Charge Nurse -Clinical Decision Unit

Charge Nurse Observation Unit/ Clinical Decision Unit

TriHealth is committed to supporting nurses in delivering exceptional, patient-centered care grounded in teamwork, clinical excellence, and compassion. In the Observation Unit (also known as CDU), you will care for patients requiring short-term monitoring and evaluation. As a Registered Nurse, you'll apply the full nursing process, collaborate with providers, and help guide patients and their families through fast-paced clinical decisions. Your role directly influences patient flow, safety, and outcomes.

Stepping into the Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) at Bethesda North Hospital, you will find a dedicated team that provides thoughtful, high-quality care for adult and geriatric patients, adhering to Medicare guidelines. This 35-bed unit is a hub for patients requiring further diagnostic testing and treatments, including medical, pre/post-surgical, and cardiac interventions. Every moment counts here, as the team focuses on efficient care delivery, seamless teamwork, and close monitoring of each patient's progress. For nurses joining the CDU, the journey begins with a warm welcome and a comprehensive orientation experience. Your first week includes corporate orientation, followed by personalized one-on-one onboarding with the Nurse Manager or Educator. This ensures every new team member feels supported and ready to start hands-on training with a preceptor. Unit orientation is tailored to individual experience levels, spanning 4-8 weeks of in-depth, competency-based training. Nurses gain expertise through NIHSS certifications, ACLS/BLS training, ECG/telemetry skills, SIM code readiness exercises, and immersive shadowing opportunities. Whether you're a new graduate or an experienced RN, the CDU fosters professional growth through robust support, teamwork, and continuous learning. The unit operates on a 6-week scheduling cycle, including every third weekend and holiday rotations (A, B, C). Flexible options like weekend programs and PRN/Optional scheduling provide a supportive work-life balance. Nurses and Acute Care Technicians (ACTs) collaborate closely, ensuring compassionate, safe, and attentive care for every patient. What makes the CDU truly unique? It's the culture of collaboration, the shared commitment to excellence, and the opportunity to make a difference every dayone patient at a time.

Why You'll Love Working Here

• Collaborative, collegial environment with strong nurse-physician partnerships.
• Opportunity to sharpen rapid assessment and decision-making skills in a fast-moving CDU setting.
• Autonomy to apply holistic, evidence-based nursing care across diverse patient populations.
• Support for professional development, including BSN attainment and specialty certification.
• A culture that prioritizes patient dignity, safety, and the voices of frontline nurses.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform initial and ongoing patient and family assessments; document per unit and TriHealth standards.
• Develop and update individualized plans of care, including both short- and long-term goals.
• Provide safe, therapeutic, culturally sensitive patient care while protecting autonomy and dignity.
• Recognize and respond appropriately to emergency or rapidly evolving clinical situations.
• Complete all assigned patient care and documentation within scheduled timeframes.
• Communicate effectively with physicians, interdisciplinary team members, patients, and families.
• Serve as a resource to staff by sharing specialty knowledge and supporting clinical learning.

Qualifications

Required

• Associate's Degree or Diploma in Nursing.
• New hires must obtain BSN within 5 years of hire.
• Active Registered Nurse license.
• BLS/CPR (Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers).
• Strong nursing knowledge built from biological, physical, behavioral, social, and nursing sciences.

Preferred

• Experience working full-time (1+ year) or part-time (2+ years) in acute care settings.
• Membership in a related professional nursing organization.
• Specialty certification (e.g., med-surg, emergency nursing).

Schedule & Work Location

• FTE: Part-Time - 24 Hours Weekly
• Shift: Nights 7pm-7:30am
• Hospital: Bethesda North Hospital (Observation / CDU)
• Work Arrangement: On-site, inpatient observation unit

Benefits Snapshot

TriHealth offers a comprehensive benefits suite including medical, dental, vision, retirement contributions, paid time off, tuition assistance, and wellness resources.

Hourly Incentives & Bonus:

$1hr Weekend Incentive

$4hr Shift Differential + $4hr Part Time Night Shift Premium

$2,500 Sign on Bonus

$2 Charge Nurse Incentive

Acute Care Incentive Pay- Hourly Pay Based on Previous RN Experience

Working Conditions

Bending - Frequently

Climbing - Rarely

Concentrating - Consistently

Continuous Learning - Consistently

Hearing: Conversation - Consistently

Hearing: Other Sounds - Consistently

Interpersonal Communication - Consistently

Kneeling - Occasionally

Lifting <10 Lbs. - Consistently

Lifting 50+ Lbs. - Consistently

Lifting <50 Lbs. - Consistently

Pulling - Consistently

Pushing - Consistently

Reaching - Consistently

Sitting - Occasionally

Standing - Consistently

Stooping - Consistently

Talking - Consistently

Thinking/Reasoning - Consistently

Use of Hands - Consistently

Color Vision - Consistently

Visual Acuity: Far - Consistently

Visual Acuity: Near - Consistently

Walking - Consistently

TriHealth SERVE Standards and ALWAYS Behaviors

At TriHealth, we believe there is no responsibility more important than to SERVE our patients, our communities, and our fellow team members. To achieve our vision and mission, ALL TriHealth team members are expected to demonstrate and live the following:

Serve: ALWAYS

Welcome everyone by making eye contact, greeting with a smile, and saying "hello"

Acknowledge when patients/guests are lost and escort them to their destination or find someone who can assist

Refrain from using cell phones for personal reasons in public spaces or patient care areas

Excel: ALWAYS

Recognize and take personal responsibility to address and recover from service breakdowns when a customer's expectations have not been met

Offer patients and guests priority when waiting (lines, elevators)

Work on improving quality, safety, and service

Respect: ALWAYS

Respect cultural and spiritual differences and honor individual preferences.

Respect everyone's opinion and contribution, regardless of title/role.

Speak positively about my team members and other departments in front of patients and guests.

Value: ALWAYS

Value the time of others by striving to be on time, prepared and actively participating.

Pick up trash, ensuring the physical environment is clean and safe.

Be a good steward of our resources, using supplies and equipment efficiently and effectively, and will look for ways to avoid waste.

Engage: ALWAYS

Acknowledge wins and frequently thank team members and others for contributions.

Show courtesy and compassion with customers, team members and the community

Keywords

Registered Nurse, RN, Observation Unit, CDU, Clinical Decision Unit, Acute Care Nurse, TriHealth, Bethesda North, Hospital RN