Assistant Director of Patient Care, Neonatal ICU

About the role

RWJBarnabas Health is seeking an Assistant Director of Patient Care for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the New Brunswick campus. The NICU is a 37‑bed unit that provides the highest level of care for critically ill and medically complex newborns throughout the region, delivering family‑centered care to preterm and full‑term infants with the most complex medical and surgical conditions. The unit is staffed 24 hours a day by a multidisciplinary team of board‑certified neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, neonatal nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, dietitians, social workers, lactation specialists, and pediatric subspecialists. The Assistant Director supports the Director of Patient Care in overseeing high‑quality, patient‑centered nursing services, combining clinical expertise, leadership, and administrative responsibilities to ensure efficient operations, staff development and engagement, and compliance with regulatory standards. The role fosters a collaborative environment, promotes patient safety, drives quality‑improvement initiatives, and assists in managing daily operations and long‑term strategic goals, including scheduling, budgeting, and compliance. Location: One Robert Wood Johnson Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901.

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and direction to fulfill the goals and objectives of the unit/organization
• Effectively communicates information to staff, utilizes resources and manages staff and services
• Assists the Director with the daily operations of the unit and delegated responsibilities
• Will be assigned 50 percent of patient care responsibilities
• Collaboratively prepares and maintains staff schedule and payroll
• Effectively collaborates with interdisciplinary teams and drives staff accountability

Requirements

• BSN required
• At least 3–5 years of leadership/charge/preceptor experience as a Neonatal Registered Nurse
• BLS and NRP certifications required
• National certification in clinical specialty required
• Active New Jersey Registered Nurse License required

Qualifications

• MSN highly preferred
• Previous acute care experience preferred
• Previous experience as a nursing director preferred

Benefits

• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Medical and Prescription Drug