Intensive and Specialty Services Nursing Unit

Experience the benefits of the Iowa Difference

UI Health Care was the first hospital in Iowa to be designated a Magnet Hospital (2004) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the first hospital in Iowa to be re-designated four times (2008, 2013 2018, and 2023).

Among our hospital’s 811 beds, just under 200 are designated as intensive care beds. In a typical year, we perform more than 32,000 major operations and receive nearly 60,000 emergency department visits. Opportunities for nurses abound in our intensive and specialty services areas.

What does this all mean to you? Intensive and Specialty Services nursing jobs at UI Health Care come with competitive salaries and outstanding benefits. If comprehensive insurance coverage, tuition reimbursement, generous paid vacation/sick/holiday accruals, and an outstanding professional recognition program sound good to you, come join the team!

We care for the people who care for our patients. Apply today!

Inpatient Care

• Burn Treatment Center and Intermediate Care Unit
• Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit
• Medical Intensive Care Unit
• Med/Surg Cardiology Intermediate Care Unit
• Neuroscience Intermediate Unit
• Respiratory Specialty and Comprehensive Care Unit
• Surgical and Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit
• Adult/Neurology Monitoring Unit 
• Vascular and Neuroscience Intermediate and Acute Care Unit

Outpatient Care

• Burn/Wound Clinic

Inpatient

Treatment Center and Intermediate Care Unit – John Colloton Pavilion (8JCP)

This is a newly renovated19-bed unit equipped with state-of-the-art hydrotherapy suites for burn/wound dressing care, a pediatric playroom, and rehabilitation gym. The unit cares for both adult and pediatric ICU and Intermediate care burn and wound patients. The unit has both inpatient and outpatient (Burn Clinic) facilities. Our staff provide burn outreach education and prevention across the state of Iowa and annually attend a Burn Camp for burn patient survivors. The American College of Surgeons has designated our unit as a Level I Burn Center verified by the American Burn Association in the care of adult and pediatric patients since 1996.

Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) – John Colloton Pavilion (4JCW)

The Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) is a 24-bed medical and surgical cardiac intensive care unit specializing in the care of critically ill adult patients with complex cardiovascular conditions. Our patient population includes individuals experiencing acute myocardial infarctions requiring coronary interventions, advanced heart failure, cardiogenic shock, complex vascular and thoracic conditions, and patients recovering from cardiac surgical procedures such as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), valve repair or replacement, aortic surgery, heart transplantation, and ventricular assist device (VAD) placement.

Many patients in the CVICU experience multisystem organ dysfunction and require advanced hemodynamic monitoring, mechanical circulatory support, and other specialized critical care therapies. Our nursing staff are highly trained in managing complex devices and treatments, including intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP), Impella devices, right and left ventricular assist devices (RVAD/LVAD), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Caring for this patient population requires strong critical thinking, advanced assessment skills, and close collaboration with a multidisciplinary team to manage rapidly changing clinical conditions.

The CVICU is committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based care while supporting clinical excellence, patient safety, and ongoing professional development.

Our certifications include:

• Joint Commission Advanced Disease-Specific Certification for Ventricular Assist Device

Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) – Roy J. Carver Pavilion (5RCP)

This 26-bed unit provides comprehensive high-tech intensive care to acutely ill adults with a wide variety of complex critically ill patients with multiple medical issues who demonstrate a deterioration of health requiring critical care nursing. Patient diagnoses include multi-system failure respiratory failure, severe sepsis, overdoses (OD), GIB, medical neuro, various cancers, and bone marrow transplants. State of the art technology is implemented in MICU including il-2 therapy, VV ECMO, CRRT, ventilators, vasoactive drugs and preforms many bedside procedures. MICU provides total patient care involving a multidisciplinary approach, in conjunction with state-of-the-art technology, for systematic assessment and improvement of care to the critically ill patients. In 2012 we were awarded a National award for outstanding achievement and leadership for elimination of Ventilator Associated pneumonia. 

Neuroscience Intermediate Unit – John Colloton Pavilion (6JCP)

The 6 JCP unit is a 47-bed intermediate and acute care neuroscience unit caring for adult neurology and neurosurgical patient population requiring telemetry monitoring, ventriculostomies with intracranial pressure monitoring, and intensive neurological monitoring. Patient diagnoses include stroke, central nervous system (CNS) autoimmune diseases, surgeries of the brain and spinal cord, and neurological traumas involving the head, brain, and spinal cord. Our honors and awards include:

• Joint Commission Stroke Center of Excellence
• Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center
• Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval for stroke care
• The Joint Commission Designated Primary Stroke Center

Respiratory Specialty and Comprehensive Care Unit (RSCCU)– John Colloton Pavilion (7JC)

RSCCU is a 25-bed intermediate, ICU step-down unit that uniquely incorporates two different patient populations on one floor.19 beds include pulmonary care for adult patients with lung diseases and complex pulmonary problems such as: lung transplant, COPD, new/chronic trach patients, obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, cystic fibrosis, ventilator patients, and neuro-muscular disorders. Being an intermediate unit, our patients do require more care than provided on acute medical/surgical unit.  6 beds serve Palliative Care patients. These patients consist of a wide range of diagnoses with varying treatment plans. Some are cancer patients receiving pain and symptom management, whereas most other palliative patients are receiving end of life care.

• Joint Commission Advanced Certification in Palliative Care
• 2026 Excellence in Patient Experience Award
• 2024 The Exceptional Patient Experience Award
• 2023 Outstanding Patient Experience Award
   

Surgical and Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit (SNICU) – John Pappajohn Pavilion (5JPP)

The Surgical and Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit (SNICU) is the largest intensive care unit in Iowa, seeing more than 2,500 patients each year. The 36-bed unit is structurally divided into three bays. It is staffed by a multidisciplinary team skilled in the care of acutely ill surgical and neuroscience patients.

Beyond routine care for patients requiring intensive care following surgery, the SNICU provides care for patients suffering from:

• Respiratory failure
• Sepsis
• Multi-system trauma
• Peri-operative complications
• Acute neurological injuries
• Pre- and post-organ transplantation care
• Pain

The SNICU provides a full range of intensive care services, using advanced monitoring techniques and equipment including:

• Pulmonary artery catheters
• Arterial lines
• Intracranial pressure monitoring and CSF drainage
• Ventilatory support
• Continuous infusion of vasoactive medications
• Care for micro-vascular reconstruction
• Advanced neurological monitoring
• Multiple renal replacement therapies (CRRT)
• Nitric oxide
• Hypothermia Management
• Pentobarbital Comas

The SNICU is grounded in the belief that our primary responsibility is to provide care that will assist critically ill patients to cope with the physiological and psychological components of their illness or injury. The goal of the critical care team is to assist the patient and their family to maximize those actions that support a state of well-being, minimize those actions that threaten it, and, when necessary, to attain a dignified and peaceful death. We believe that care of the critically ill patient and family is both an art and a science intended to bring about maximum quality of life.

Our honors and awards include:

• Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center
• Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval for stroke care
• The Joint Commission Designated Primary Stroke Center
• Advanced Certification in Palliative Care from The Joint Commission
• American College of Surgeons (ACS) Verified Level 1 Trauma Center
• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Silver Beacon Award for Excellence

Med/Surg Cardiology Intermediate Unit – Roy J. Carver Pavilion (4RCP)

4RC is a 48-bed unit providing care for adult medical cardiology, cardiac, and thoracic surgery patients requiring telemetry monitoring, temporary cardiac pacing, vasoactive and anticoagulant medication infusions. The unit provides care to postoperative patients including esophagectomies, Nissen fundoplications, thoracotomies, heart transplantation, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), valve replacements and transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVR). 4RCP also provides care to patients with cardiomyopathy, pulmonary hypertension, chest pain, post percutaneous coronary interventions, as well as arrhythmia management. In addition, the unit is certified to provide care to patients with left ventricular-assist-devices (LVAD). Our certifications include:

• Joint Commission Advanced Disease Specific Certification for Ventricular Assist Device

Vascular & Neuroscience Intermediate & Acute Care Unit – Roy J. Carver Pavilion (2RCP)

The Vascular and Neuroscience Intermediate and Acute Care Unit (2 RCP) is a 34-bed intermediate acute care unit specializing in comprehensive, head-to-toe, compassionate care for adult neurology, neurosurgical, and vascular surgery patients. These patients may need telemetry or intensive neurological monitoring or both.

We Provides Care for Patients with the Following Conditions:

• Neuro – stroke
• General neurology 
• Neurointerventional radiology (neuro IR) 
•  Vascular specialties

Adult Neurology/Epilepsy Monitoring Unit – Boyd Tower (2BT)

The Adult Neurology/Epilepsy Monitoring Unit is part of UI Health Care's Intensive and Specialty Services (ISS) division. A Staff Nurse will assess patients' nursing care needs, evaluate effectiveness of care provided, and integrate nursing theory and research into clinical practice. 2BT is a 9-bed acute adult unit for patients with epilepsy, headache/facial pain, multiple sclerosis, immune suppressed neuropathies, and movement disorders. 2BT has State-of-the-art video-monitoring and video EEG that are widely utilized on the unit.

Outpatient

Burn Treatment Center and Intermediate Care Unit – John Colloton Pavilion (8JCP)

The Burn and Wound Clinic provides outpatient services to pediatric and adult patients with burn injuries. Outpatient services continue to care for the physical and emotional needs of our patients following their inpatient discharge. We are verified by the American Burn Association and the American College of Surgeons as a comprehensive burn center. We also serve a wound patient population that encompasses Necrotizing fascitis and Hidradenitis Suppurativa, both pre- and post-operative following debridement and skin grafting procedures.