RN Clinical Nurse I - New to Preop/PACU Training Program

UNC Health Care; Hillsborough (NC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

UNC Hillsborough, part of UNC Health Care, is seeking a RN Clinical Nurse I for the New to Preop/PACU Training Program with an anticipated February 2027 start. This is for new graduate nurses who graduated within the past 12 months or will graduate in December 2026, with NC RN licensure prior to day one.

The 12-week New to Preop/PACU curriculum combines didactics, simulation, and clinical preceptorship, aligning with the New Graduate Residency Program to support transition from academia to

Qualifications

• RN license that allows practice in North Carolina prior to first day of employment.
• Nursing degree; recent graduate within 12 months or graduating December 2026.
• Participation in New Graduate Residency Program (NRP) is expected.

Responsibilities

• Education: identify learning needs, attend related programs, assess readiness to learn.
• Evaluation of care: identify outcomes, revise plans with interdisciplinary team for continuity.
• Implementation: provide competent care for complex patients, perform bedside testing, follow policy standards.
• Leadership: set goals for growth, support interdepartmental collaboration, contribute to unit goals.
• Patient assessment: synthesize data, plan for discharge, engage families in care planning.
• Planning: collaborate with patient/family, use multidisciplinary resources, address cultural factors.
• Research: read studies and bring questions for staff discussion.

Job description

RN Clinical Nurse I - New to Preop/PACU Training Program

United States, North Carolina, Hillsborough

Opportunities for New Graduate Nurses - New to Preop/PACU Training Program - UNC Hillsborough - Anticipated start February 2027.

This opportunity is for new graduate nurses who have graduated from nursing school within the past 12 months, having less than 6 months of experience, or anticipate graduating from nursing school in December 2026. It is expected that applicants will have a nursing (RN) license that allows them to practice in the state of North Carolina prior to the first day of employment.

The New to Preop/PACU (NPP) is partnered with the New Graduate Residency Program (NRP) which is a yearlong program supporting transition from academia to practice for new graduate nurses.

The NPP program is a 12-week curriculum utilizing ASPAN's Mosby Modules, didactic classroom instruction, simulation lab practice, and hands on clinical preceptorship. In addition to the daily schedule, expectations will include completion of all modules, homework, evaluations, and achieving a passing score on the final exam. This will pair with the requirements for the NRP. Each nurse will spend time on the main campus or other UNC sites for class and simulations and will participate in clinical at their hired unit.

Orientation schedules are subject to adjustment based departmental needs.

UNC Hospitals has earned the distinguished Magnet designation that recognizes nurses for their excellence and provides professional growth opportunities. Clinical ladder is available for advancement.

UNC Hillsborough Hospital is a 160-bed community hospital with a robust surgical program, featuring 8 operating rooms (including 2 robotic ORs) and 3 procedural suites. Our perioperative services include 16 Preop roomettes, 12 PACU Phase I bays, 6 Phase II bays on the main campus, and 8 prep/hold bays in our Medical Office Building to support procedural care. We provide comprehensive surgical care across multiple specialties, including an Orthopedic Center of Excellence for Total Joints, Sports Orthopedics, Foot & Ankle, Ortho & Neuro Spine, general surgery, urology, gynecology, ophthalmology, and gastroenterology.

Your passion belongs at UNC Health. Join more than 56,000 teammates working together to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve across North Carolina.

Summary:
Provides competent clinical nursing care consistent with professional standards. Reporting and accountable to the Nurse Manager/Director, the Clinical Nurse is responsible for coordinating and delivering patient care utilizing the nursing process in a hospital setting.

1. Education - Participates in identifying and meeting learning needs of self. Attends education programs based on identified learning needs. With assistance, uses patient education materials relevant to patient population. Assesses readiness to learn of the patient/family/caregivers. Assesses developmental level of patient and factors affecting ability to learn.
2. Evaluation of Care - Identifies expected patient outcomes. Seeks guidance as needed in revision of plan of care. Participates in discussion with members of the interdisciplinary team in evaluation of patient care. Communicates relevant information to promote continuity of care.
3. Implementation - Demonstrates competence in care of patients with complex problems, including population-appropriate physical, psychosocial, educational and safety aspects of care. Performs bedside point of care testing as required for patient care plan. Utilizes healthcare organization and nursing standards, policies and procedures in delivery of care. Organizes and prioritizes care according to patient/family needs. Consults with appropriate resources in a timely fashion regarding patients with complex care issues, unusual teaching needs and/or those at high risk for discharge planning.
4. Leadership - With assistance, develops goals to promote professional growth or minimize limitations. Achieves goals and objectives within identified time frame or renegotiates with supervisor. Is knowledgeable about activities which facilitate intra/interdepartmental collaboration. Participates in development and achievement of unit goals and performance improvement activities. Effectively uses communication systems. Participates in promoting cost-effective care. Gives feedback to co-workers. Is aware of public policy and regulatory guidelines affecting the health care environment. Promotes a safe, clean and secure hospital environment for all
5. Patient Assessment - Recognizes data from complex situations to determine priorities for care. Includes appropriate physical, psychosocial, education and safety needs. Synthesizes assessment data into meaningful whole prior to communication to others. Assesses and anticipates discharge needs of individual patients and families. Develops relationships with families that promote their ability to advocate for the patient and their own needs.
6. Planning - Collaborates with patient/family to prepare or update the plan of care. Makes use of available multidisciplinary resources in planning care. Begins to use full range of communication as a means to convey planning. Identifies and addresses cultural and ethnic issues in planning patient care. Demonstrates ability to prioritize tasks for patients with complex problems.
7. Research - Reads journals that contain studies or articles that may be applicable to practice. Brings ideas and questions to the staff at large for assessment of applicability.

Description

Opportunities for New Graduate Nurses - New to Preop/PACU Training Program - UNC Hillsborough - Anticipated start February 2027.

This opportunity is for new graduate nurses who have graduated from nursing school within the past 12 months, having less than 6 months of experience, or anticipate graduating from nursing school in December 2026. It is expected that applicants will have a nursing (RN) license that allows them to practice in the state of North Carolina prior to the first day of employment.

The New to Preop/PACU (NPP) is partnered with the New Graduate Residency Program (NRP) which is a yearlong program supporting transition from academia to practice for new graduate nurses.

The NPP program is a 12-week curriculum utilizing ASPAN's Mosby Modules, didactic classroom instruction, simulation lab practice, and hands on clinical preceptorship. In addition to the daily schedule, expectations will include completion of all modules, homework, evaluations, and achieving a passing score on the final exam. This will pair with the requirements for the NRP. Each nurse will spend time on the main campus or other UNC sites for class and simulations and will participate in clinical at their hired unit.

Orientation schedules are subject to adjustment based departmental needs.

UNC Hospitals has earned the distinguished Magnet designation that recognizes nurses for their excellence and provides professional growth opportunities. Clinical ladder is available for advancement.

UNC Hillsborough Hospital is a 160-bed community hospital with a robust surgical program, featuring 8 operating rooms (including 2 robotic ORs) and 3 procedural suites. Our perioperative services include 16 Preop roomettes, 12 PACU Phase I bays, 6 Phase II bays on the main campus, and 8 prep/hold bays in our Medical Office Building to support procedural care. We provide comprehensive surgical care across multiple specialties, including an Orthopedic Center of Excellence for Total Joints, Sports Orthopedics, Foot & Ankle, Ortho & Neuro Spine, general surgery, urology, gynecology, ophthalmology, and gastroenterology.

Your passion belongs at UNC Health. Join more than 56,000 teammates working together to improve the health and well