RN Care Manager NICU Inpatient

Department: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Schedule: Monday–Friday, Day Shift, Full time (40 weekly hours)
Location: On-site at Burnet Campus
Weekend/Holiday Requirement: Approximately 2–3 weekend shifts per year; rotating holiday call coverage from 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

About the role

Cincinnati Children’s is seeking an experienced Registered Nurse Care Manager to join our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) team. The RN Care Manager plays a critical role in coordinating complex care and supporting infants and families throughout their hospitalization and transition home. Working closely with physicians, nurses, social work, therapy, case management, and other interdisciplinary partners, the Care Manager identifies barriers to care progression, coordinates resources, and helps ensure safe, timely, and well-planned transitions from the hospital to home or the next level of care.

This is an on-site, Monday–Friday day-shift position, with NICU Care Managers rounding with their assigned clinical teams to remain closely connected to patient and family needs.

Responsibilities

• Partner with interdisciplinary teams to assess patient and family needs and identify barriers to care progression.
• Participate in daily rounds and collaborate with the care team to develop and implement individualized plans for transition and discharge.
• Facilitate safe and timely transitions of care for medically complex NICU patients.
• Coordinate home care services, durable medical equipment (DME), supplies, and other resources needed after discharge.
• Assist with coordinating follow-up appointments and connecting families with appropriate community and healthcare resources.
• Advocate for patients and families throughout the hospitalization, ensuring their needs, preferences, and concerns are incorporated into the plan of care.
• Assess family readiness for discharge and identify educational, psychosocial, logistical, or resource needs that may impact a successful transition home.
• Collaborate with families and interdisciplinary partners to develop realistic and achievable discharge plans.
• Optimize resource utilization while maintaining high-quality, patient- and family-centered care.
• Identify potential discharge barriers early and proactively develop solutions with the healthcare team.
• Facilitate communication and coordination across inpatient, outpatient, home care, and community-based services.
• Support continuity of care and help reduce avoidable delays in discharge.
• Provide education and guidance to families regarding available resources and the transition to home.
• Evaluate the timeliness and availability of treatments and services, adjusting level of service according to changing needs.
• Evaluate actual patient outcomes in relation to expected outcomes for the care-managed population; identify quality improvement opportunities and communicate them to leadership with supporting data and evidence-based practice.
• Monitor patient progress toward goals, objectives, and expected outcomes at specified time frames using Critical Pathways and/or Clinical Guidelines.
• Follow through on the status of key diagnostic and treatment tests and procedures to ensure continued progression; interact with involved departments to negotiate and expedite scheduling.
• Identify, document, and communicate barriers to the plan of care to the healthcare team.
• Serve as the contact person for and collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to manage resource usage/utilization.
• Facilitate communication and coordination between members of the healthcare team across all phases of care, involving the patient, family, and caregivers in decision-making to minimize fragmentation.
• Lead coordination of care, setting priorities and encouraging appropriate use and timeliness of healthcare services.
• Ensure key components of the plan of care and patient needs are communicated to subsequent care providers for a smooth transition of care.
• Demonstrate understanding of legal and regulatory issues (HIPAA, EMTALA, regulatory agencies, CMS, legal policies and procedures) impacting care delivery and reimbursement.
• Negotiate and advocate for patient services and resources needed.
• Provide patient/family education regarding post-acute services, community resources, or other identified needs.
• Create an environment supporting patient safety by integrating safety goals into daily practice based on the patient’s age and population served.
• Implement the agreed-upon plan of care, providing self-management support to high-risk/complex patients and families, including helping families identify and overcome barriers to care.
• Utilize collaborative communication skills to establish working partnerships with patients, families, caregivers, treatment teams, and community resources/providers.
• Educate patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare team members about treatment options.
• Empower patients, families, and caregivers to problem-solve by exploring care options and alternative plans when necessary to achieve desired outcomes.
• Encourage appropriate use of healthcare services and strive to improve quality of care while maintaining cost-effectiveness on a case-by-case basis.
• Support and facilitate all care transitions from inpatient to outpatient, practice to practice, and from pediatric to adult systems of care.
• Plan with the patient, family, caregivers, and providers to maximize health outcomes and ensure quality, cost-effective care.
• Work with the patient, family, and caregivers to establish treatment goals meeting healthcare and safety needs.
• Integrate patient, family, and caregiver decisions and choices into the planning process.
• Coordinate the plan of care and maintain documentation of case updates and discussions/events involving individuals responsible for patient welfare.
• Identify the need for patient/family team meetings, participate in meetings, and document outcomes.
• Proactively identify medical and psychosocial services needed by the patient.
• Reassess and adjust the plan of care according to patient needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) (ACEN/CCNE accredited BSN or MSN; OR Associate/Diploma RN with 2+ years of experience and BSN/MSN).
• Current Registered Nurse (RN) licensure in the state of Ohio; may be required to obtain other state licensure.
• Minimum of 5 years of professional nursing experience.
• Strong clinical assessment, communication, organization, and care coordination skills.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with patients, families, and interdisciplinary teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience caring for neonatal or medically complex pediatric patients.
• Experience in care management, case management, discharge planning, or care coordination.
• Experience coordinating home healthcare, DME, and community resources.
• Experience working with interdisciplinary teams in an acute-care setting.

Why Join the NICU Care Management Team?

This role offers an opportunity to make a meaningful difference beyond the bedside by helping NICU patients and families navigate complex healthcare needs and prepare for a successful transition home. You will work alongside a highly collaborative interdisciplinary team and play an essential role in ensuring that every family has the resources, education, and support needed for the next step in their child's care.

About Us

At Cincinnati Children’s, we come to work with one goal: to make children’s health better. We believe in a holistic team approach, both in caring for patients and their families, and in advancing science and discovery. We strive to do better and find energy and inspiration in our shared purpose.

Cincinnati Children's is recognized as:

• A top 10 best Children's Hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for more than 15 years.
• Consistently among the top 3 Children's Hospitals for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding.
• One of America’s Best Large Employers (2025) and America’s Best Employers for New Grads (2025).
• One of the nation's most innovative companies as noted by Fortune.
• A Leading Disability Employer as noted by the National Organization on Disability.
• Magnet® designated for the fourth consecutive time by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

We embrace innovation—together. We believe in empowering our teams with tools that help us work smarter and care better, supporting responsible use of artificial intelligence to create space for new ideas, better outcomes, and a stronger future—for all of us.

Pay

Expected starting pay range: $81,723.20 - $104,208.00 annually. Starting pay is based on experience, skills, and equity; exceptions may apply for highly qualified candidates. Additional pay (e.g., shift, on-call, or weekend differentials) and benefits may apply. Annual pay may vary based on FTE status.