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Clinical Coordinator - Cardiac Transplant ICU Full-time Days

Northwestern Medicine · Chicago, IL · Full time · Health Care Provider

Posted Sep 23, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you resolved a conflict between team members.

What they are checking: Whether they can handle conflict as a shift leader.

How do you talk with families who are waiting during a long transplant recovery?

What they are checking: Whether they communicate with compassion and keep families informed.

Tell me about a new initiative you championed on a unit.

What they are checking: Whether they lead change, as the posting expects.

What would you do

You have one open bed, an OR transplant patient coming up and an ED admission waiting. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they can manage patient flow and communicate with all teams under pressure.

A nurse on your shift is overwhelmed and falling behind. How do you help?

What they are checking: Whether they support staff and redistribute work during a shift.

A patient's condition is getting worse and the team disagrees on next steps. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they facilitate an interdisciplinary approach and escalate when needed.

About the work

How do you make staffing assignments in a cardiac transplant ICU when acuity is high?

What they are checking: Whether they match nurse skills to patient needs safely and fairly.

What do you watch for in a patient right after heart transplant?

What they are checking: Whether they know early complications such as bleeding, rejection and right heart failure.

How do you care for a patient on ECMO or with a ventricular assist device?

What they are checking: Whether they have the advanced cardiac skills this ICU requires.

How do you keep the unit safe and compliant with policies during a busy shift?

What they are checking: Whether they keep regulatory and safety standards while managing operations.

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The full job description

As published by Northwestern Medicine.

The Clinical Coordinator reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards. An experienced Registered Nurse, who in addition to providing direct patient care, is accountable for facilitating an interdisciplinary approach to patient care, patient flow, staffing, resource utilization, and problem solving on a given shift. Responsibilities: • Facilitates unit operations on a shift basis according to policy, procedure, and regulatory requirements. • Coordinates unit based staffing assignments on a shift basis to achieve high quality and cost effective care. • Directs patient care provided by staff nurses and support personnel for a specific shift. • Champions new initiatives and helps in unit/departmental or hospital wide committees/task forces. • Communicates directly with patients and significant others about nursing care. • Implements appropriate action plans to provide safe, quality, and efficient care. • Assures safety and security of patients, significant others, and staff. • Provides direct patient care. Performs ongoing assessment of assigned patients and their significant others’ biopsychosocial and learning needs. • Implements appropriate actions to respond to needs of patients and their significant others. • Monitors and documents the patient’s response to therapeutic interventions and progress toward outcomes. • Assures that quality improvement activities are completed for the assigned shift. • Assesses and intervenes in critical situations involving patients, staff, and visitors and consults with manager or administrator for guidance as needed. • Ensures that the environment is clean, attractive, safe and free from hazards for patients, staff and visitors in accordance with regulatory requirements. • Analyzes patterns of daily activities and recommends operational/program changes as needed. • Anticipates staffing needs for subsequent shifts and makes necessary arrangements for coverage. • Facilitates effective interdepartmental communication of incidents with appropriate personnel (manager, administrator, medical staff, etc.). Identifies and communicates key issues and trends to managers and makes recommendations for improvement on an ongoing basis. • Provides input to manager on budgetary issues, particularly staffing and cost containment strategies. • Establishes relationships across departments to optimize patient care. • Assesses and communicates staff development needs to manager. • Orients staff to Clinical Coordinator and Charge role. • Serves as a resource for staff. Required: • Baccalaureate degree from an accredited school of nursing. (Minimum two years clinical experience in area of clinical specialty). • Registered Nurse in the state of Illinois • Two or more years in clinical specialty • (NMH only) Holds Magnet recognized certification or obtains within 1 year (specialty certification in clinical area is preferred) • CPR – Basic Life Support Preferred: • (NMHC, excluding NMH) Holds specialty clinical area certification Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status. Background Check Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check. Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Artificial Intelligence Disclosure Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person. Benefits We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Click on or copy and paste URL to your browser to view detailed benefits information NorthwesternMedicine Career Page https://jobs.nm.org/benefits Please refer to the Benefits Eligibility by Employment Classification to determine benefits eligibility for job postings. If sign-on bonus is included in a job posting eligibility is as followed: Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign-on bonus. Exception : New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position as a Registered Nurse at NM may be eligible.

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