Director of Nursing CVICU (day shift, full-time

Open Job:
Director of Nursing CVICU

Location:

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Relocation Packages Offered
Base Salary: $130,000 to $150,000
Bonus Eligible

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

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

• The nurse director is a professional registered nurse with 24 hour responsibility for assigned departments within established standards to achieve the mission and vision of the organization.
• The nursing director is responsible for overall direction, coordination and evaluation of the unit/departments and executes supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws.
• The nurse director provides leadership and mentorship in the development of leaders and staff.
• The nurse director is responsible for monitoring and evaluating quality, patient satisfaction and employee satisfaction outcomes to implement strategies for improvement.
• The nurse director is a change agent and will establish strong collaborative relationships with physicians. Responsible for overall administrative, financial and clinical activities of assigned departments.

• Must be proficient in CVICU nursing.
• Must be able to work at the bedside when needed (staffing coverage).

• ECMO, LVAD, Open Heart, Impella, Balloon Pumps.
• Candidate must have extensive cardiac background.
• Cannot come from a purely medical ICU without cardiac exposure.
• If strong in CVICU but lacking LVAD experience, this may be workable.

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

• BSN required, but:
• If they don't have a BSN, they must be already enrolled, with a completion date.
• Enrollment just to qualify is not acceptable.
• Hiring leader is flexible if candidate is solid and enrolled in BSN program.

• Officially a 40-hour work week.
• Leadership roles vary:
  Sometimes exactly 40 hours, sometimes more, depending on hospital needs.
• Typically weekends off, but occasional weekend presence may be needed due to hospital circumstances.
• Directors often 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 has 55 beds total, CVICU accounts for 16 beds.
• When fully staffed, approximately 50–60 employees, all RNs; no techs on unit.
• 4 full-time charge nurses, working 3×12s across different shifts.
  
  - They handle initial scheduling balance, staff assignments, and many managerial tasks.
• Charge nurses are 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.
• Nurses are self-motivated, high-performing, push each other.
• Recent metrics: HCAHPS ~84%, 95th percentile in satisfaction / Strong quality outcomes.
• Unique procedural exposure—"cool procedures," cardiac-only population.
• CVICU has no mixed medical patients—entirely cardiac/vascular.

• Biggest challenge: erratic census fluctuations.
  
  - Census may drop to 4 patients → staff float → frustration. Then 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.

If you are interested in pursuing this opportunity, please respond back and include the following:

• MS WORD Resume
• Required compensation.
• Contact information.
• Availability.

Upon receipt, one of our managers will contact you to discuss the position in full detail.