RN Clinical Nurse Coordinator - Cardiothoracic Surgery

About the role

Join a collaborative thoracic surgery team dedicated to delivering exceptional patient care throughout the surgical journey. The RN Clinical Nurse Coordinator serves as a key clinical resource, coordinating care across the continuum while helping patients navigate diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and recovery. The Clinical Nurse Coordinator partners closely with surgeons, advanced practice providers, and multidisciplinary team members to coordinate surgical care for thoracic surgery patients across clinic locations throughout the St. Louis area. Responsibilities include attending clinic visits, coordinating surgical schedules, providing patient education regarding surgical procedures and recovery expectations, triaging clinical questions, and ensuring seamless communication between patients and the care team. Ideal candidates are experienced RNs who excel in patient education, care coordination, clinical assessment, and relationship‑building. This role offers the opportunity to develop expertise in thoracic surgery while making a meaningful impact on patient outcomes and the overall care experience.

Responsibilities

• Provides direct patient care, including assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of patients; completes health history and physical examination on patients; conveys findings to physician.
• Coordinates patient care, orders diagnostic tests, conveys findings to physician, attends inpatient rounds, coordinates patient appointments and assists with referrals to outside sources.
• Assists physician and provides support with examinations, procedures and other processes related to direct patient care.
• Performs a variety of nursing administrative duties, including compliance with environmental safety regulations, infection control standards and quality assurance.
• Acts as liaison and team leader by facilitating communication and coordination of care between patients, families and health team members; explains routines and procedures to patients and coordinates patient care information to appropriate sources.

Requirements

• Associate Degree in Nursing or Diploma in Registered Nursing
• Current RN licensure in Missouri and/or Illinois (Compact Act)
• Basic Life Support certification (American Heart Association or American Red Cross) – must include skills assessment; online‑only BLS is not sufficient
• Minimum two years of nursing experience

Skills

• Clinical Experience
• Clinical Research Coordination
• Clinical Research Management
• Clinical Research Methods
• Clinical Research Operations
• Continuous Learning
• Critical Thinking
• Customer Empathy
• Database Management
• Effective Written Communication
• Electronic Health Records (EHR)
• Epic EHR
• Oral Communications
• Patient Care
• Patient Care Plans
• Prioritization
• Research Oriented
• Spreadsheet Software
• Statistical Analysis Software (SAS)
• Team Collaboration

Benefits

• Up to 22 days of vacation, 10 recognized holidays, and sick time
• Competitive health insurance packages with priority appointments and lower copays/coinsurance
• Free Metro transit U‑Pass for eligible employees
• Defined contribution (403(b)) Retirement Savings Plan – employee and university contributions starting at 7%
• Wellness programs: challenges, annual health screenings, mental health resources, mindfulness programs, employee assistance program, financial resources, access to dietitians
• Four weeks of caregiver leave to bond with a new child; family care resources; adult care support
• Tuition reimbursement: WashU covers cost of tuition for employee and family, including dependent undergraduate‑level college tuition up to 100% at WashU and 40% elsewhere after seven years of service

Pay

Salary range: $64,500.00 – $109,900.00 per year

Schedule

Monday‑Friday clinic hours (no nights, weekends, holidays, or on‑call); potential hybrid flexibility after orientation.