RN New Graduate Nurse - 5HV Cardiovascular Surgery Stepdown

Description

Start your nursing career with UNC Health Rex and build a strong foundation in cardiovascular specialty care.

The UNC Health Rex Nurse Residency Program is designed to support new graduate nurses as they transition from the classroom to professional practice. This comprehensive 12-month program combines clinical orientation, mentorship, professional development, and evidence-based practice to help you develop the confidence, competence, and clinical judgment needed for a successful nursing career.

Program start dates are available between August 2026 and November 2026 and are based on graduation and NCLEX completion dates.

As a Nurse Resident, you will receive:

• Structured clinical orientation tailored to your specialty area
• Dedicated support from nurse leaders, educators, preceptors, and peers
• Classroom learning focused on clinical skills and specialty-specific patient care
• Ongoing professional development and continuing education opportunities
• Participation in an evidence-based practice project
• Regular check-ins with unit leadership and educators
• Clear milestones designed to support your growth from novice to competent nurse

• Develop clinical competence and confidence
• Promote evidence-based nursing practice
• Enhance critical thinking and clinical decision-making
• Build leadership skills at the bedside
• Improve patient outcomes through high-quality care

Join an inclusive organization of more than 40,000 teammates dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the communities we serve.

Recognition includes:

• America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity
• America's Greatest Workplaces for Women
• Best Hospital in WRAL Voters' Choice Awards
• Top 100 Hospital for Stroke Care
• Named among the World's Best Hospitals

This position may qualify for:

• Up to $25,000 in tuition loan forgiveness (based on eligibility)
• Up to $5,000 in relocation assistance (based on eligibility)

The Cardiovascular Surgery Stepdown Unit is located within the Heart and Vascular Hospital and provides specialized care for patients recovering from cardiac, vascular, and structural heart procedures.

Patients on this unit require a higher level of monitoring and nursing intervention than a traditional medical-surgical unit, making it an excellent environment for new nurses interested in cardiovascular and progressive care nursing.

As a member of this team, you will care for patients who may require:

• Advanced cardiac monitoring
• Titration of select medications
• Enhanced respiratory support and oxygen therapies
• Frequent assessment and intervention to identify early signs of clinical deterioration

The unit's design mirrors the ICU environment and features advanced bedside monitoring technology, creating opportunities to develop strong assessment and critical-thinking skills. Nurses work closely with advanced practice providers, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and an experienced leadership team dedicated to supporting professional growth and career development.

• Graduate of an accredited school of professional nursing
• Current North Carolina RN license or eligibility to obtain licensure before providing clinical care
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification for Healthcare Providers

• Nursing students in their final semester of a nursing program
• Nursing graduates within 12 months of graduation
• Registered Nurses with less than six months of RN work experience

Begin your nursing career in a collaborative environment where you will be supported, challenged, and empowered to grow as a professional nurse.

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.

Responsibilities:

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.

Other information:
Education Requirements:
* Graduation from a school of professional nursing.
* If hired after January 6, 2014, must be enrolled within four years of employment, and obtain a Bachelor's degree with a major in Nursing or a Master's degree with a major in Nursing within seven years of employment date.
Licensure/Certification Requirements:
* Licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in the state of North Carolina by the day of clinical care.
* Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Provider certification
Professional Experience Requirements:
* No prior experience required.
Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:

Legal Employer: NCHEALTH

Entity: UNC REX Healthcare

Organization Unit: Rex CSICU 5HV

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 36.00

Salary Range:$32.55 (Minimum)

Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity

Work Assignment Type: Onsite

Work Schedule: Rotating

Location of Job: US:NC:Raleigh

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No

This position is employed by NC Health (Rex Healthcare, Inc., d/b/a NC Health), a private, fully-owned subsidiary of UNC Heath Care System. This is not a State employed position.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email applicant.accommodations@unchealth.unc.edu if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.