(RN) Registered Nurse - Surg/Onc PCU - 140531

San Diego Supercomputer Center; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 91,000 - 128,000; Full time

Job summary

UC San Diego Health is seeking a Nurse for the Jacobs Medical Center PCU team on the 4th floor, offering a nights schedule and rotating shifts. The role emphasizes autonomous nursing care with Magnet-designated status and opportunities to work in a leading academic health system.

The position requires California RN licensure, BLS/CPR and ACLS, with ART training within six months. Prior transplant experience is preferred; strong critical thinking and communication are essential.

Qualifications

• Graduate from an accredited school of Nursing.
• RN License issued by the State of California.
• BLS/CPR and ACLS certifications at time of hire with commitment to get ART within six months.
• Minimum one year of recent acute care RN experience in PCU, IMU, or Telemetry.
• Experience with kidney and liver transplant patients.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills.

Skills

RN License CA

BLS/CPR

ACLS

Critical thinking

Communication skills

Autonomous nursing care

Triage and transplant nursing

Education

Graduate from accredited Nursing school

RN License issued by the State of California

Job description

Payroll Title

CLIN NURSE 2

Department

JACOBS MEDICAL CENTER 4-PCU

Hiring Pay Scale

$66.25 - $92.86 / Hour

Worksite

Jacobs Medical Center

Appointment Type

Career

Appointment Percent

90%

Union

NX Contract

Total Openings

6

Work Schedule

Nights, 12-Hour Shifts, Sunday-Saturday

Extended Deadline

Wed 11/18/2026

UC San Diego values and welcomes people from all backgrounds. If you are interested in being part of our team, possess the needed licensure and certifications, and feel that you have most of the qualifications and/or transferable skills for a job opening, we strongly encourage you to apply.

UCSD Layoff from Career Appointment

Apply by 07/17/2026 for consideration with preference for rehire. All layoff applicants should contact their Employment Advisor.

Reassignment Applicants

Eligible Reassignment clients should contact their Disability Counselor for assistance.

Current UC San Diego Health CNA (NX) represented RN/NP applicants will be considered after the first 7 days of job posting. All additional applicants will be considered after 14 days of job posting, pending the status of the initial internal CNA (NX) represented applicant pool.

Description

UC San Diego Health is proud to be a four-time Magnet-designated organization and has now earned Magnet with Distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Magnet is the gold standard for nursing excellence, achieved by only about 10% of hospitals worldwide. Magnet with Distinction is awarded to the highest-performing Magnet organizations, with only a select few earning this prestigious honor. This recognition reflects our commitment to transformational leadership, professional nursing excellence, innovation, exceptional patient outcomes, and an empowering practice environment where nurses thrive.

Autonomous nursing care is the ability of a nurse to assess and provide nursing actions as appropriate for patient care populations based on competence, professional expertise, and knowledge. The nurse is expected to practice autonomously consistent with ANA Standards of Practice and Professional Performance. Independent judgment is expected to be exercised within the context of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to patient care.

The 4th floor of Jacobs Medical Center

is a 36 bed Surgical Progressive Care Unit specializing in Advanced Surgical Procedures, Oncology related surgeries and Abdominal Transplant.

While not required, a cover letter is highly recommended when applying to this position.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be a graduate from an accredited school of Nursing.
• RN License issued by the State of California.
• BLS/CPR and ACLS certifications at time of hire with commitment to get ART within six (6) months of hire date.
• Minimum one (1) year of recent acute care RN experience in PCU, IMU, or Telemetry.
• Experience with kidney and liver transplant patients. If insufficient applicant pool, unit may consider candidates with experience in other areas who have more than one year of recent acute care PCU RN experience.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to manage multiple levels of information and responsibilities, and to quickly assess moderately-complex problems to develop potential solutions.
• Must be able to function in a fast-paced environment, have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and consistently demonstrate empathy and kindness to all staff and patients.
• Ability to handle critical and/or urgent situations with accuracy, expediency and speed, and tact.
• Ability to critically handle unexpected challenges and creates plausible solutions in a team-centered environment.
• Demonstrates critical thinking and clinical skills to identify and implement nursing interventions and evaluate results.
• Must have excellent skills to communicate and influence effectively with all levels of staff, physicians, patients and external constituents, both verbally and in writing.

Preferred Qualifications

• BSN.
• PCCN, OCN, Med/Surg, CCRN certifications.
• Two (2+) or more years of RN experience in acute care PCU or IMU.
• Experience with liver and kidney transplant or surgical oncology patients.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

• Must be able to work various hours, days, shifts, on-call and various locations based on the 24-hour Medical Center's business needs.
• Employment is subject to a criminal background check and pre-employment physical.
• Selected candidate may be hired at the CNIII level pending review and approval by the Nurse Executive Council.

Pay Transparency Act

Annual Full Pay Range: $138,330 - $193,892 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)

Hourly Equivalent: $66.25 - $92.86

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role includes experience, skills, knowledge, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Hiring Pay Scale referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Annual Full Pay Range may be broader than what the University anticipates to pay for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

If employed by the University of California, you will be required to comply with our Policy on Vaccination Programs, which may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

If applicable, life-support certifications (BLS, NRP, ACLS, etc.) must include hands‑on practice and in‑person skills assessment; online-only certification is not acceptable.

UC San Diego Health is the only academic health system in the San Diego region, providing leading-edge care in patient care, biomedical research, education, and community service. Our facilities include two university hospitals, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Shiley Eye Institute, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, the only Burn Center in the county, and dozens of outpatient clinics. We invite you to join our team!

Applications/Resumes are accepted for current job openings only. For full consideration on any job, applications must be received prior to the initial closing date. If a job has an extended deadline, applications/resumes will be considered during the extension period; however, a job may be filled before the extended date is reached.

To foster the best possible working and learning environment, UC San Diego strives to cultivate a rich and diverse environment, inclusive and supportive of all students, faculty, staff and visitors. For more information, please visit UC San Diego Principles of Community.

The University of California is 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, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

For the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination

UC San Diego is a smoke and tobacco free environment. Please visit smokefree.ucsd.edu for more information.

UC San Diego Health maintains a marijuana and drug free environment. Employees may be subject to drug screening.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC’s policies addressing some forms of misconduct:
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Abusive Conduct in the Workplace