Registered Nurse, Observation Unit

VHC Health

Arlington, Virginia

Posted Jul 29

Unit and setting: Observation · Hospital
License: RN licenseLicensed as a Registered Nurse by the Virginia Department of Health Professions required or,
Term: Permanent

Do you qualify?

License: Licensed as a Registered Nurse by the Virginia Department of Health Professions required or, Check your license
License: Compact State Licensure in Nursing required Check your license
Certification: BLS certification required
Certification: Registered Nurses on designated units are required to maintain certain certifications.
Certification: Certification/
Certification: ACLS: ED, ICU, CVICU, Cardiac Cath Lab, Cardiopulmonary Rehab, Bronch Suite, Interventional Radiology, Radiology Safety Nurses, Step down Units (3A, 3B, 4B), 6A, 6B, 7A, Labor and Delivery, Hemodialysis, Respiratory Therapy, Float pool, GI Unit, and PACU
Certification: PALS: PACU: Pediatric Nurses, ED
Certification: NRP: NICU, Mother Baby, Labor and Delivery
Certification: Per policy ACLS or PALS cards stand as showing competence in BLS Skills per American Heart Association Guidelines. If an employee holds current ACLS or PALS certification, this meets the requirement for BLS in their job description. They do not need to also carry a separate BLS certification.
Education: Bachelor's in Nursing Required
Experience: One year of Nursing/Patient Care in an acute care setting is required
Experience: New to practice area nurses or new graduates have 1 year to complete the specialty requirements below.
Also asks: De-escalation training: BHU, ED

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What it pays

Against similar roles: Virginia staff median is $46/hrVirginia staff postings that state pay run $31/hr to $59/hr, the middle half $40/hr to $51/hr, across 1,223 postings. This posting's $44/hr to $74/hr is wider than that, so where you land depends on the offer.

Benefits

Dental insurance
Health insurance
Retirement plan
Vision insurance
Wellness benefits

The role and schedule

Floating: Floats to other units

The workplace

VHC Health

Hospital

3.8 Google rating

Facility profile

The team behind this role

Nursing leadership

Melody Dickerson, DNP, MSN, RN, CENP, CPHQ, FACHE · Senior Vice President, Hospital Operations & Chief Nursing Officer

VHC Health

Sources

Source: vhchealth.org

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Your fit

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Original listing

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Position Title: Registered Nurse, Observation Unit Job Description

Purpose & Scope

Across all levels, the registered professional nurse is responsible for the direct and indirect total nursing care of their assigned patients. The RN is also responsible for the supervision of assigned personnel. The position requires knowledge of both department and hospital policies and procedures relevant to the delivery of nursing care.

Interpretive skills, frequent interactive and consultative associations, along with management and supervisory skills are inherent in the position. The ability to retrieve, communicate or otherwise present information in a written, auditory or visual fashion is essential. The primary method to express or exchange ideas is through the spoken word.

Written, telephone, and manual dexterity skills are required for this position.

Education

Bachelor's in Nursing Required

Experience

One year of Nursing/Patient Care in an acute care setting is required

Certification/

Licensure

Licensed as a Registered Nurse by the Virginia Department of Health Professions required or,

Compact State Licensure in Nursing required

BLS certification required

Registered Nurses on designated units are required to maintain certain certifications. New to practice area nurses or new graduates have 1 year to complete the specialty requirements below.

ACLS: ED, ICU, CVICU, Cardiac Cath Lab, Cardiopulmonary Rehab, Bronch Suite, Interventional Radiology, Radiology Safety Nurses, Step down Units (3A, 3B, 4B), 6A, 6B, 7A, Labor and Delivery, Hemodialysis, Respiratory Therapy, Float pool, GI Unit, and PACU

PALS: PACU: Pediatric Nurses, ED
NRP: NICU, Mother Baby, Labor and Delivery
De-escalation training: BHU, ED

Per policy ACLS or PALS cards stand as showing competence in BLS Skills per American Heart Association Guidelines. If an employee holds current ACLS or PALS certification, this meets the requirement for BLS in their job description. They do not need to also carry a separate BLS certification.

What's around it?

In Arlington, VA

Arlington, VAFrom Census ACS 2024.

Living costs about 9% above the US average

Median rent: $2,322/mo
Household income: $142,114/yr, all local households, not nurse pay

Life in Arlington, VA

NeighborhoodsArlington offers distinct neighborhood corridors shaped largely by Metrorail lines. Along the Rosslyn–Ballston corridor, Clarendon and Courthouse are energetic hubs featuring mid-rise apartments, townhomes, and bustling nightlife, while neighboring Ballston and Virginia Square provide direct access to the Orange and Silver lines with shopping at Ballston Quarter and an active young professional demographic. Rosslyn sits directly across Key Bridge from Georgetown, dominated by luxury high-rise towers. In the southern transit corridor (National Landing), Crystal City and Pentagon City offer high-density apartment buildings and swift Blue and Yellow line connections, complemented by residential enclaves like Aurora Highlands. Quieter, family-oriented neighborhoods with detached single-family homes include Bluemont, Westover, Lyon Village, and Shirlington.

Arlington offers distinct neighborhood corridors shaped largely by Metrorail lines. Along the Rosslyn–Ballston corridor, Clarendon and Courthouse are energetic hubs featuring mid-rise apartments, townhomes, and bustling nightlife, while neighboring Ballston and Virginia Square provide direct access to the Orange and Silver lines with shopping at Ballston Quarter and an active young professional demographic.

Rosslyn sits directly across Key Bridge from Georgetown, dominated by luxury high-rise towers. In the southern transit corridor (National Landing), Crystal City and Pentagon City offer high-density apartment buildings and swift Blue and Yellow line connections, complemented by residential enclaves like Aurora Highlands.

Quieter, family-oriented neighborhoods with detached single-family homes include Bluemont, Westover, Lyon Village, and Shirlington.

Sources

As of Sep 16, 2026Source 1: extraspace.com Source 2: arlingtonrealestateadvisors.com Source 3: onestreet.one Source 4: quora.com

Getting aroundCommuting within Arlington and into Washington, D.C. relies heavily on the Washington Metro, with 11 stations spanning the Orange, Silver, Blue, and Yellow lines. The Rosslyn–Ballston corridor (Orange/Silver) offers seamless east-west transit, while Crystal City and Pentagon City (Blue/Yellow) allow rapid trips south toward Alexandria or north across the Potomac. Arlington Transit (ART) buses provide extensive local feeder service connecting transit corridors like Columbia Pike and Langston Boulevard. For drivers, Interstate 66, Route 7, and Richmond Highway are primary arteries, though peak-hour road congestion is notorious across Northern Virginia. Shift workers bringing cars must navigate neighborhood residential parking permit programs and high-density garage parking rules.

Commuting within Arlington and into Washington, D.C. relies heavily on the Washington Metro, with 11 stations spanning the Orange, Silver, Blue, and Yellow lines. The Rosslyn–Ballston corridor (Orange/Silver) offers seamless east-west transit, while Crystal City and Pentagon City (Blue/Yellow) allow rapid trips south toward Alexandria or north across the Potomac.

Arlington Transit (ART) buses provide extensive local feeder service connecting transit corridors like Columbia Pike and Langston Boulevard. For drivers, Interstate 66, Route 7, and Richmond Highway are primary arteries, though peak-hour road congestion is notorious across Northern Virginia.

Shift workers bringing cars must navigate neighborhood residential parking permit programs and high-density garage parking rules.

Sources

As of Sep 16, 2026Source 1: arlingtonrealestateadvisors.com Source 2: onestreet.one Source 3: quora.com Source 4: reddit.com

OutdoorsWith over 80 public parks and an extensive trail network, Arlington consistently ranks among the most fitness-focused communities in the country. Paved multi-use pathways include the Custis Trail connecting Ballston to Rosslyn, the Four Mile Run Trail, and the scenic Mount Vernon Trail tracing the Potomac waterfront. Outdoor enthusiasts frequent Theodore Roosevelt Island for wooded wildlife walks, Gravelly Point to watch airplanes land directly overhead near Reagan National Airport, and Long Bridge Park, Lubber Run, Quincy Park, and Potomac Overlook Regional Park for recreation, community events, and raptor observation.

With over 80 public parks and an extensive trail network, Arlington consistently ranks among the most fitness-focused communities in the country. Paved multi-use pathways include the Custis Trail connecting Ballston to Rosslyn, the Four Mile Run Trail, and the scenic Mount Vernon Trail tracing the Potomac waterfront.

Outdoor enthusiasts frequent Theodore Roosevelt Island for wooded wildlife walks, Gravelly Point to watch airplanes land directly overhead near Reagan National Airport, and Long Bridge Park, Lubber Run, Quincy Park, and Potomac Overlook Regional Park for recreation, community events, and raptor observation.

Sources

As of Sep 16, 2026Source 1: racinecountyeye.com Source 2: washington.org Source 3: stayarlington.com Source 4: getbellhops.com Source 5: facebook.com

Others hiring in Arlington, VA

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Living in Arlington

Arlington stands out as an energetic, hyper-connected urban county perched directly across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. For relocating healthcare professionals, it offers a seamless blend of metropolitan convenience, safety, and an outdoor lifestyle. Daily life clusters around transit corridors: the Rosslyn–Ballston corridor (Orange and Silver lines) brims with dining, social energy, and modern apartments in Clarendon, Courthouse, and Ballston, while National Landing (Blue and Yellow lines) links Pentagon City and Crystal City to regional medical facilities, Reagan National Airport, and outdoor hubs like Met Park. Healthcare workers working odd hours benefit from extensive Metrorail and ART bus networks, though driving requires navigating Interstate 66 congestion and strict neighborhood parking rules. When off shift, Arlingtonians take full advantage of being in one of the nation's fittest communities, cycling the Custis and Mount Vernon trails, unwinding at Theodore Roosevelt Island, or exploring dining scenes from Clarendon to nearby Falls Church. Balancing urban density with leafy neighborhoods like Westover and Bluemont, Arlington delivers an active, secure home base with fast access to the entire capital region.

AI area guide

Sources

As of 2026-09Source 1: arlingtonrealestateadvisors.com Source 2: racinecountyeye.com Source 3: extraspace.com Source 4: getbellhops.com Source 5: washington.org

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What it pays

Benefits

The role and schedule

The workplace

The team behind this role

Worth asking

Ask Mira

Your fit

Original listing

Position Title: Registered Nurse, Observation Unit Job Description

Purpose & Scope

Education

Experience

Licensure

What's around it?

Arlington, VAiFrom Census ACS 2024.

Life in Arlington, VA

Moving for this role?

Nurses on this role

Nurses on this role

The team behind this role

Life in Arlington, VA

Moving for this role?

Nurses on this role

Arlington, VAFrom Census ACS 2024.