Registered Nurse (RN) - Charge Nurse Lead Post Surgical

Aurora Health Care Metro, Inc.; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Aurora Health Care Metro, Inc. is seeking an experienced Charge Nurse with strong leadership to oversee a nursing unit. You will ensure efficient shift operations, coordinate patient care, and guide staff in accordance with standards and policies.

The role requires a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, an active RN license, and BLS certification, with about five years of nursing experience. You will mentor teammates, drive quality improvements, and advocate for patients while managing resources.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in nursing is required.
• Registered Nurse license is required.
• BLS certification required.
• Typically 5 years of nursing experience.
• Strong leadership and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Ensure nursing unit operates efficiently during shift while meeting patient care needs and complying with policies and regulations.
• Foster collaboration and effective communication among healthcare professionals to coordinate patient care.
• Provide clinical oversight and guidance to nursing staff, supporting decision-making, interventions, and documentation.
• Promote professional growth through coaching, mentoring, and educational opportunities within the nursing team.
• Lead continuous quality improvement efforts to optimize patient care delivery and outcomes.
• Cultivate a culture of innovation and excellence to maintain high standards of care.
• Ensure clear, timely communication among staff with accurate information flow.
• Encourage a collaborative environment where concerns are addressed and teamwork is encouraged to optimize patient care delivery.
• Oversee efficient resource use—staffing, equipment, and supplies—while monitoring utilization and identifying optimization opportunities.
• Coordinate emergency response and crisis management for the unit in real time.
• Advocate for patients and families, ensuring their voices and rights are respected throughout care.
• Ensure adherence to the organization’s Code of Ethical Conduct and applicable laws and policies.
• Demonstrate age-specific knowledge to provide appropriate care and supervise staff accordingly.

Skills

Charge nurse experience

Leadership

Communication

Critical thinking

Coaching

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in nursing

Job description

Major Responsibilities

• Demonstrates operational accountability by ensuring that the nursing unit operates efficiently and effectively during their shift to meet patient care needs while adhering to organizational policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Facilitates collaboration among healthcare professionals, ensuring effective communication and coordination of patient care to achieve optimal outcomes.
• Provides clinical oversight and guidance to nursing staff, ensuring that patient care meets established standards and protocols. Leverage expertise to support staff in decision-making, interventions, and documentation, fostering a culture of excellence in clinical practice within the nursing unit.
• Responsible for fostering the professional growth of nursing staff by providing coaching, mentoring, and educational opportunities. They support colleagues in enhancing their skills, knowledge, and confidence, promoting a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the nursing team.
• Oversees continuous quality improvement within the nursing unit by supporting identified areas for enhancement, implementation of changes, and supports leadership in evaluating outcomes to optimize patient care delivery.
• Fosters a culture of innovation and excellence to ensure the highest standards of care are maintained.
• Responsible for facilitating clear and effective communication among nursing staff, ensuring that important information is relayed promptly and accurately.
• Promotes a collaborative environment where concerns are addressed, updates are provided, and teamwork is encouraged to optimize patient care delivery.
• Accountable for efficient resource utilization within the nursing unit, ensuring that staffing, equipment, and supplies are allocated effectively to meet patient care needs. They monitor resource availability and communicate identified areas for optimization.
• Skilled at coordinating emergency response and crisis management within the nursing unit in the moment. Prepared to handle urgent situations effectively.
• Advocates for patients and their families by ensuring their voices are heard, their concerns are addressed, and their rights are respected throughout their healthcare journey. Serve as a liaison between patients, families, and healthcare providers, advocating for individualized care that aligns with their preferences, needs, and values.
• Responsible for understanding and adhering to the organization's Code of Ethical Conduct and for ensuring that personal actions, and the actions of employees supervised, comply with the policies, regulations and laws applicable to the organization's business.
• Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs, and to provide the care needed as described in the department's policies and procedures. Age-specific information is developed further in the departmental job standards.

Licensure, Registration, and/or Certification Required

• Registered Nurse license issued by the state in which the teammate practices, and
• Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) needs to be obtained within 6 months unless department leader has determined it is not required.

Education Required

• Bachelor's degree in nursing.

Experience Required

• Typically requires 5 years of nursing experience.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required

• Charge nurse experience preferred.
• Strong clinical skills.
• Ability to lead in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively and work cohesively in groups.
• Utilize critical thinking and timely decision making.
• Ability to assess skills and abilities of others.
• Ability to coach in the moment and provide service recovery.
• Ability to provide effective leader rounding.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Ability to work within a rapid changing environment.
• Ability to work collaboratively with internal/external customers.
• Ability to demonstrate a commitment to patient-focused care.
• Ability to prioritize independently and respond to multiple simultaneous requests.
• Ability to work under stressful conditions and in difficult situations, dealing with and resolving conflict.
• Ability to perform lifting/transfer activities related to patients (up to 50 lbs. may be required).
• Ability to recognize needs and behaviors of specific age groups of patients treated.
• May be exposed to hazardous materials and life-threatening diseases.
• Take a patient care assignment when required/needed.
• If position has direct patient care or direct patient contact the following lifting requirement supersedes any previous lifting requirement effective 06/01/2015. Ability to lift up to 35 pounds without assistance. For patient lifts of over 35 pounds, or when patient is unable to assist with the lift, patient handling equipment is expected to be used, with at least one other associate, when available. Unique patient lifting/movement situations will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.