(RN) Registered Nurse - Intensive Cardiac Rehab - 141166

(RN) Registered Nurse - Intensive Cardiac Rehab - 141166

Job Details

Payroll Title: CLIN NURSE 2 Department: LA JOLLA CARDIAC REHAB Hiring Pay Scale $66.25 - $92.86 / Hour Worksite: Jacobs Medical Center Appointment Type: Career Appointment Percent: 100% Union: NX Contract Total Openings: 1 Work Schedule: Days, 8-Hour Shifts, Monday-Friday Date Posted 08/28/2026

#141166 (RN) Registered Nurse - Intensive Cardiac Rehab

UC San Diego values and welcomes people from all backgrounds. If you are interested in being part of our team, possess the needed licensure and certifications, and feel that you have most of the qualifications and/or transferable skills for a job opening, we strongly encourage you to apply.

UCSD Layoff from Career Appointment: Apply by 9/02/26 for consideration with preference for rehire. All layoff applicants should contact their Employment Advisor.

Reassignment Applicants: Eligible Reassignment clients should contact their Disability Counselor for assistance.

Current UC San Diego Health CNA (NX) represented RN/NP applicants will be considered after the first 7 days of job posting. All additional applicants will be considered after 14 days of job posting, pending the status of the initial internal CNA (NX) represented applicant pool.

DESCRIPTION

UC San Diego Health is proud to be a four-time Magnet-designated organization and has now earned Magnet with Distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Magnet is the gold standard for nursing excellence, achieved by only about 10% of hospitals worldwide. Magnet with Distinction is awarded to the highest-performing Magnet organizations, with only a select few earning this prestigious honor. This recognition reflects our commitment to transformational leadership, professional nursing excellence, innovation, exceptional patient outcomes, and an empowering practice environment where nurses thrive.

The Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation (ICR) Registered Nurse is a key member of a multidisciplinary cardiovascular care team dedicated to improving patient outcomes through supervised exercise, education, risk factor modification, and chronic disease management. The RN provides direct clinical care and patient coaching throughout the rehabilitation process, helping patients adopt sustainable lifestyle changes that reduce cardiovascular risk and improve quality of life.

This position combines hands-on patient monitoring in a medically supervised exercise setting with cardiovascular education, clinical assessment, referral screening, and care coordination responsibilities.

Essential Responsibilities

Clinical Care and Exercise Supervision

• Monitor patients during supervised exercise sessions utilizing telemetry and clinical assessment skills.
• Interpret cardiac rhythms and identify abnormal responses to exercise.
• Respond appropriately to changes in patient condition and activate emergency procedures as necessary.
• Perform pre-exercise and post-exercise assessments, including vital signs and symptom evaluation.
• Collaborate with exercise physiologists, physicians, and other team members to ensure patient safety and progress.

Cardiovascular Education and Health Coaching

• Provide individualized counseling on cardiovascular disease risk factors.
• Utilize motivational interviewing and behavior change strategies to support patient engagement and long-term adherence.
• Reinforce physician-directed treatment plans and lifestyle recommendations.
• Electrocardiography and Clinical Assessment
• Perform and interpret 12-lead electrocardiograms (EKGs).
• Recognize normal and abnormal cardiac rhythms and communicate appropriate findings.
• Assess patients for symptoms, medication side effects, and barriers to treatment adherence.

Chronic Disease Management

• Support patients with complex cardiovascular and metabolic conditions through ongoing assessment, education, and care coordination.
• Monitor clinical indicators and identify opportunities for intervention and escalation of care.
• Collaborate with providers regarding patient progress, concerns, and risk factor management.

Referral Management and Patient Coordination

• Review and screen cardiac rehabilitation referrals for clinical eligibility and insurance-related requirements.
• Conduct comprehensive chart reviews to determine program appropriateness.
• Contact and educate eligible patients regarding program benefits and participation expectations.
• Schedule qualified patients for intake appointments and program enrollment.
• Maintain accurate documentation within the electronic medical record.

Documentation and Quality

• Complete timely and accurate clinical documentation.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives and program outcome tracking.
• Comply with departmental policies, regulatory requirements, and accreditation standards.

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduate from an accredited school of nursing.
• Registered Nurse (RN) issued by the state of California.
• BLS/CPR and ACLS at time of hire with commitment to get ART within six (6) months of hire date.
• Minimum two (2) years of recent nursing experience in outpatient cardiology, cardiac rehabilitation, intensive cardiac rehabilitation, preventive cardiology, or lifestyle medicine.
• Demonstrated knowledge of exercise physiology principles, cardiovascular response to exercise, and exercise safety considerations for patients with cardiovascular disease.
• Experience providing patient education and counseling related to chronic disease management, medication adherence, and cardiovascular risk factor reduction.
• Proficiency in cardiac rhythm interpretation and cardiovascular assessment.
• Patient education experience (individual and group).

Preferred Qualifications

• BSN/MSN
• Experience in intensive cardiac rehabilitation (ICR) programs.
• Training or experience in motivational interviewing, health coaching, or behavior change counseling.
• Experience screening referrals, coordinating patient enrollment, and navigating insurance coverage requirements.
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams including physicians, exercise physiologists, dietitians, and behavioral health specialists.

Special Conditions

• Must be able to work various hours, days, shifts, on-call and locations based on the business needs.
• Must be willing to attend meetings away from hospitals that are specific to the field of cardiac rehabilitation and participate in hospital community programs relative to cardiac rehabilitation.
• Selected candidate may be hired at the CNIII level pending review and approval by the Nurse Executive Council.

Pay Transparency Act

Annual Full Pay Range: $138,330 - $193,892 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)

Hourly Equivalent: $66.25 - $92.86

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Hiring Pay Scale referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Annual Full Pay Range may be broader than what the University anticipates to pay for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

If employed by the University of California, you will be required to comply with our Policy on Vaccination Programs, which may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements. If applicable, life-support certifications (BLS, NRP, ACLS, etc.) must include hands-on practice and in-person skills assessment; online-only certification is not acceptable.

UC San Diego Health is the only academic health system in the San Diego region, providing leading-edge care in patient care, biomedical research, education, and community service. Our facilities include two university hospitals, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Shiley Eye Institute, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, the only Burn Center in the county, and dozens of outpatient clinics. We invite you to join our team!

Applications/Resumes are accepted for current job openings only. For full consideration on any job, applications must be received prior to the initial closing date. If a job has an extended deadline, applications/resumes will be considered during the extension period; however, a job may be filled before the extended date is reached.

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