Charge Nurse, RN — Ambulatory Surgery Center
Location: Hudson, FL Department: Ambulatory Surgery Center — Ophthalmology Status: Full-Time, Exempt [or Non-Exempt — see note] Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday surgery days with a 7:30 AM start; Wednesday and Thursday reserved for administrative, compliance, and scheduling work. No call, no nights, no weekends, no holidays. Reports to: Practice Administrator Direct reports: Pre-op and PACU RNs, surgical technologists, PRN nursing staff, and sterile processing personnel.
About the Role
Gulfcoast Eye Care is seeking an experienced perioperative Registered Nurse to lead the clinical team at our ophthalmology-focused ambulatory surgery center. This is a working charge nurse position: you will be in scrubs on surgery days, circulating and covering recovery as census demands, and you will also own the operational and regulatory backbone of the center.
This role suits a nurse who has outgrown a purely bedside position but does not want to leave patient care behind. You will set the tone for how the center runs — how quickly rooms turn over, how consistently protocols are followed, and how it feels to work here.
Core Responsibilities
Clinical Leadership
- Direct daily surgical flow, assigning staff across pre-op, OR, and PACU based on case volume, acuity, and staff competency
- Serve as circulating nurse, pre-op nurse, or recovery nurse as staffing requires
- Function as the clinical resource for the team during complex cases, unexpected findings, and emergent situations
- Lead the response to clinical emergencies, including malignant hyperthermia, anaphylaxis, and cardiac events, and ensure emergency equipment and medications are current and accessible
- Round on patients and families, and personally resolve service concerns before they leave the center
Staff Management
- Build the nursing and technologist schedule against the surgical block schedule, coordinating PRN coverage to match case volume
- Interview, onboard, and orient new clinical staff; maintain competency checklists and skills validation records
- Deliver ongoing coaching and annual performance evaluations; address performance and conduct issues promptly and in coordination with the Practice Administrator
- Verify that every clinical staff member maintains current licensure, BLS/ACLS certification, and required health and immunization records
Regulatory Compliance and Quality
- Maintain the center's readiness for AHCA licensure surveys, CMS Conditions for Coverage, and AAAHC accreditation at all times — not just before a survey
- Serve as or partner with the designated Infection Preventionist; oversee sterile processing, high-level disinfection, biological monitoring, endophthalmitis prevention protocols, and TASS surveillance and root-cause investigation
- Manage medication storage, controlled substance accountability, multi-dose and compounded intraocular medication handling, and expiration monitoring
- Own the quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) program: track infection rates, transfers, returns to the OR, cancellations, and patient satisfaction, and present findings to the governing body and Medical Executive Committee
- Investigate and document incidents, adverse events, and near misses; drive corrective action to closure
Operations
- Manage clinical supply inventory, including intraocular lens consignment, par levels, and vendor relationships in coordination with [Administrator]
- Coordinate biomedical equipment preventive maintenance, phaco and microscope service, and repair logs
- Partner with surgeons and anesthesia providers to improve turnover times, first-case on-time starts, and block utilization
- Contribute to policy and procedure development and annual review
Required Qualifications
- Active, unencumbered Registered Nurse license in the State of Florida, or a multistate license under the Nurse Licensure Compact
- Current BLS and ACLS certification
- Minimum of five years of perioperative nursing experience, including circulating in the OR
- Minimum of two years in a charge nurse, team lead, clinical coordinator, or supervisory role
- Working knowledge of CMS Conditions for Coverage for ASCs and at least one accreditation body's standards
- Demonstrated experience with infection control, sterile processing oversight, or QAPI program participation
- Ability to work Monday, Tuesday, and Friday surgery days with a 7:30 AM start
Preferred Qualifications
- Ophthalmic surgery experience — cataract, refractive lens exchange, EVO ICL, or anterior segment
- Prior experience in a freestanding ambulatory surgery center
- CNOR, CASC, CIC, or CNAMB certification
- Experience participating in an AHCA survey or accreditation survey as a clinical leader
- BSN preferred; ADN with strong ASC leadership experience will be considered
- Conversational Spanish
Physical Requirements
Ability to stand and walk for the majority of a surgery day, lift and position patients with assistance, lift up to 25 pounds independently, and perform tasks requiring fine motor control and visual acuity. Exposure to bloodborne pathogens, surgical smoke, and cleaning agents is inherent to the role; personal protective equipment is provided.
What We Offer
- A schedule that respects your life. Three surgery days, two administrative days, and genuinely no call, nights, weekends, or holidays.
- Real authority. You will not be one voice among ten managers. You will run the clinical operation and have direct access to the surgeons and the administrator.
- A focused case mix. High-volume ophthalmic surgery is protocol-driven and outcome-oriented, which makes meaningful quality improvement possible rather than theoretical.
- Benefits: health, dental, and vision insurance; PTO; 401(k) with match
How to Apply
Submit your resume and a brief note about your leadership experience to [email protected] with the subject line "Charge Nurse — Surgery Center." Qualified applicants will be contacted within 3 business days. Offers are contingent upon successful completion of a background check, license verification, and health screening.
Gulfcoast Eye Care is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to a workplace free from discrimination on the basis of any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law, and we provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application process.
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
