Location & Practice Overview

The Director of Nursing Services – Periop position is located at Phoenix Children’s Thomas Campus in central Phoenix and reports within Nursing Administration. Oversight covers the main perioperative and interventional service areas of a freestanding pediatric hospital.

Facility Phoenix Children’s Hospital – Thomas Campus
Department Nursing Administration
Primary Areas Main Operating Room, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Interventional Radiology
Practice Setting Inpatient high-acuity surgical and procedural environment
Location Central Phoenix, Arizona

Responsibilities

  • Create and manage operational plans, annual budgets, productivity metrics, and a three-year capital plan for the assigned departments.
  • Oversee staffing models, recruitment, onboarding, performance evaluations, goal development, and corrective actions for managers and staff while upholding a Just Culture framework.
  • Drive quality improvement, care standardization, survey readiness, and daily operations so that professional and regulatory standards are consistently met.
  • Collaborate with physicians and senior executives on service-line strategy, growth projects, expansions, and renovations.
  • Coach departmental leaders, lead change-management efforts, build cross-enterprise relationships, and apply crisis-management principles when rapid decisions are required.

This is a pure leadership role centered on financial accountability, workforce management, performance improvement, and strategic direction rather than direct bedside care.

Qualifications & Requirements

Applicants must satisfy the education, experience, licensure, and certification requirements listed below to be considered for this director position.

Education
Bachelor of Science in Nursing required; Master of Science in Nursing or master’s degree in a related field also required
Experience
Five or more years of clinical pediatric nursing experience that includes two years of management or leadership responsibility, or five years of leadership experience accepted in place of pediatric-specific clinical experience
Licensure
Current Arizona RN license or multistate compact privileges (or ability to obtain before start date)
Certifications
National certification in the specialty or a related field required; BLS for Healthcare Provider (American Heart Association) required or obtained within 60 days of hire
Preferred Background
Demonstrated success leading perioperative services in a pediatric setting

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation for this full-time director role is listed at $140,000–$180,000 per year.

  • $140,000–$180,000 per year
  • Full-time employment

Schedule & Work Environment

Status Full-Time
Work Days Monday through Friday
Shift Hours Days, 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Work Location On-site at the main hospital campus

Patient Population & Clinical Setting

The position supports pediatric patients and families receiving surgical and interventional care in a high-acuity hospital environment.

Age Range Neonates through adolescents
Acuity Level High-acuity operative and procedural cases
Setting Inpatient perioperative and interventional areas
Care Context Children requiring operative or catheter-based interventions

Clinical Focus & Key Services

The clinical content of the role is the nursing leadership of operative, catheterization, and image-guided procedural services for pediatric patients.

Core Departments Main Operating Room, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Interventional Radiology
Care Model High-acuity surgical and procedural care delivered in a family-centered framework
Practice Standards Evidence-based, standardized nursing practice across the assigned departments
Strategic Alignment Support of operational efficiency and planned growth within surgical services

Role Highlights

Several structural features set this director position apart from more typical single-unit nursing leadership roles.

  • Direct nursing leadership across the Main Operating Room, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, and Interventional Radiology
  • Combined operational, financial, and strategic accountability for multiple procedural departments inside a freestanding pediatric hospital
  • Explicit preference for candidates with demonstrated pediatric perioperative leadership experience
  • Responsibility for capital planning, survey readiness, and enterprise-level change initiatives within the perioperative service line

About Phoenix Children's

Phoenix Children’s is a nonprofit pediatric health system that began operations in 1983 and opened as a freestanding children’s hospital in 2002. The organization operates a 533-bed main campus in central Phoenix, a 48-bed Arrowhead Campus in Glendale, additional emergency and outpatient sites, and more than 75 pediatric subspecialties. It employs approximately 8,100 staff members, including more than 1,900 nurses, and maintains academic affiliations that support research and medical education.

Type Nonprofit freestanding pediatric health system
Main Campus 533 beds – Thomas Campus, Phoenix
Other Sites Arrowhead Campus (48 beds), Avondale emergency department, multiple outpatient and urgent-care locations
Staff Size Approximately 8,100 employees, including 1,900+ nurses
History Opened 1983; freestanding hospital since 2002

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this role include direct bedside patient care?
No. The position is a director-level leadership role focused on strategic oversight, financial management, staffing, quality improvement, and operational direction of the assigned departments.
Which departments report to this director?
The role provides nursing leadership for the Main Operating Room, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, and Interventional Radiology at the main Phoenix campus.
What experience qualifies for this director role?
Five or more years of clinical pediatric nursing experience that includes two years of management or leadership responsibility is one qualification pathway; five years of leadership experience may be accepted in lieu of pediatric-specific clinical experience.
What advanced degree is required?
A Master of Science in Nursing or a master’s degree in a related field is required in addition to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Is national certification required?
Yes. A national certification in the specialty or a related field is a required credential for the position.
Does this role have a Monday–Friday schedule?
The posted schedule is Monday through Friday, days, from 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Director of Nursing Services - Periop in Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix Children’s seeks a full-time Director of Nursing Services – Periop to lead nursing operations for the Main Operating Room, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, and Interventional Radiology at its central Phoenix campus. Based in Nursing Administration within a freestanding pediatric hospital, the role carries responsibility for financial performance, staffing, quality improvement, regulatory readiness, capital planning, and service-line strategy. The schedule is Monday through Friday, days, 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Candidates must hold a BSN plus an MSN or related master’s degree, an Arizona or compact RN license, national specialty certification, and either five-plus years of pediatric nursing experience that includes leadership or five years of broader leadership experience. Compensation is listed at $140,000–$180,000 per year. The position combines multi-department oversight with enterprise collaboration to support high-acuity surgical and procedural care for pediatric patients and their families.

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