Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital is currently seeking a Clinical Nurse Manager for our Medical Surgical Unit. The Clinical Manager is the first line manager responsible for the 24-hour functioning of the unit.
This is a 20-bed unit with a patient-centered environment and team-work oriented. We serve the Goleta and northern Santa Barbara area, including Isla Vista and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Major Accountabilities/Specific Job Competencies
Clinical Management
- Provides clinical consultation and supervision to nursing personnel and other staff as appropriate.
- Supports the Magnet Journey and all related standards.
- Participates in the clinical operations and patient care activities within the unit.
- Assures patient care is consistently provided in accordance with organizational/system-wide accepted standards of care and practice.
- Demonstrates effective management of staffing resources by providing for appropriate skill mix and numbers of staff for the service.
- Models expert decision-making, collaboration and negotiation skills at both service and organizational levels in strategizing to maximize patient outcomes and resource utilization.
- Actively participates in work processes and system redesign. Creates a sense of partnership and collegiality with care team staff and managers through consensus building, role clarification and outcomes measurement activities.
- Empowers point-of-service staff in decision-making/problem-solving through shared governance with an aim of clinical quality, service excellence, cost-effectiveness and continuity in care.
- Follows up on any unusual occurrences or untoward incidents involving patients, employees, or applicable equipment/instruments or supplies.
- Collaborates in the identification, investigation and implementation of improvement opportunities directly related to professional/patient care practices and patient outcomes.
- Utilizes current quality improvement/problem solving knowledge and skills in day-to-day operations and strategic planning.
- Makes recommendations concerning new or revised policies and procedures involving all aspects of patient care, and personnel. Clarifies and supports existing policies and procedures.
Fiscal/Resource Management
- Provides ongoing interpretation of financial and clinical data for service to facilitate understanding of the impact of their clinical service practice to the financial goals of the organization.
- Analyzes population-specific data to identify service/program opportunities.
- Follows trends in data which reflect systems issues and implements process improvement with appropriate departments/staff involved.
- Establishes and monitors an annual budget consistent with the organization’s financial goals, service/population reimbursement trends and current and/or projected standards of care.
- Guides the service activities and decision-making processes which result in the achievement of financial goals and predictability of costs for patient aggregates.
- Understands the pricing of procedures and reimbursement of outlier cases and utilizes this information to facilitate the development of feasible standards of care and practice.
Personnel Management and Development
- Assures job descriptions are current and reflective of behavioral skills needed.
- Selects staff to create a synergistic team.
- Assures all staff is competent in assigned role.
- Establishes initial orientation and ongoing competency expectations for patient care teams.
- Coordinates patient care staff orientation utilizing preceptors, staff development and existing staff members to assure orientation to patient care unit, systems, policies, procedures and standards of care and practice.
- Identifies competencies requiring review/updating/annual testing.
- Supports staff in development and implementation of their individualized professional development plans.
- Provides staff with informal and formal feedback on performance in conjunction with conflict resolution.
- Fosters a safe environment for staff to expand in their application of innovative care practices, teamwork skills and accountability for organizational goals.
Leadership
- Implants a sense of authority and accountability in the patient care team resulting in a high degree of point-of-service effectiveness and productivity.
- Collaborates with staff to establish a goal-oriented service philosophy which is organizationally consistent.
- Works to ensure optimum organizational outcomes through consensus building, problem-solving/opportunity seeking, resource allocation and coordinating and integrating services.
- Advocates change based on a synthesis of patient, family, physician, and staff needs.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Bachelor's Degree in a related field. Master’s preferred.
Certifications, Licenses, Registrations
- California Registered Nurse
- BLS from the American Heart Association.
- Leadership and/or clinical certification preferred.
Experience
Related clinical training/experience within last two years. Management experience preferred.
About Us
Skills Required
- California Registered Nurse
- BLS from the American Heart Association
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Bachelor's degree in a related field
- Related clinical training/experience within last two years
- Master's degree
- Leadership and/or clinical certification
- Management experience
Cottage Health Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Cottage Health and has not been reviewed or approved by Cottage Health.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered competitive for the area and often described as fair or among the best locally. Noted examples of meaningful raises over time reinforce the perception of market-aligned compensation.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as very good, with comprehensive medical, dental, and vision alongside robust mental health resources. Wellness supports like an EAP, onsite fitness/yoga, and incentives enhance overall value.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Distinctive programs such as substantial down‑payment assistance, workforce‑affordable housing, wellness dollars, and onsite childcare broaden total rewards beyond core insurance. These offerings are positioned to help offset local cost pressures and support daily life.
Cottage Health Insights
What We Do
Mission Statement: To provide superior health care for and improve the health of our communities through a commitment to our core values of excellence, integrity, and compassion. Founded in 1888, the not-for-profit Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital has been serving the community for more than 125 years. Cottage Health, formed in 1996 as the not-for-profit parent organization of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and its affiliated Cottage Children’s Medical Center, Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital, Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, and Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital, is guided by a volunteer board of directors from the greater Santa Barbara community and provides the residents of the Central and South Coast with exemplary health care, continuous improvements in medical practice, and a commitment to our communities.








