Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Coordinator (RN License Required) - VUH

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:  Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization:

VHVI Clinical Administration

Job Summary:

Focuses on support of the Elective bridge to transplant mechanical assist device, and the Long Term bridge durable ventricular assist device.

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ABOUT THE ROLE

Join Vanderbilt University Hospital as a Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Coordinator! This highly specialized role supports patients with advanced heart failure and ventricular assist devices (VADs) throughout their care journey. The coordinator serves as a key clinical resource, partnering closely with cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, advanced practice providers, patients, and caregivers to ensure exceptional outcomes and continuity of care.

This position offers a unique blend of direct patient interaction, care coordination, program development, and clinical leadership within a rapidly evolving field of cardiovascular medicine.

Active RN licensure is required for this position.

SCHEDULE

Monday-Friday position with a primarily day-shift schedule. This role includes a combination of clinic-based, inpatient, and remote work responsibilities, with one work-from-home day approximately every two weeks. Team members participate in a shared rotating 24/7 on-call schedule to support patients and address emergent clinical needs.

PATIENT POPULATION INCLUDES

• Advanced Heart Failure

• Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs)

• Mechanical Circulatory Support

• Heart Transplant Evaluation and Support

• Cardiac Surgery Patients

WHY JOIN THE TEAM?

Specialized Patient Population: Build expertise caring for patients with advanced heart failure and mechanical circulatory support devices.

Physician Partnership: Work closely with a dedicated team of cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, and advanced practice providers in a highly collaborative environment.

Innovation & Growth: Work alongside physicians and surgeons implementing the latest therapies, techniques, and mechanical circulatory support technologies.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Current RN licensure required
• Strong cardiovascular and/or advanced heart failure knowledge
• Experience in advanced heart failure, cardiac surgery, CVICU, cardiac stepdown, transplant, mechanical circulatory support, or related cardiovascular specialties preferred
• Strong communication, patient education, and care coordination skills
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary teams
• Flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic clinical environment

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Coordinates the evaluation phase for patients with severe ventricular dysfunction ensuring evaluation requirements are complete.
• Manages pre-operative preparation ensuring patient, staff and system are fully prepared for device implantation.
• Provides VAD expertise to clinical team from evaluation through outpatient care.
• Maintains clinical expertise in all devices and required clinical care and able to conduct technical consultations for devices if needed.
• Coordinates all aspects of discharge planning.
• Participates in outpatient management in support of optimal outcomes.
• The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

• Medical Devices (Intermediate): Demonstrates mastery in medical devices by quickly and accurately diagnosing problems, determining requirements for fixing problems. Demonstrates the ability to determine if device problems require vendor or advanced dispatch for on-site service/repair. Able to read and interpret complicated schematics, diagnostics and other instructions for repairing medical devices.
• Consulting Services (Novice): Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency to successfully demonstrate consulting services including appropriate knowledge of core technology, products, services and operations within field of work, in practical applications of moderate difficulty. Is aware of industry trends. Attends industry seminars and forums. Understands the connection between assignments and the missions and goals of the department.
• Nursing Patient Education (Intermediate): Demonstrates mastery of patient education in practical applications of a difficult nature. Possesses sufficient knowledge, training, and experience to be capable of providing patient health education services without requiring instruction from others. Able to train and educate by setting the example, giving technical instruction, providing leadership, and generally raising the level of performance of others while on the job.
• Care Planning (Novice): Demonstrates ability to anticipate resource needs, identify distinct tasks, set priorities, schedule activities, meet deadlines, and organize work within areas of direct responsibility. Competently handles multiple assignments often simultaneously by prioritizing work into manageable and measurable units. Ability to adapt to changes to patient care and area needs with minimal disruption and loss of productivity. Follows up to assure problems and issues are resolved.
• Nursing Patient Assessment & Evaluation (Intermediate): Demonstrates mastery of patient assessments and evaluations in practical applications of a difficult nature. Conducts primary care patient interviews and physical examinations. Conducts inquiry with a thorough series of questions when patients state an ailment or complaint in order to accurately identify and elaborate on the problem. Possesses sufficient knowledge, training, and experience to role model and coach less experienced peers.

 Our Nursing Philosophy:  

We believe highly skilled and specialized nursing care is essential to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s mission of quality in patient care, education and research. We believe nursing is an applied art and science focused on helping people, families and communities reach excellent health and well-being. 

As a Vanderbilt University Medical Center employee, you make a difference to our patients and their families by bringing compassion and care to those in need of hope and healing. Please see our current employee benefits offered:

• Affordable High Quality Health Plan Options
• Dental and /or vision plan
• 403 (b) retirement plan
• Paid Time off (flex PTO)
• Tuition Reimbursement and adoption assistance (maximums applied)
• Short-Long term disability
• Subsidized backup childcare
• And many more... Ask us about our current inpatient nursing supplemental Pay Program!

Achieve the Remarkable: 

Learn more about VUMC Nursing here.

Core Accountabilities:

Organizational Impact: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment. Breadth of Knowledge: Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area. Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues:- Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.- Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services:- Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.- Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.- Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.- Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.- Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation:- Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.- Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.- Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications:

LIC-Registered Nurse - Licensure-OthersLicensure-Others

Work Experience:

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level:

3 years

Education:

Bachelor's

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity.  EOE/Vets/Disabled.