Registered Nurse (RN) - Post Surgical

About the role

Being a nurse at Advocate Health means delivering exceptional clinical care while leading with purpose, compassion, and boldness. You’ll join the One Advocate Nurse community—a unified team committed to lifting others up, embracing innovation, and creating inclusive spaces where everyone can thrive. Nurses are empowered to think boldly, collaborate with humility, and drive change through fearless curiosity, whether at the bedside, in the community, or advancing care through research and education.

Where You Will Work

3CD is a 23‑bed post‑op surgical unit with 15 beds for Tele Patients. Seventy‑five percent of patients are admitted from the PACU or step‑down from the Surgical ICU. This fast‑paced, high‑acuity unit specializes in gastroenterology, urology, gynecology, and plastic surgery populations. It is an excellent setting for experienced med‑surg nurses seeking to advance their skills and for new graduate nurses aiming to develop toward ICU, ED, OR, or NP roles. The unit consistently performs well on Nurse Sensitive Indicators and Patient Experience scores, and Shared Governance gives nurses and nursing assistants a strong voice in daily operations. 3CD received top‑tier team member engagement scores in 2021.

Responsibilities

• Provide and coordinate comprehensive patient care through the nursing process, delivering safe, therapeutic care in accordance with established standards, policies, and procedures.
• Apply evidence‑based practice and clinical decision‑making to achieve optimal patient outcomes.
• Communicate compassionately and effectively with patients, families, and the interdisciplinary team.
• Lead efforts to create the safest patient environment and the best patient experience across the continuum of care.
• Participate in shared governance activities and contribute to unit‑level quality improvement initiatives.

Requirements

• Completion of an accredited or approved nursing program.
• Registered Nurse (RN) license issued by the state of practice.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

• Frequent sitting, standing, walking, bending, squatting, reaching, twisting, and lifting throughout the workday.
• Must safely lift up to 35 lb and perform patient‑handling tasks, including pushing/pulling up to 30 lb and assisting with 150‑lb sliding transfers.
• Functional speech, vision, hearing, touch, and fine‑motor skills required for clinical procedures and equipment operation.
• Ability to respond quickly to changing patient conditions and perform safety interventions, including verbal de‑escalation and restraints when necessary.
• Potential exposure to blood, body fluids, communicable diseases, chemicals, and hazardous waste; appropriate protective equipment must be used.
• Physical abilities testing and additional department‑specific requirements may apply.

About This Location

The future of medicine is happening at Aurora St. Luke’s, where you’ll be at the center of care. The hospital offers a full range of services—from common surgeries to pioneering treatments—delivered by experienced specialty physicians. It is the only hospital in Wisconsin with a 24/7 on‑site heart‑care team, providing premier cardiac services. Both the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association have recognized Aurora St. Luke’s performance in treating cardiac and stroke patients.