Nurse Manager, Perioperative Services, Multi Campus in Lawrence, Massachusetts at Merrimack Health

JOB SUMMARY:

The Nurse Manager for Perioperative Services provides operational, clinical, and systems leadership for these interconnected perioperative support areas. The role ensures safe, high-quality, efficient patient care across pre-operative preparation, recovery, and same-day surgical pathways. Emphasis is placed on systems management—including patient flow/throughput, scheduling coordination, electronic health record and documentation systems, quality metrics, resource utilization, standardization of processes, and interdepartmental collaboration—while also managing staff, budgets, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement initiatives. The position supports optimal surgical case readiness, reduced day-of-surgery cancellations/delays, smooth recovery, timely discharge, and exceptional patient experience.

EDUCATION AND RELATED EXPERIENCE:

Required:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) required; Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) preferred.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of clinical nursing experience in PACU, perioperative, critical care, or ambulatory surgery settings.
• Minimum of 2–3 years of progressive leadership or management experience (charge nurse, supervisor, or manager)
• Experience with patient flow systems, ambulatory surgery operations, pre-admission testing processes, and performance improvement is highly desirable.
• Active, unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license in Massachusetts.
• Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) required based on patient population.
• Must maintain required certifications and competencies.

• Strong clinical knowledge of pre-operative assessment, anesthesia recovery (Phase I/II), airway management, pain management, and ambulatory surgical care.
• Demonstrated leadership, communication, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment, analyze data, and drive process improvement.
• Proficiency with electronic health records and common healthcare information systems.
• Collaborative style with the ability to build effective relationships across disciplines.
• Commitment to patient safety, quality outcomes, staff development, and service excellence.

Preferred:

• Specialty certification (e.g., CAPA – Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia Nurse, CPAN – Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse, or CNOR) encouraged.