Description
*This position qualifies for our UNC Rex Incentive Program, which includes up to $20,000 commitment incentive or up to $25,000 tuition loan forgiveness. In addition, this position is also eligible for up to $10,000 in relocation assistance (based on location) and our employee referral program. Learn more about our UNC Rex Incentive Program here: https://jobs.unchealthcare.org/pages/unc-rex-incentive-program
Become part of an inclusive organization with over 40,000 teammates, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of the unique communities we serve.
Join a Leading Neonatal Intensive Care Team – Make a Meaningful Difference for Our Smallest Patients
UNC REX Healthcare is seeking a compassionate and skilled Clinical Nurse Team Leader to join our Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)—a highly specialized 21-bed unit providing the highest level of care for critically ill and medically fragile newborns.
About the Unit
The UNC REX Level IV NICU cares for some of the most vulnerable infants, including those experiencing:
Our multidisciplinary team—led by board-certified neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, NICU-trained nurses, respiratory therapists, lactation consultants, social workers, and rehabilitation specialists—cares for 450–500 newborns each year.
Family-centered care is at the heart of our mission. We partner closely with a Family Advisory Council of former NICU parents, whose lived experience helps guide continuous improvement and fosters a supportive environment for families during their NICU journey.
Nurse-to-Patient Ratio: 1:1 to 1:3, depending on acuity.
Role Overview
As a Team Leader RN, you will serve in a hybrid leadership role—providing expert bedside care while also supporting clinical operations, staff development, and unit initiatives. This position is ideal for an experienced NICU nurse who wants to grow in leadership without stepping away from direct patient care.
Time Allocation: ~70% Clinical / ~30% Administrative
Clinical Responsibilities (Approximately 70%)
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Provide high-quality, evidence-based care to critically ill neonates.
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Serve as Charge Nurse, coordinating daily operations, staffing needs, and patient flow.
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Precept and mentor new nurses, supporting skill development and competency.
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Act as a clinical resource at the bedside, promoting critical thinking and best practices.
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Collaborate with neonatology, respiratory therapy, lactation, and other interdisciplinary partners.
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Facilitate rapid decision-making based on patient acuity and family needs.
Administrative Responsibilities (Approximately 30%)
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Participate in shared governance councils and hospital/unit committees.
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Lead or support quality improvement and performance improvement initiatives.
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Assist with unit-based education, competencies, and ongoing staff training.
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Conduct staff check-ins and provide coaching, mentorship, and support for professional growth.
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Perform patient-family experience rounding to promote service excellence.
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Work with leadership on staffing, retention, and culture-building efforts.
This role offers the opportunity to help shape nursing practice, strengthen team culture, and directly influence outcomes for newborns and families.
Who We’re Looking For
We’re seeking a dedicated NICU nurse who demonstrates strong clinical judgment, communication skills, and compassion.
Preferred Qualifications:
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2–5 years of NICU nursing experience (Level III or Level IV preferred)
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Prior leadership experience (charge nurse, preceptor, committee involvement, or similar)
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Strong commitment to family-centered care and interdisciplinary collaboration
Why UNC REX Healthcare?
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Part of the nationally respected UNC Health system
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Level IV NICU with advanced technology and specialized neonatal services
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Supportive, collaborative work culture with strong interdisciplinary partnerships
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Robust opportunities for professional development, certification, leadership growth, and continuing education
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A mission-driven environment focused on compassion, innovation, and excellence in neonatal care
Make a life-changing impact on the tiniest patients and their families.
Apply today to join the UNC REX Level IV NICU Team!
Summary:
Serves as nursing Team Leader. Provides education, training, and oversight to assigned nursing staff.
Responsibilities:
1. EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - Coordinates, designs and implements educational programs to meet identified learning needs of staff, patients and families. Promotes and ensures staff participation in continuing education, orientation, competency, in-service and staff development offerings. Participates in development and implementation of competency initiatives. Serves as an area of specialty consultant in the design of educational programs. Participates in development of and provides clinical expertise for patient education materials. Promotes professional growth of self and staff. Promotes a conducive environment for learning and provides educational experiences for students.
2. EVALUATION - Evaluates patient progress and revises plan accordingly. Maintains accountability for carrying out components of the plan. Works with manager to ensure care on unit is accordance with policies and procedures.
3. IMPLEMENTATION - Promotes an environment that values diversity, open communication, teamwork and exceptional service. Ensures that appropriate care and services are available to patients, clients and families for assigned shift. Facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration in patient/client care planning to achieve desired patient outcomes. Coordinates care with interdisciplinary team members. Demonstrates and role models clinical expertise in specified patient population and shares expertise with other staff. Promotes and ensures the use of the nursing process to provide quality patient care. Assesses and anticipates patient and family learning needs and organizes resources to ensure that they are met. Performs bedside point of care testing as required for patient care plan.
4. LEADERSHIP - Creates and promotes an environment conducive to recruiting and retaining staff. Provides feedback to Manager/Supervisor and Director to assist in hiring, promoting, transferring and terminating staff. Assists Nurse Manager by providing assigned staff with performance feedback and opportunity to set professional goals. Models and promotes behaviors that effectively give continual feedback to staff and colleagues. Integrates best practice standards regarding retention of staff in all aspects of practice.
5. ASSESSMENT - Synthesizes data from complex situations to determine priorities for care. Includes appropriate physical, psychosocial and educational needs. Synthesizes assessment data into meaningful whole prior to communication with others. Assesses and anticipates discharge needs of individual patients and families. Develops relationships with families that promote their ability to advocate for the patient and their own needs. Works with manager to demonstrate specialization needs to serve the patient population.
6. PLANNING - Establishes and promotes standards of excellence for areas of responsibility and ensures consistent implementation by staff. Provides input about trends related to program development, space needs and fiscal realities. Ensures appropriate and adequate clinical staffing and skill mix to meet patient care needs on own shift and upcoming shift. Effectively uses clinical and financial information to assist Nurse Manager to establish and meet budgetary goals. Collaborates with Nurse Manager to implement strategies to increase revenue and cost-effectively manage personnel, supply and equipment resources. Evaluates the impact of strategic fiscal changes on quality outcomes. Assists Nurse Manager to ensure that internal and external regulatory standards are met or exceeded.
7. RESEARCH AND PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT - Collaborates with Nurse Manager to evaluate research that is applicable to practice and promotes changes in standards of care as appropriate. Guides research development and implementation. Utilizes resources in asking research questions and applying appropriate research methods. Shares knowledge with colleagues through publication, presentations or other means. Develops, implements and evaluates new and creative approaches to meeting goals. Leads, participates and promotes performance improvement initiatives that focus on identified patient safety or quality of care opportunities.
Other Information
Other information:
Education Requirements:
● Graduate of Accredited Nursing Program. Bachelor's degree (BSN) required.
Licensure/Certification Requirements:
● Must have NC RN Licensure and BCLS. Professional certification relevant to the practice area and on the ANCC Magnet approved list within the probationary period of employment.
Professional Experience Requirements:
● Minimum of one year experience working as a licensed RN.
Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:
● Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret clinical information and technical procedures. Ability to document clinical information. Ability to effectively communicate information and respond to questions from patients, physicians, family members, and other Rex staff. Mathematical Skills: Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations. Reasoning Ability: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions.
Job Details
Legal Employer: NCHEALTH
Entity: UNC REX Healthcare
Organization Unit: Rex NICU
Work Type: Full Time
Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00
Salary Range: $38.13 - $58.24 per hour (Hiring Range)
Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity
Work Assignment Type: Onsite
Work Schedule: Night Job
Location of Job: US:NC:Raleigh
Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No
This position is employed by NC Health (Rex Healthcare, Inc., d/b/a NC Health), a private, fully-owned subsidiary of UNC Heath Care System. This is not a State employed position.
Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.
UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email applicant.accommodations@unchealth.unc.edu if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.
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