , including grasping, reaching, and handling equipment or materials as needed.
• Perform routine movements , such as typing, writing, or handling supplies.
• Bend, stoop, kneel, or crouch occasionally for job-related tasks.
• See and hear well enough to read documents, operate equipment, and communicate effectively.
• Work in a dynamic environment , adapting to occasional changes in pace or setting.

Reasonable accommodations will be considered to support individuals in performing essential job functions.

Summary

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

At CRHC, our core values—Compassion,Advancing,Relationships, andExceptional—are at the heart of everything we do. These values drive our commitment toAdvancing Exceptional Care, ensuring that we provide the highest quality care to our patients while supporting and empowering our team members. We believe in creating a compassionate environment where relationships are nurtured, collaboration is encouraged, and excellence is expected.

As a member of our team, you will embody these values in your daily work by:

· Compassion : Demonstrating empathy and kindness in every interaction, recognizing the unique needs of our patients and colleagues.

· Advancing : Embracing innovation, continuous learning, and striving for improvement in all aspects of patient care and team collaboration.

· Relationships : Building trust through open communication and teamwork, fostering a supportive atmosphere that prioritizes respect and understanding.

· Exceptional : Holding yourself to the highest standards, delivering superior care, and contributing to a culture of excellence that impacts both patients and colleagues.

Responsible for Advancing Exceptional Care by serving as the hospital’s on-site nursing and operational leader during assigned night shifts. The Night Manager assumes nurse responsibilities, provides primary oversight of Emergency Department and Medical-Surgical operations, and coordinates hospital-wide activities in the absence of hospital and departmental administration. The position supports safe staffing, patient flow, emergency response, interdepartmental coordination, and resolution or escalation of overnight operational concerns. The Night Manager is not routinely assigned a patient assignment but may provide temporary direct patient care or staffing assistance when necessary to address an emergency, unexpected staffing concern, increased patient-care needs, or another situation affecting safe hospital operations.

Provides overnight hospital leadership and operational oversight

• Acts as the designated on-site administrative and nursing leader during assigned overnight hours when hospital and departmental administration is not present.
• Coordinates hospital operations and serves as the primary on-site contact for staff, providers, patients, families, visitors, and external agencies.
• Maintains awareness of hospital census, patient status, staffing, bed capacity, high-risk situations, emergency activity, and operational barriers.
• Resolves routine overnight concerns within the authority of the role and promptly escalates serious, unusual, or unresolved concerns to the Administrator on Call (AOC), Chief Nursing Officer, provider, or appropriate department leader.
• Ensures significant events and items requiring follow-up are documented and communicated to the appropriate leader through the established overnight handoff process.

Functions as the charge nurse for Emergency Department and Medical-Surgical operations

• Provides primary clinical and operational oversight of the Emergency Department and Medical-Surgical Unit during the night shift.
• Does not routinely accept a patient assignment, allowing the Night Manager to maintain hospital-wide situational awareness and remain available to respond to urgent needs.
• Provides direct patient care only when necessary for an emergency, an unexpected staffing need, or safe continuation of hospital operations.
• Provides clinical guidance, prioritizes competing care needs, supports staff decision-making, and promotes adherence to standards of care, policies, procedures, competencies, and scopes of practice.
• Delegates and supervises patient-care activities based on patient needs, staff competency, licensure, and scope of practice.
• Initiates or assists with emergency care, rapid response, code response, transfers, and coordination of a higher level of care as needed.

Develops and manages Emergency Department and Medical-Surgical night-shift schedules

• Develops, posts, and maintains night-shift schedules for the Emergency Department and Medical-Surgical Unit in accordance with approved staffing plans, position requirements, competencies, budget expectations, and organizational policy.
• Reviews scheduled coverage for weekends, holidays, approved leave, education, orientation, and anticipated department needs; identifies coverage gaps and takes timely action to address them.
• Coordinates schedule changes, shift trades, low-census adjustments, and replacement coverage in collaboration with staff and department leaders.
• Maintains accurate scheduling records and communicates schedule changes promptly to affected employees and leaders.
• Escalates unresolved staffing shortages, patterns of attendance concern, or schedule issues that may affect patient safety or operations.

Coordinates staffing and patient flow

• Reviews real-time staffing in relation to census, acuity, patient needs, admissions, transfers, and anticipated workload; adjusts assignments and deploys available resources using approved staffing plans and policies.
• Coordinates admissions, discharges, transfers, bed placement, and movement of patients between departments to support safe and efficient patient flow.
• Initiates approved processes to address unplanned absences or urgent staffing needs and escalates staffing concerns that cannot be safely resolved.
• Collaborates with providers, nursing staff, EMS, referral centers, and support departments regarding patient placement and transfer needs.

Coordinates resolution of overnight interdepartmental issues

• Serves as the leadership resource for overnight concerns involving laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, respiratory therapy, facilities, environmental services, registration, security, information technology, and other departments.
• Assesses the issue, initiates established call lists or downtime and contingency procedures, coordinates available resources, and escalates concerns when patient care or hospital operations may be affected.
• Communicates unresolved operational issues to the appropriate department leader before the end of the shift.

Promotes effective communication, service recovery, and staff support

• Uses clear, respectful, and timely communication, including SBAR when appropriate, with staff, providers, patients, families, and leaders.
• Serves as the first leadership contact for overnight patients, family, visitor, or staff concerns and provides immediate service recovery within the authority of the role.
• Provides real-time coaching, clarification, and support; documents and forwards significant performance or conduct concerns to the employee’s department manager and Human Resources as appropriate.
• Models professional composure, sound judgment, confidentiality, teamwork, accountability, and respectful collaboration across departments.

Supports patient and employee safety and regulatory compliance

• Takes immediate action to mitigate identified patient, employee, visitor, security, or operational risks.
• Reports adverse events, near misses, medication events, workplace injuries, complaints, and other safety concerns through established processes.
• Notifies the AOC promptly of significant patient-safety events, potentially reportable events, diversion or capacity concerns, unresolved staffing risks, security threats, major equipment or utility failures, emergency-management activation, significant complaints, or other events requiring administrative involvement.
• Supports compliance with EMTALA, emergency preparedness, infection prevention, medication safety, privacy and confidentiality, workplace safety, and applicable CRHC policies and regulatory requirements.
• Maintains accurate, timely, and complete clinical, staffing, scheduling, and operational documentation.

Quality Program Participation

• Actively participates in CRHC’s Quality Program, committees, performance improvement initiatives, and operational support activities.
• Demonstrates a commitment to Quality Improvement (QI) practices.
• Regularly attends Department huddles.
• Completes tasks as outlined on the Department Huddle Board.

Other Responsibilities

• Performs additional duties as assigned to support the strategic initiatives of CRHC.