Medical Surgical Services Nursing Division

Experience the Benefits of the Iowa Difference

Forbes magazine named University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, among the top 10 health care employers in the country for 2018. 

UI Hospitals & Clinics 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).

Our medical-surgical services represent the largest number of nursing opportunities, with more than 260 of our 811 beds assigned to medical-surgical care settings. In a recent year, our total acute admissions was just more than 36,000 with more than 230,633 acute patient days of care.

What does this all mean to you? Medical-Surgical 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.  For more information about MSS and to hear staff testimonials click here.

• Adult Acute Care Unit
• Adult Acute Internal Medicine Unit
• Adult Surgery Specialty Unit
• Medicine Specialty Unit
• Medical Surgical Oncology Unit
• Adult Neurology and Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
• Orthopedics, Trauma, Spine Unit
• Short Stay Unit
• Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapies Unit

Inpatient

Adult Acute Care Unit, John Colloton Pavilion (2 JCP)

The Adult Acute Care Unit is a 30-bed, medical surgical unit. We serve a diverse patient population including the Family Medicine service along with specialized surgical patients. The surgical patients include otolaryngology (ENT), oral surgery, and plastic reconstructive surgery. We are able to provide our patients with all private rooms, which allows for a more comfortable experience for both patients and their families. We have a highly skilled multi-disciplinary team that helps to provide excellent patient care to all patients on our unit. Our goal is to provide each patient an individualized care plan, and provide them the support and care they need and deserve.

On 2 JCP We Provide Care for Patients with These Conditions:

• Diabetes
• Wound management
• Electrolyte imbalances
• Respiratory diseases
• Tracheotomies
• Total laryngectomies
• Post-cancer or trauma free flaps and rotational flaps for facial reconstruction
• Thyroidectomies
• Cochlear implants
• Acoustic neuromas
• Mandible fractures
• Panniculectomies
• Hernia repairs
• Breast reconstruction

Adult Acute Internal Medicine Units, General Hospital (4 South and 5 South)

The Adult Acute Internal Medicine Units are both 13-bed general medicine inpatient units that serves a variety of patients. The unit is designed to provide high quality, personalized care for patients. We are pleased that we are able to provide our patients with private rooms, granting them the quite atmosphere to rest and heal.

We Treat Diseases and Disorders from the Following Body Systems, Including but Not Limited to:

• Circulatory
• Dermatology
• Endocrine
• Immune
• Gastrointestinal
• Neurological
• Pulmonary
• Renal

We use a multidisciplinary approach to patient care that is patient centered and encourages teamwork between nursing staff, physicians, therapy teams, social work, care coordination, and pharmacists.

Adult Surgery Specialty Unit, Roy J. Carver Pavilion (2 Roy Carver)*

The Surgical Specialty Unit (2 Roy Carver) is a 34-bed surgical unit that provides post-operative care for a variety of patients undergoing complex procedures. Essential to the care of these multidimensional patients is an interdisciplinary team skilled in the areas of post-operative disease processes.

We Provides Care for Patients with the Following Conditions:

• Solid organ transplant
  • Liver
  • Pancreas
  • Kidney
• Trauma surgery
• Vascular
  • Femoral popliteal bypass
  • Carotid endarterectomy
  • Abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Colorectal Surgery
• Bariatric Surgery
  • Laparoscopic and Robotic sleeve gastrectomy
  • Laparoscopic and Robotic gastric bypass
• Emergency general surgery

The Surgical Specialty Unit believes it is our responsibility to provide patient centered care that will enable surgical patients and their families to cope with the physiological and psychological aspects of their illness or injury. We believe that exceptional care of the surgical patient embodies excellent clinical skills intertwined with compassionate care to achieve maximum quality of life.

*Named an MBSAQIP Accredited – Comprehensive Center for bariatric surgery

Medicine Specialty Unit, Roy J. Carver Pavilion (6 RCP)

The General Medicine unit focuses on the care of adults with a variety of medical diagnoses, including, but not limited to, diseases or disorders of the pulmonary system, gastrointestinal system, renal system, endocrine system, circulatory system, neurological system, as well as infectious diseases, dermatological disorders and autoimmune disorders.

This unit is a dynamic and fast paced environment rich with opportunities for learning. We utilize a multidisciplinary approach to patient care that encourages team work between physicians, nursing staff, therapy staff, social work and a variety of other consulting disciplines to provide the most comprehensive care for our patients.

The heartbeat of our Adult Internal Medicine unit is teamwork for the sake of holistic patient-centered care and a healthy work environment that allows our staff to thrive and grow both personally and professionally.

Medical-Surgical Oncology Unit, John Pappajohn Pavilion (4 JPP)

• 44-bed adult medical-surgical oncology unit
• Medical patients requiring acute oncology care including chemotherapy administration, symptom management, and complex care and monitoring
• Surgical patients receiving post-op care for laparoscopic and complex oncology related surgeries including:
  • Thyroidectomies
  • Gastrectomies
  • Adrenalectomies
  • Splenectomies
  • Liver resections
  • Bowel resections
  • Melanoma excisions
  • Pancreaticoduodenectomies (Whipple procedure)
• Part of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center
• A top ranked hospital for cancer care according to U.S. News and World Report Best Hospitals Rankings
• First hospital in Iowa to be named a Magnet Hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and four time re-designation

Why Join the Team?

• The 4 JPP unit vision is to provide expertise in quality patient/family-centered care for every patient, every time.
• 4 JPP offers an energizing and healthy work environment that allows staff to thrive and grow both personally and professionally by offering oncology based orientation, annual oncology enrichment classes, and monthly educational inservices.
• Specialty training in chemotherapy administration and oncology care
• Dynamic, fast-paced environment that safely pushes your nursing skill set to the next level
• Collaborative, multidisciplinary work environment dedicated to safe, quality patient care as demonstrated by daily nurse lead rounds
• Work with some of the world’s experts in both medical and surgical oncology.
• A unit committed to the UI Department of Nursing shared governance model to promote staff nurse leadership and autonomy as well as a generous professional recognition program
• Nurse Residency and Preceptor Programs for new and experienced RNs
• Opportunities to precept nursing students though our Dedicated Education Unit program
• Pioneer unit for compassionate, connected patient care
• Aid in administration of clinical trials to enhance cancer care. At any time, Holden offers more than 300 active clinical trials.

*Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center is an NCI-designated Cancer Center, the only one in Iowa

Adult Neurology and Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, Boyd Tower (2 BT)

The non-vascular neurology unit on 2 BT is a 9-bed acute adult unit for patients with neurological disorders including, but not limited to, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune neuropathies, myasthenia gravis, headache/facial pain, and movement disorders. The unit is also home to the only Level 4 Epilepsy Center in the state of Iowa, providing the highest level of epilepsy care in the United States. 2 BT utilizes video EEG monitoring for continuous, advanced observation of epilepsy patients.

Patients are cared for by a multidisciplinary team that are focused on the patient and restoring their health. Due to the relatively small size of the unit, working on 2 BT provides a great learning environment for the complexity of the neuroscience specialty. The strong sense of teamwork makes this unit appealing to staff with all levels of experience. The leadership team is supportive of continuing education and role-advancement, helping staff grow personally and professionally.

Orthopedics, Trauma, Spine Unit, Roy J. Carver Pavilion East (3RC)

In April 2023, our acute orthopedics unit (3 RCP) will expand to become a 48-bed adult surgical unit focusing on the care of orthopedics, trauma, and spine patients. Our staff is full of motivated individuals that are passionate about the quality of care they provide. 

The Orthopedics, Trauma, Spine believes it is our responsibility to provide patient centered care that will enable our patients and their families to cope with the physiological and psychological aspects of their illness or injury. We believe that exceptional care of our patient embodies excellent clinical skills intertwined with compassionate care to achieve maximum quality of life.

The pulse of our unit is teamwork for the sake of holistic patient-centered care and a healthy work environment. This allows our staff to thrive and grow both personally and professionally by providing all necessary resources for staff to excel and achieve their career goals.

Unit Staff Provides Care for Patients Who Experience:

• Traumas/Orthopedic Injuries (motor vehicle accidents, fractures, skeletal traction, etc.) 
• Reconstructive joint surgery (hip, knee, shoulder)
• Osteosarcoma removal and reconstruction
• Spine surgery
• Hand surgery
• Foot and Ankle surgery
• Amputations
• Sports injuries
• Young adult hip preservation procedures

Short Stay Unit, Lower Level John Colloton Pavilion (LL JCP)

This unit features 30 private patient rooms and is designed to care for patients admitted to UIHC under observation or recovery level of care, with a focus on timely treatment. The Lower Level Short Stay Unit is a new construction unit that opened in April 2023 as part of UIHC's Medical Surgical Services (MSS) Division.

The diverse patient population cared for on this unit will include both medical and surgical patient populations who are typically admitted to the hospital for an estimated 24-48 hour stay. Patient diagnoses frequently treated as medical observation include but are not limited to chest pain, abdominal pain, back pain, and syncope. Surgical recovery patients include a variety of procedures under the care of the following services: orthopedics, urology, plastics and cardiology, among others.

We rely on teamwork to provide high quality and compassionate care as we provide patients the necessary care and education for them to make a safe transition home following their short stay in the hospital.

Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapies Unit, John Colloton Pavilion (3 JCP)

Formerly ABMT

This brand new, state-of-the-art 24-bed unit is part of the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center and houses the only blood and marrow transplant unit in Iowa. The unit is a dynamic and fast-paced environment, rich with opportunities for both the new graduate nurse and the experienced nurse looking for new challenges. Specialized, comprehensive care is provided to adult patients with leukemia and patients undergoing transplant for multiple myeloma, leukemia, lymphoma, and other types of hematologic disorders. Caring for these patients is a holistic and dynamic process that is both challenging and stimulating. Essential to the care of these inspiring patients is our interdisciplinary team that is skilled in oncology care. Exceptional care of the oncology patient embodies excellent clinical skills intertwined with compassionate care, to achieve optimum outcomes.

This unit's vision is to provide expertise in quality patient/family-centered care for every patient, every time. Our team achieves this through competence, character, and communication. A primary responsibility of this team is to provide care that will assist the patients to cope with the physiological and psychological components of their illness. This unit offers an energizing and healthy work environment that allows staff to thrive and grow both personally and professionally. This program has been accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) since 2001, and through a multidisciplinary teamwork approach, was awarded the Silver Beacon Award for Excellence in 2016 by the American Association of Critical Care nurses (AACN).

*Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapies accredited transplant program since 2001