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RN - Trauma Observation - San Diego - Days

Scripps Health

San Diego, California

Health system employer

$59.16/hr

About $123k–$178k/yr

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RN

Posted Aug 10, 2026 · Last seen active Aug 11, 2026

What this might mean for you

The posted pay pencils out to roughly $123k–$178k a year. It's a day shift — the full-speed version of the unit, with every specialist in the building.

What the posting states

Shift
Days

About this role

Show full description
Scripps Mercy Hospital has served central and downtown San Diego since 1890 and is the oldest medical center in the county. The San Diego campus is located near the corner of 5th Avenue and Washington Street in Hillcrest. Scripps Mercy Hospital consists of two campuses in San Diego and Chula Vista. Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego’s campus includes the O’Toole Breast Care Center, a 24-hour emergency room that is a Level I Trauma Center, outpatient physical rehabilitation, minimally invasive robotic surgery and our childbirth unit (including a Level II neonatal intensive care unit). This is a full time 12-hour DAY shift position located at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego. Elevate your career with Scripps Health, where Compassion Meets Excellence. Invest, Empower & Belong. At Scripps Health, your potential is limitless. We're more than a healthcare provider, at Scripps you will join a community where your views, beliefs and values are celebrated. Grow through industry-leading development programs and empower yourself to deliver innovative care. Be a part of an extraordinary team, impacting health in beautiful San Diego. Why join Scripps Health? Award-winning Workplace At Scripps Health, your ambition is empowered, and your abilities are appreciated: Nearly a quarter of our employees have been with Scripps Health for over 10 years. Scripps is a Great Place to Work Certified company for 2025. Scripps Health has been consistently ranked as a top employer for women, millennials, diversity, and as an overall workplace by various national publications. Beckers Healthcare ranked Scripps Health on its 2026 list of 150 top places to work in health care. We have transitional and professional development programs to create a learning environment that enables you to thrive in your specific field as well as in your overall career. Our specialties have been nationally recognized for quality in areas such as cardiovascular care, oncology, orthopedics, geriatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and gastroenterology. The Scripps Health mission is to deliver quality, safe, cost effective, socially responsible health care that makes a difference in the San Diego community. Scripps Mercy Hospital has served central and downtown San Diego since 1890. The Conrad Prebys Emergency and Trauma Center at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego is a Level I center verified by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. Scripps Mercy Hospital has a dedicated trauma floor with an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), telemetry and medical/surgical bed capability. Experts from all disciplines come together as a team to provide immediate, comprehensive and compassionate care. We collaborate with specialists every step of the way, from the scene of the injury through hospital care, discharge, follow-up care and rehabilitation. We see a wide variety of patients on the Trauma Observation Unit. Our focus are trauma patients that come in via our Trauma activation system or those patients that come in through the ED that require a trauma consult. Some mechanisms of injury include but not limited to: MVC, MCC, gun shots, stab wounds, peds vs auto, falls on blood thinners, etc. Our Trauma Attendings also do general surgery and vascular surgeries, and we will take those patients as well on the Trauma Observation unit. In addition to the trauma patients, we are also one of the designated units that take care of our Head & Neck surgery patients. These patients can be same day surgery, one night stay patients, or they can have extensive flaps, drains, and can be trached that require a longer stay. Scripps Health provides what matters most: career growth, delivering superior care to our patients, continuous learning, exceptional benefits and working for an organization that offers many long-term career paths. Join us and experience a culture where opportunities to advance and the support to get there go hand-in-hand. Required Qualifications Current CA RN License Minimum one year current RN experience Basic Life Support (BLS) through American Heart Association (AHA) Preferred Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Nursing Minimum one year current acute care RN experience in a hospital setting At Scripps Health, you will experience the pride, support and respect of an organization that has been repeatedly recognized as one of the nation’s Top 100 Places to Work. You’ll be surrounded by people committed to making a difference in the lives of their patients and their teammates. So if you’re open to change, go ahead and unlock your potential. Position Pay Range: $59.16-$85.68/hour

Certifications

BLS

Requirements

  • CA RN License
  • Current CA RN License Minimum one year current RN experience Basic Life Support (BLS) through American Heart Association (AHA)

About the employer

Scripps Health
Health system employer

Scripps Health is a nonprofit health care system based in San Diego, California, operating five hospital campuses, 30 outpatient centers and clinics, and hundreds of affiliated physician offices. Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas has served North County's coastal communities since 1978.…

3.5 Google rating

What reviewers appreciate

  • Recognized among Fortune's Top 100 US Employers
  • Collaborative, multidisciplinary team environment including surgeons, PAs, NPs, and charge nurses
  • New Hire Retention Incentive up to $7K for eligible positions

What reviewers flag

  • Complex patient mix on units like Medical Acute 2 South may create high acuity and demanding workload
  • Night shift positions (12-hour shifts) may be required for certain roles
  • No specific salary data publicly available in provided research, making compensation transparency limited for prospective nurses
compassionatecollaborativecohesivecommunity-focusedquality-drivenmultidisciplinary

Living in San Diego, CA

San Diego pairs year-round beach weather with a laid-back outdoor lifestyle that makes it easy to trade scrubs for surfboards after a shift. Balboa Park offers trails and museums, while neighborhoods like Hillcrest give nurses walkable dining and nightlife options.

Map showing the location of San Diego, CA
San Diego, CA on the map · © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap· Open the live map
Metro price level · San Diego area
111.9
12% above the national average
Median gross rent
$2,313/mo
rent and tenant-paid utilities

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · 2024 metro Regional Price Parities · Census ACS 2024

Browse open roles in San Diego

On your path

Emergency is a first-year unit lane. Fellowships take new grads. The windows matter.

Worth asking

The posting doesn’t answer these. Good ones to ask a recruiter or in the interview.

  • Can you walk me through the base pay range and differentials?
  • What should I expect for weekly hours, weekend, holiday, call, and rotation?
  • What orientation, preceptor time, and ongoing unit support are included?
  • How are patient load, floating, and staffing support handled day to day?
Open the full posting report

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