Charge Nurse -Infusion Center (Department Promotional Only)

Full Job Description

Through growth and change, San Mateo Medical Center remains committed to providing high-quality, patient-centered care to meet the needs of our diverse community. As a public safety net system, we are dedicated to delivering equitable, accessible care with compassion and respect.

San Mateo Medical Center is an integrated healthcare system serving San Mateo County residents across inpatient, outpatient, and community-based settings.

We prioritize clinical excellence, patient safety, and continuous improvement while supporting a work environment that values collaboration, wellness, and professional growth.

Under general supervision, the Charge Nurse - Infusion Center coordinates and oversees daily clinical and operational activities of the Infusion Center during an assigned shift.

This role ensures safe, efficient, and high-quality delivery of patient care across a diverse infusion population, including chemotherapy, biologics, and supportive therapies.

The Charge Nurse serves as the central point of coordination for patient flow, staffing, and clinical operations, working closely with pharmacy, providers, and ancillary departments to ensure timely delivery of care.

The role requires real-time decision making to address changes in patient acuity, scheduling, medication availability, and staffing.

The Charge Nurse supports regulatory compliance, infection prevention standards, and adherence to organizational policies and procedures.

This position may perform direct patient care while simultaneously providing oversight, guidance, and support to nursing staff to maintain continuity of care and operational efficiency.

The ideal candidate:

• Is a clinically strong and operationally aware nurse with experience in infusion services, oncology, or ambulatory care who can manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Has strong clinical judgment and ability to manage varying patient acuity, including chemotherapy and high-risk infusions
• Has the ability to coordinate daily operations, including patient flow, staffing assignments, and schedule adjustments
• Has experience working collaboratively with the pharmacy to ensure timely medication preparation and delivery
• Has knowledge of regulatory and safety standards, including infection control, medication administration, and documentation requirements
• Has ability to maintain consistency in practice and messaging across staff
• Has strong communication skills and ability to support, coach, and guide staff in real time
• Takes a proactive approach to problem solving, with the ability to anticipate operational needs and address barriers to care delivery
• Demonstrates strong adherence to safe handling and administration of high-risk medications, including chemotherapy and biologic agents, with attention to established safety protocols and monitoring requirements
• Has experience with outpatient infusion workflows, chemotherapy administration, and regulatory readiness (e.g., Joint Commission, CDPH)
• Has a minimum of three (3) years of experience as a Registered Nurse in an acute care or ambulatory setting
• Has at least one (1) year of experience in infusion therapy, oncology or related specialty area
• Has prior nurse lead or informal leadership experience

NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.

Requirements

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Coordinate and direct daily operations of the Infusion Center to ensure safe, timely, and efficient patient care
• Assess, prioritize, and adjust patient assignments based on acuity, treatment type, and staffing levels
• Monitor patient flow from arrival through discharge and address delays in real time
• Collaborate with pharmacy to support timely medication preparation and administration, including escalation of delays or workflow issues
• Provide clinical oversight and support to nursing staff, ensuring adherence to standards of care and safe infusion practices
• Perform nursing assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of patient care as needed
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, including infection prevention, medication safety, and documentation standards
• Support implementation and adherence to policies, procedures, and standardized workflows
• Identify operational issues and participate in real-time problem solving to improve efficiency and patient experience
• Assist with staffing coordination for the shift, including break coverage and workload distribution
• Participate in staff development, onboarding, and ongoing education related to infusion practices
• Communicate effectively with providers, pharmacy, and ancillary departments to coordinate care delivery
• Maintain accurate records and support quality improvement and performance initiatives
• Ensure safe preparation, handling, and administration of high-risk medications, including chemotherapy and biologic agents, in accordance with established protocols and safety standards
• Perform related duties as assigned

Qualifications

Education and Experience:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying.

Licensure/Certification:

• Must possess and maintain a California license as a Registered Nurse.
• Possession and maintenance of BLS certification.
• Possession and maintenance of Oncology Nursing certification.
• Completion of competency requirements as chemotherapy nurse within three months of hire.

Knowledge of:

• Nurse Practice Act and professional and governmental standards or regulations pertaining to nursing.
• Nursing theories, principles, methods and practices.
• Safety and infection control principles.
• Clinical systems, supplies and equipment.
• Principles of staff development.
• Supervisory principles.

Skill/Ability to:

• Perform and evaluate the performance of nursing procedures required for the assigned shift and clinical setting.
• Plan, organize, supervise and evaluate the work of nursing staff.
• Comprehend, interpret, and implement nursing policies and procedures.
• Instruct and train professional and paraprofessional employees.
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Maintain professional nurse-patient and nurse-physician relationships.
• Prepare reports and maintain accurate records.

Additional Information

Departmental Promotional Only. Only current County of San Mateo employees in the San Mateo Medical Center with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date may apply.

The examination may consist of an interview (weight 100%).

Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or a screening committee may select those applicants whose education and/or experience appear to be best meet the needs of the position.

As a result, not all applicants are guaranteed advancement through the next phase of the selection process. Qualified applicants will be notified of the date, time and place of the test.

All examinations will be given in San Mateo County, California, and applicants must participate at their own expense.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button above or below. If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

~TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE~
DEADLINE TO APPLY: April 17, 2026, 11:59 PM
APPLICATION SCREENING: April 23, 2026
COMBINED PANEL/DEPARTMENT INTERVIEWS: May 8, 2026

About the County San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay.

With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment.

The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.

Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.

Analyst: Carolyn Burns (040326) (Charge Nurse - F012)