Nurse Manager, Operating Room and PACU

Lead a high-performing surgical services team while advancing quality, safety, and exceptional patient care.

Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) is seeking a Nurse Manager, Operating Room and PACU to join our Perioperative Services leadership team. This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced perioperative nurse leader who is passionate about clinical excellence, staff development, patient safety, and operational effectiveness. In this leadership role, you will oversee the daily operations of both the Operating Room and Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), helping ensure the delivery of safe, efficient, and patient-centered care throughout the perioperative continuum. You will lead a dedicated team of Registered Nurses, Licensed Nursing Assistants, and Certified Surgical Technologists while supporting a culture of teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement.

About This Role

As the Nurse Manager, Operating Room and PACU, you will be responsible for coordinating and supervising perioperative services, including preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative recovery care. You will provide both clinical and operational leadership while partnering closely with the director of perioperative services, surgeons, anesthesia providers, nursing staff, sterile processing personnel, and hospital leadership to ensure exceptional patient outcomes. This position offers a unique blend of leadership and clinical practice, enabling you to influence patient care, staff development, quality initiatives, infection prevention efforts, resource management, and strategic growth within Surgical Services.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the daily operations of the Operating Room and PACU, ensuring safe, effective, patient-family-centered care while supporting staff performance, clinical competency, scheduling, and department workflow.
• Develop, mentor, and support perioperative team members through education, competency assessment, performance evaluation, leadership development, recruitment, and staff engagement initiatives.
• Drive quality, safety, infection prevention, and performance improvement initiatives while leading compliance with evidence-based practice standards, regulatory requirements, and departmental policies and procedures.
• Oversee perioperative resources including staffing, scheduling, equipment, supplies, budgets, vendor coordination, OR utilization, and operational planning to ensure efficient and effective surgical services.

Required Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing.
• BSN or Bachelor’s Degree in a related field required. Masters in Nursing preferred.
• Current Vermont Registered Nurse license or a Compact Multi-State RN License.
• Minimum five years of perioperative nursing experience, including circulating and scrub experience.
• Current American Heart Association BLS certification required.
• ACLS certification required within one year of hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous supervisory or management experience preferred.
• CNOR certification preferred.
• PALS certification preferred.
• Experience with quality improvement, budget management, and perioperative operations.

About NVRH

Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital is located in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, in the Northeast Kingdom. We are a community, not-for-profit, acute care, critical access hospital. NVRH is one of two Vermont hospitals designated Baby Friendly™ by the World Health Organization. The organization offers primary and preventive care, surgical and specialty services, inpatient and outpatient care, as well as 24-hour, physician-staffed emergency services. Aligned with community partners, NVRH values and invests in efforts to address social conditions that support well-nourished, well-housed, physically healthy, mentally healthy, and financially secure communities. NVRH serves more than 33,000 people throughout Caledonia and southern Essex Counties and employs over 700 dedicated staff members.

Why Join Our Team?

Join our healthcare team dedicated to delivering exceptional care to your community at NVRH! We offer competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Student loan repayment and tuition reimbursement
• Generous paid time off
• Complimentary gym membership
• Affordable and comprehensive health, dental, and vision plan choices
• 401(k) with employer match
• Leadership development and professional growth opportunities
• Plus many more additional employee perks

Build a rewarding leadership career where your expertise, vision, and commitment to excellence help shape the future of perioperative care for patients throughout Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.