Critical Care Unit

Advance Your CCU Career in Our Adult Critical Care Environment

As the only academic medical center in San Diego, UCSD Medical Center sets the standard for critical care nurses who want to practice at the leading edge.

We were also the first JCAHO certified Stroke Center in San Diego, the benchmark for the American Heart Association in Acute MI, and a major contributor to advanced stroke research in hypothermia therapy in cardiac arrest, and sedation management.

Our CCU is a double unit – it has both coronary care and medical intensive care components. In coronary care, nurses partner with cardiologists on congestive heart failure and acute MI. In medical care, nurses focus on pre-dialysis, liver/kidney/heart transplants, and sepsis therapy. 

Critical Care Unit

The 13-bed Medical Coronary Contained Unit specializes in Pre-Cardiac Transplants, Congestive Heart Failure, Acute MI, CVVHD, and complex ventilation using the latest equipment and technologies. The Charge and Code RNs are readily available to assist with complex patients. Our physician partners are true professors who are willing to invest the time and energy to provide education specific to treatment and reserach. The unit is actively involved in promoting community health. 

Scope of Practice

The patient caseload includes Heart/Lung Transplant, Cardiac cases with post MI, Acute Coronary Syndrome, Heart Failure/Cardiomyopathy, Stroke patients, Med/Surg and Trauma cases. The unit uses the PCIS charting system. 

Ideal Candidates

We require a California licensed RN with CPR and ACLS certifications. Successful candidates will have acute care experience, the personal commitment to provide exceptional care to high acuity patients and their families, and vision to support community wellness.

New Grad Training Program

We offer a quarterly Critical Care Internship program for New Grads and nurses without critical care experience. For consideration you must have a GPA of 3.0 or greater, an externship in Critical Care is preferred, and volunteer experience is a plus. The Orientation Program is minimally 12 weeks with oth clinical and didactic components. New graduates will have an additional 12-week mentorship with an expert nurse and attend ongoing training classes. Because we are the only academic medical center in San Diego, we offer a teaching and research environment unequalled in continuing educational opportunities. 

Apply Now

If you’d like to apply your critical care skills in a research driven, academic setting, we’d like to talk with you. View our current job openings and submit your resume online.