Unit Manager - Emergency Unit

SUMMARY:
Unit Manager - Emergency Unit

POSITION INFO:

We are seeking a suitably qualified and experienced Unit Manager – Emergency Unit to lead the Emergency Department at a leading private healthcare facility based in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.

The successful candidate will be responsible for providing strategic, clinical, and operational leadership within the Emergency Unit, ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care while driving operational efficiency, clinical governance, staff development, and compliance with organisational, professional, and regulatory standards.

Key Responsibilities:

Clinical Leadership & Patient Care

• Provide clinical leadership to ensure the delivery of safe, evidence-based emergency nursing care.
• Oversee patient assessment, triage, treatment, and discharge processes in accordance with established clinical protocols.
• Ensure effective management of medical emergencies, trauma cases, and critically ill patients.
• Monitor patient outcomes and implement initiatives to continuously improve quality of care.
• Promote patient-centred care while ensuring a positive patient experience.

Operational & Unit Management

• Manage the day-to-day operations of the Emergency Unit to ensure efficient service delivery.
• Oversee staffing, scheduling, productivity, and optimal utilisation of unit resources.
• Monitor departmental budgets and ensure cost-effective resource management.
• Ensure appropriate equipment availability, maintenance, and readiness for emergency care.
• Coordinate patient flow and collaborate with internal departments to optimise bed management and patient throughput.

Clinical Governance, Quality & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with SANC regulations, Department of Health standards, hospital policies, and accreditation requirements.
• Drive infection prevention and control initiatives within the unit.
• Monitor clinical indicators, patient safety metrics, adverse events, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Lead incident investigations, root cause analyses, and implementation of corrective actions.
• Participate in clinical audits, risk assessments, and continuous quality improvement programmes.

Leadership & People Management

• Lead, motivate, and develop a multidisciplinary nursing team to achieve operational and clinical excellence.
• Manage staff performance, coaching, mentoring, and succession planning.
• Identify training needs and facilitate continuous professional development within the unit.
• Foster a culture of teamwork, accountability, professionalism, and patient safety.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and retention of nursing staff.

Multidisciplinary Collaboration

• Collaborate with emergency physicians, specialists, allied healthcare professionals, and hospital management to ensure coordinated patient care.
• Participate in hospital committees and contribute to strategic initiatives relating to emergency services.
• Maintain effective communication with patients, families, and healthcare professionals regarding patient care and departmental operations.

Minimum Qualifications & Experience:

• Degree or Diploma in General Nursing.
• Current registration with the South African Nursing Council (SANC) as a Professional Nurse.
• Postgraduate qualification in Nursing Management or Nursing Administration.
• Post-Basic Qualification in Trauma and Emergency Nursing Science will be advantageous.
• Minimum 5 years'' experience within an Emergency Unit in a private hospital environment.
• Minimum 2–3 years'' management or leadership experience within an Emergency Department.
• Computer literacy, including Microsoft Office and electronic healthcare systems.

Required Skills & Competencies:

• Strong clinical knowledge of emergency and trauma nursing practice.
• Proven leadership and people management skills.
• Sound financial and operational management capabilities.
• Excellent clinical decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills.
• Knowledge of healthcare legislation, clinical governance, and quality improvement principles.
• Ability to perform effectively in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
• Excellent organisational, planning, and time management skills.
• Commitment to patient-centred care and continuous service improvement.

Advantageous:

• Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) or Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) exposure.
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
• Experience managing quality improvement and accreditation processes.
• Experience within a multidisciplinary private hospital environment.
• Exposure to hospital budgeting, resource planning, and strategic operational management.

If you meet the above requirements and have the relevant emergency nursing leadership experience, please apply by submitting your CV.