Registered Nurse (RN) Solid Organ Transplant 5 South

Bring your transplant nursing career to a unit where complex care, critical thinking, and meaningful patient relationships come together every shift. UVA Health’s Solid Organ Transplant team offers nurses the opportunity to care for patients through every stage of the abdominal organ and lung transplant journey in a highly specialized ICU Step-Down environment. 

This is a career-building opportunity for an RN who wants to develop advanced transplant expertise while working alongside a collaborative, engaged team known for strong culture, low turnover, and shared commitment to exceptional patient care. On 5 South, you will care for a mixed-acuity population with complex surgical and medical needs, expanding your clinical judgment, technical skill set, and confidence in a nationally recognized academic health system. 

If you have transplant experience, post-surgical nursing experience, ICU Step-Down experience, PCU experience, or experience caring for complex surgical patients, this role offers the opportunity to grow into one of the most specialized and rewarding areas of nursing practice. 

The Role 

As a Registered Nurse on the Solid Organ Transplant unit, you will provide care in a 28-bed ICU Step-Down unit specializing in abdominal organ and lung transplantation. This is a fast-paced, clinically rich environment where nurses care for patients across the transplant continuum, including post-operative transplant recovery, complex medical management, advanced therapies, and ongoing patient and family education. 

In an average shift, you will combine strong assessment skills, technical nursing expertise, and interdisciplinary collaboration to anticipate changes in patient condition and support patients through life-changing care transitions. You will work closely with providers, transplant specialists, interdisciplinary partners, patients, families, and fellow nurses in a setting where teamwork and communication are essential. 

You will be part of a team that values nurses who are adaptable, resilient, collaborative, and comfortable managing complexity. Daily responsibilities may include: 

• Performing comprehensive patient assessments and identifying subtle changes in condition 

• Administering medications safely and managing complex treatment plans 

• Providing continuous monitoring for a mixed-acuity transplant and surgical population 

• Executing provider orders and coordinating care with interdisciplinary team members 

• Supporting admissions, discharges, transfers, and transitions in care 

• Assisting patients with activities of daily living while promoting dignity and recovery 

• Educating patients and families throughout the transplant journey 

• Caring for patients with complex post-operative needs, including wound care, drain management, central lines, indwelling catheters, feeding tubes, nasogastric tubes, PCA management, blood administration, insulin infusions, and heparin infusions 

• Building specialized experience with kidney, liver, pancreas, abdominal organ, and lung transplant patients 

• Contributing ideas, solutions, and clinical insight that help improve patient outcomes and unit operations 

Why UVA Health 

UVA Health offers the strength of academic medicine with the impact of highly specialized bedside nursing. As part of the Charles O. Strickler Transplant Center, nurses contribute to a transplant program recognized for caring for adult and pediatric heart, lung, liver, kidney, and pancreas patients and for advancing transplant care through innovation, research, and multidisciplinary expertise. 

On 5 South, you will practice in a unit where the work is clinically challenging and deeply meaningful.  

Nurses are exposed to advanced transplant medicine, complex surgical recovery, and high-impact patient stories that are not commonly found in many acute care settings. This is an opportunity to build highly marketable transplant nursing skills while caring for patients and families during some of the most significant moments of their lives. 

UVA Health is an integrated academic health system with a strong nursing culture, including an ANCC Magnet® designated hospital, a clinical career ladder, professional governance, nursing research, quality improvement, and opportunities for continued growth. For nurses who want to keep learning, sharpen critical care capabilities, and grow within a specialty, this environment offers a strong foundation for long-term career development. 

What makes this opportunity stand out: 

• Unique transplant patient population with exposure to abdominal organ and lung transplantation 

• 28-bed ICU Step-Down environment with mixed-acuity complexity 

• Opportunity to develop advanced expertise in transplant, surgical step-down, PCU, medical-surgical, and academic medical center nursing 

• Strong unit culture built on teamwork, collaboration, high engagement, and low turnover 

• Meaningful voice in patient care improvements, interdisciplinary collaboration, and unit decision-making 

• Exposure to advanced therapies, complex diagnoses, and life-changing transplant procedures 

• Clinical Ladder advancement opportunities and long-term growth within UVA Health 

Relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates. 

Why People Love Living in Charlottesville 

Charlottesville offers an exceptional quality of life for healthcare professionals who want meaningful work and a well-rounded life outside the hospital. Located near the Blue Ridge Mountains, the area provides easy access to hiking, biking, wineries, music, arts, restaurants, local shops, and a vibrant downtown community. It is a welcoming place for professionals and families alike, offering the energy of a university town, the natural beauty of Central Virginia, and the balance that helps clinicians recharge after doing complex, high-impact work. 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: Graduate of an accredited nursing program required. Bachelor of Science in Nursing required within 5 years of hire.

Experience: 1 year of relevant experience.

Licensure: Licensed to Practice as a Registered Nurse in the Commonwealth of Virginia. American Heart Association (AHA) Health Care Provider BLS certification required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Job requires standing for prolonged periods, frequently traveling, bending/stooping. Proficient communicative, auditory and visual skills; Attention to detail and ability to write legibly; Ability to lift/push/pull 20 - 50lbs. May be exposed to chemicals, blood/body fluids and infectious disease.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Benefits Package: Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

• Paid Time Off, Long-term and Short-term Disability, Retirement Savings

• Health Saving Plans, and Flexible Spending Accounts

• Certification and education support

• Generous Paid Time Off

UVA Health is a world-class Magnet Recognized academic medical center and health system with a level 1 trauma center. 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” guide rates UVA Health University Medical Center as “High Performing” in 5 adult specialties and 14 conditions/procedures. We are one of 70 National Cancer Institute designated cancer centers. UVA Health Children’s is named by 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report as the best children's hospital in Virginia with 9 specialties ranked among the best in the nation. Our footprint also encompasses 3 community hospitals and an integrated network of primary and specialty care clinics throughout Charlottesville, Culpeper, Northern Virginia, and beyond.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.