(RN) Registered Nurse - Intensive Cardiac Rehab - 141166

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.

The Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation (ICR) Registered Nurse is a key member of a multidisciplinary cardiovascular care team dedicated to improving patient outcomes through supervised exercise, education, risk factor modification, and chronic disease management. The RN provides direct clinical care and patient coaching throughout the rehabilitation process, helping patients adopt sustainable lifestyle changes that reduce cardiovascular risk and improve quality of life.

This position combines hands-on patient monitoring in a medically supervised exercise setting with cardiovascular education, clinical assessment, referral screening, and care coordination responsibilities.

Clinical Care and Exercise Supervision

• Monitor patients during supervised exercise sessions utilizing telemetry and clinical assessment skills.
• Interpret cardiac rhythms and identify abnormal responses to exercise.
• Respond appropriately to changes in patient condition and activate emergency procedures as necessary.
• Perform pre-exercise and post-exercise assessments, including vital signs and symptom evaluation.
• Collaborate with exercise physiologists, physicians, and other team members to ensure patient safety and progress.

Cardiovascular Education and Health Coaching

• Provide individualized counseling on cardiovascular disease risk factors.
• Utilize motivational interviewing and behavior change strategies to support patient engagement and long-term adherence.
• Reinforce physician-directed treatment plans and lifestyle recommendations.Electrocardiography and Clinical Assessment
• Perform and interpret 12-lead electrocardiograms (EKGs).
• Recognize normal and abnormal cardiac rhythms and communicate appropriate findings.
• Assess patients for symptoms, medication side effects, and barriers to treatment adherence.

Chronic Disease Management

• Support patients with complex cardiovascular and metabolic conditions through ongoing assessment, education, and care coordination.
• Monitor clinical indicators and identify opportunities for intervention and escalation of care.
• Collaborate with providers regarding patient progress, concerns, and risk factor management.

Referral Management and Patient Coordination

• Review and screen cardiac rehabilitation referrals for clinical eligibility and insurance-related requirements.
• Conduct comprehensive chart reviews to determine program appropriateness.
• Contact and educate eligible patients regarding program benefits and participation expectations.
• Schedule qualified patients for intake appointments and program enrollment.
• Maintain accurate documentation within the electronic medical record.

Documentation and Quality

• Complete timely and accurate clinical documentation.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives and program outcome tracking.
• Comply with departmental policies, regulatory requirements, and accreditation standards.

• Graduate from an accredited school of nursing.
• Registered Nurse (RN) issued by the state of California.
• BLS/CPR and ACLS at time of hire with commitment to get ART within six (6) months of hire date.
• Minimum two (2) years of recent nursing experience in outpatient cardiology, cardiac rehabilitation, intensive cardiac rehabilitation, preventive cardiology, or lifestyle medicine.
• Demonstrated knowledge of exercise physiology principles, cardiovascular response to exercise, and exercise safety considerations for patients with cardiovascular disease.
• Experience providing patient education and counseling related to chronic disease management, medication adherence, and cardiovascular risk factor reduction.
• Proficiency in cardiac rhythm interpretation and cardiovascular assessment.
• Patient education experience (individual and group).

• BSN/MSN
• Experience in intensive cardiac rehabilitation (ICR) programs.
• Training or experience in motivational interviewing, health coaching, or behavior change counseling.
• Experience screening referrals, coordinating patient enrollment, and navigating insurance coverage requirements.
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams including physicians, exercise physiologists, dietitians, and behavioral health specialists.

• Must be able to work various hours, days, shifts, on-call and locations based on the business needs.
• Must be willing to attend meetings away from hospitals that are specific to the field of cardiac rehabilitation and participate in hospital community programs relative to cardiac rehabilitation.
• Selected candidate may be hired at the CNIII level pending review and approval by the Nurse Executive Council.