Discover Vanderbilt Health: With eight hospitals and over 180 clinics, we are the region’s largest comprehensive academic health system. Vanderbilt Health has a long tradition of providing world-class care to the people of the Mid-South, living out our mission of moving medicine forward through preeminent programs in patient care, education and research. Here you’ll find a spirit of collaboration and a supportive community where your expertise is valued, your knowledge expanded and your uniqueness celebrated. We are committed to fostering an environment where talented, compassionate people are united in bringing the most advanced care to our neighbors throughout the region.

Organization:

VUH Medical ICU/Medical PCU

Job Summary:

Performs a wide range of nursing clinical, consultative, educational and research activities with established expertise. Serves as a mentor and leader in the development of standards and in the training and monitoring of practice to achieve and maintain those standards.

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Schedule: Monday - Friday business hours with flexibility to support clinical operations across night shifts, as needed.

Join Our Pulmonary ICU Team!

Join Vanderbilt University Hospital’s Pulmonary Intensive Care Unit in a unique Program Coordinator opportunity designed as a pathway toward a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) role.

The Program Coordinator will partner closely with nursing leadership, physicians, and interdisciplinary teams to support clinical initiatives, staff development, quality outcomes, and practice improvement within the Pulmonary ICU.

The role provides an opportunity to build experience and competencies aligned with Clinical Nurse Specialist practice while contributing meaningfully to the unit’s clinical and professional goals.

Why This Opportunity?

• Develop Toward CNS Practice: Gain experience in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, nursing education, professional development, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Lead Clinical Improvement: Support initiatives designed to improve patient outcomes, clinical practice, and care delivery within the Pulmonary ICU.
• Mentor & Educate: Partner with nursing staff to support professional growth, clinical competency, and ongoing education.
• Collaborate Across Disciplines: Work closely with nursing leadership, physicians, and interdisciplinary partners on unit and organizational priorities.
• Build a Career Path: Progress toward a future Clinical Nurse Specialist role while completing the required CNS educational preparation and certification.

Required:

• Current Registered Nurse (RN) license.
• Master’s or doctoral degree in Nursing with Clinical Nurse Specialist preparation, or willingness to complete the graduate education required for CNS preparation within the established program timeframe.
• If not currently CNS-certified or enrolled in a CNS program, must enroll in and successfully complete an approved Clinical Nurse Specialist program within the timeframe established by the department.
• Adult critical care nursing experience.
• Demonstrated interest in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, nursing education, and professional development.

Preferred:

• Current CNS certification or current enrollment in a Clinical Nurse Specialist program.
• Experience in Pulmonary ICU, Medical ICU, or another adult critical care setting.
• Experience leading evidence-based practice or quality improvement initiatives.
• Experience mentoring or educating nursing staff.
• Experience in an academic medical center or teaching hospital.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Acts as an internal and external consultant and liaison to promote agreed upon clinical enterprise or Patient Care Center goals.
• reviews nursing care plans for selected patients and serves as a resource to the nursing staff
• teaches and models new skills/care modalities for the health care team
• serves as a mentor to nursing staff on clinical, professional and research practices that support high quality, satisfying and cost beneficial care across the continuum.
• Fosters individual and corporate staff development in the area of specialty
• directs and/or conducts needs assessments for individuals or groups
• develops, coordinates, implements and evaluates orientation and continuing education systems
• Participates in scholarly and/or research activities in area of expertise.
• maintains current knowledge of professional literature
• conducts, coordinates or participates in research studies
• writes for publication
• teaches, precepts or mentors nursing students
• participates in community projects
• Assists in designing tools and systems to facilitate and optimize nursing care.
• uses continuous improvement techniques (Plan, Do, Study, Act) to select or target areas/processes for improvement
• mentors others in the continuous improvement cycle
• shares results of process improvement with others on a timely basis either through verbal or written presentations
• Provides expert nursing care to selected patients in area of specialty.
• plans and manages patient care
• provides patient and family education
• prepares patient for the next level of care
• addresses problems
• communicates/collaborates effectively to meet patient and team goals
• Under the direction of the PCC Administrative Director, participates in program development.
• coordinates or directs program development
• implements program(s)
• evaluates program results and processes

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

 Our Nursing Philosophy:  

We believe highly skilled and specialized nursing care is essential to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s mission of quality in patient care, education and research. We believe nursing is an applied art and science focused on helping people, families and communities reach excellent health and well-being. 

As a Vanderbilt University Medical Center employee, you make a difference to our patients and their families by bringing compassion and care to those in need of hope and healing. Please see our current employee benefits offered:

• Affordable High Quality Health Plan Options
• Dental and /or vision plan
• 403 (b) retirement plan
• Paid Time off (flex PTO)
• Tuition Reimbursement and adoption assistance (maximums applied)
• Short-Long term disability
• Subsidized backup childcare
• And many more... Ask us about our current inpatient nursing supplemental Pay Program!

Achieve the Remarkable: 

Learn more about VUMC Nursing here.

Core Accountabilities:

Organizational Impact: Independently delivers on objectives with understanding of how they impact the results of own area/team and other related teams. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Utilizes multiple sources of data to analyze and resolve complex problems; may take a new perspective on existing solution. Breadth of Knowledge: Has advanced knowledge within a professional area and basic knowledge across related areas. Team Interaction: Acts as a "go-to" resource for colleagues with less experience; may lead small project teams.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues: - Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas. - Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships. - Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services: - Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them. - Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions. - Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly. - Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure. - Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area. - Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation: - Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches. - Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges. - Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications:

LIC-Registered Nurse - Licensure-OthersLicensure-Others

Work Experience:

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level:

3 years

Education:

Master's

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity.  EOE/Vets/Disabled.