Director of Nursing CVICU; day shift

Director of Nursing, CVICU (Day Shift, Full‑Time)

Location:

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Relocation packages offered

Base Salary: $130,000 to $150,000
Bonus Eligible

Join our team as a day shift, full‑time, Coronary Care HH Director of Nursing (RN) in Albuquerque, NM.

Seeking a Nursing Leader with specific Critical Care experience in CVICU.

• Professional registered nurse with 24‑hour responsibility for assigned departments within established standards to achieve mission and vision.
• Overall direction, coordination and evaluation of the unit/departments; execute supervisory responsibilities according to organization’s policies and applicable laws.
• Provide leadership and mentorship in the development of leaders and staff.
• Monitor and evaluate quality, patient satisfaction and employee satisfaction outcomes to implement improvement strategies.
• Act as a change agent and establish strong collaborative relationships with physicians; responsible for overall administrative, financial and clinical activities of assigned departments.

• Proficient in CVICU nursing.
• Able to work at the bedside when needed (staffing coverage).

• ECMO, LVAD, Open Heart, Impella, Balloon Pumps.
• Extensive cardiac background.
• Cannot come from a purely medical ICU without cardiac exposure.
• May be workable if lacking LVAD experience but strong in CVICU.

• 3–5 years clinical nursing experience.
• 2+ years of management experience (charge nurse, nurse manager, supervisor).
• Interim charge roles not sufficient; must have full‑time or formal leadership experience.

• BSN required; if not, must be enrolled with a completion date.
• Enrollment just to qualify not acceptable.
• Flexible if candidate is solid and enrolled in BSN program.

• Official 40‑hour work week.
• Leadership roles vary; sometimes 40 hours, sometimes more, depending on hospital needs.
• Typically weekends off; occasional weekend presence may be needed.
• Directors adjust early/late to meet with night shift, observe shift changes, staff engagement, etc.

• Nurse development, retention, and recruitment.
• Coordination with service lines: CT surgeons, interventionalists, various procedural service lines.
• Quality oversight: chart audits, staff education, quality metrics.
• Meeting‑heavy role—numerous recurring and ad‑hoc meetings.
• Operational responsibilities: staffing oversight / scheduling / timekeeping (charge nurses help but director finalizes/validates).
• No nurse manager in unit—all manager‑level duties fall to the director.

• Heart Hospital total 55 beds, CVICU accounts for 16 beds.
• Approx. 50–60 employees, all RNs; no techs on unit.
• Four full‑time charge nurses, working 3×12s across shifts—handle initial scheduling balance, staff assignments, many managerial tasks.
• Charge nurses typically not in staffing because of high acuity.

• Highly dedicated, engaged team—one of the strongest the leader has worked with in 20 years at Lovelace/Ardent.
• Self‑motivated, high‑performing nurses who push each other.
• Recent metrics: HCAHPS ~84%, 95th percentile in satisfaction / strong quality outcomes.
• Unique procedural exposure—cardiac‑only population.
• CVICU has no mixed medical patients—entirely cardiac/vascular.

• Biggest challenge: erratic census fluctuations—census may drop to 4 patients, requiring staff float and frustration; surges with CT surgical cases.
• Difficulties managing productivity, engagement, staff satisfaction.
• Leader working with intensivists on lowering admission threshold: accept PCU patients / accept some MICU overflow / goal is maintaining census of 10 patients.