Hey, it's me again. I've been placing nurses for over a decade, and every so often a role comes across my desk that makes me stop and think, "Okay, this is the real deal." This Cardiac RN position at MedStar Union Memorial in Washington, DC is one of those. It's not just another job posting; it's for their Cardiovascular Intermediate Care unit, and they're building something serious there.

The Work You'll Do

You'll be on nights in an 18 bed unit that's literally brand new. Think private rooms and the kind of monitoring tech that lets you practice at the top of your license. The patients are recovering from major stuff; cardiovascular, vascular, and thoracic surgeries. It's high acuity. You're managing multiple lines and drips regularly.

The team handles about 30 to 50 of these pre- and post op cases every month. Stays are typically short, between one and four days, so the pace is focused and the care has to be efficient. You'll see a diverse mix of needs; occasionally you'll have boarders from other services as well.

Provide direct nursing care across the spectrum, from routine to highly complex situations.
Your primary focus is assessing patient conditions as they evolve.
Identifying both actual and potential health problems is a core part of the day.
Developing appropriate care plans based on those assessments.
You'll carry out interventions yourself or coordinate care through other members of the nursing team.

What You Need to Bring

Let's be straight about the paperwork first. You need an active Maryland RN license or a compact state license. Your BLS for Healthcare Providers has to be from the AHA or the American Red Cross.

For education, an ADN will get you in the door. A BSN, MSN, or CNL from an accredited school works too; that part is required.

They prefer you have some prior clinical nursing experience. Given the unit's focus, that preference makes a lot of sense if you want to hit the ground running.

The Schedule & Pay

This is a full time night shift position. The hiring pay range is $35.00 to $56.91 per hour.

The Good Stuff (A.K.A. Benefits)

MedStar's benefits package is legitimately comprehensive. Here’s what they’ve put together:

A nationally recognized program dedicated to nurse wellbeing and resources.
Health benefit plans that are actually solid.
A generous amount of paid time off.
Flexible scheduling options are on the table.
Retirement plans with a company match.
Tuition assistance if you want to advance your degree.
A system wide referral bonus: they'll pay you up to $6,000 for each RN you refer who joins MedStar Health (up to $4,000 for LPNs).
$5k in relocation assistance if you need it.
And free parking; a small thing that adds up fast.

A Quick Note From Me

Talking with their team leads, it’s clear they value growth. They mentioned mentorship specifically and a real pathway forward into leadership if that’s your goal. If you're looking to strengthen your clinical expertise with complex cardiac cases in a supportive environment built with modern tools, this unit deserves a long look.

How To Apply

The next step is yours.

Cardiac RN